Cheap, ultralight
Calico Boats
Basic 12' X 3' sailboat frame weight: 19.5 Pounds.
Cheapest boat design short of hollowing out a tree trunk.
Uses heat-shrink fabric construction similar to crop dusting aircraft still produced today.
Features
Fun to build design.
Simple, cheap repair.
No steam bending required.
No exotic materials to order.
No messy epoxy resin or fiberglass.
Modular design can be customized easily.
Collapsible 'rigid' wingsail design in the works.
Loaded on car top without help (unless it is windy).
Materials
Scrap wood (free?)
3' hardwood dowel $2.50
3/4 inch PVC tubes (6) @ $0.84 each.
Nylon ties from the Dollar store @ $1 per 100
Hot glue sticks from dollar store @ $1 per bag.
Small wood screws and glue are the most expensive items.
Fabric from thrift stores only a few dollars. (hence the Calico Boat name)
Tools
Saber saw
Electric drill motor
Hot glue gun (mini the easiest to use)
Helpful tools
Table saw
Cordless screwdriver
Hand grinder (Dremel type tool).
Bow Stern
Frame half covered with Dacron (polyester)
Hints and tips
Cheap (almost free) homemade 12 Volt bilge pump HERE
Cheapest car-top boat carrier. HERE
Bill Weller dosbeowulf@lycos.com
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