Sailing attracts many people, but not everyone has the opportunity to practice it. The solution is to build a sailing dinghy by yourself, which is the easiest sailing yacht to manufacture.
Instructions
Step 1
First, decide whether you will build a yacht according to your own drawings or use ready-made ones. Alternatively, you can find ready-made drawings and take them as a basis, redoing individual structural elements at your discretion. Very good in quality and easy to build is the Shrimp sailing dinghy known for several decades, you can find its description and drawings on the Internet. There is also its modernized version - "Shrimp-2". It is she who can be recommended as the basis of a project for self-construction.
Step 2
Purchase the materials necessary for the construction: waterproof plywood (its thickness is determined by the project data), lumber for the body kit, brass screws, fiberglass, epoxy resin. Cut out the elements of the set from plywood and lumber in accordance with the drawings of the sailing dinghy. The body is assembled in the keel-up position, all elements of the set are fastened with screws on epoxy glue.
Step 3
When assembling the sailing dinghy's hull, carefully control its geometric correctness. Pay special attention to the quality of the work: do everything very carefully, without rushing. This is important: if from the very beginning you do not set yourself a high level of accuracy in work, the manufacture of yacht elements in full accordance with the drawings, then you will continue to treat your work more and more carelessly. Do not be lazy to walk with a plane or emery cloth even on those elements of the case, which are then sewn up with plywood and will not be visible. Work exaggeratedly carefully, every detail that comes out from under your hands should please the eye.
Step 4
The finished body kit is sheathed with waterproof plywood. The cladding sections are cut out in place and fastened with epoxy screws. Do not forget to provide small grooves on the longitudinal elements of the set for free drainage of condensate. Alternatively, you can paste over the entire inner surface of the sheathing with a thin layer of foam. This thermal insulation not only prevents condensation, but also gives the sailing dinghy additional buoyancy in the event of a capsizing.
Step 5
After finishing work with the planking, install the deck and cabin elements - if they are provided for by the project. It is advisable to glue the finished case in one or two layers with finely woven fiberglass. To simplify the processing and painting of the finished case, add the necessary dye to the resin and tightly wrap the glass-covered case with plastic wrap.
Step 6
Vacuum forming of the surface is possible: the body is placed in a film sleeve, one end of the sleeve is tied, the other is connected to a vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner will pull all the air out of the sleeve, as a result of which the film is firmly pressed against the surface. Make sure that there are no folds of the film on the surface of the case or they are on the cheekbones. The time spent on working with the film will more than pay off in the process of processing the case - you will only have to eliminate minor flaws.
Step 7
Glue the mast from four bars or use an aluminum pipe of a suitable diameter. Sheets of waterproof plywood are suitable for the steering wheel and centerboard, but it is still better to make them from a glued rack package. In this case, you will be able to give the rudder and centerboard the desired profile, which will significantly improve the yacht's sailing performance.
Step 8
Purchase all the practical things in specialized yacht stores, where you can also buy canvas or a set of ready-made sails. When choosing materials for a yacht, do not forget to take sales receipts - you will need them when registering a sailing dinghy at GIMS. Regular receipts tend to fade: if you have any, store them in the refrigerator in an opaque envelope.
