Building Allie Kat

One way to build a wooden sailboat:

 

When the plans came in the mail they were rolled into a tube that was tighter than a watch spring. It took a shelf full of boat-building books to hold them flat on the floor. There are many pages of drawings – some full sized and some scaled. In addition there are several PDF documents listing materials and construction instructions. I looked at all of this information and thought "I have no idea how to begin." So I decided to solve the first problem I was facing which was to manage information. I printed and organized the PDFs. And I built an easel to hold and display the sheets of plans, which are really big.

 

This is how I have begun my audacious project of building a sailboat. It is a daunting task when looked at in its entirety. But I think it can be broken down into little problems that can be solved by taking little steps. At least that is how I am going to proceed. I have never built a boat before.

 

I am a twice retired pilot. I flew first for the Navy and then had a second career flying for a major airline. I am competent with tools but could never make a living in carpentry – I'm much too slow. I am building this 16 foot long boat in one half of my two car garage.

I feel comfortable in the wood shop but I have no experience in working with epoxy and fiberglass. So last spring I built a Kaholo Stand-Up Paddleboard from a kit by Chesapeake Light Craft.