Dinghy Rebuild 3 of 3

The dinghy is about 95% done. Few more little things to add here and there as we go but for now it is usable. Over all we are happy with the result. We stayed within our budget, recycled everything with the exception of resin and built our first dinghy which tested well!

Dinghy Rebuild

This is a project I wish I could have done over the Winter but just didn't have the inside workspace available. With all projects this one had some serious restrictions as well as compromises. Ideally I would like a sturdy dinghy that is sailable, rows well, is light weight and low cost. Doesn't take much time to figure out that isn't possible. Size is a major restriction with our boats beam being 8'11" we want the dingy to be smaller so it can go on the transom if needed so 8'6" was our size. Can't afford an outboard so rowable is mandatory and sailable would be nice, as of now the sailing part doesn't seem feasible but you never know. Light weight is critical for us to be able to move it comfortably without it becoming a major hassle when storing it on deck. Cost is always a issue so we set a budget of $400. Yes you could get a lot nicer and better boat but I doubt you could in our price range.

The plan was to build a simple Portuguese style boat but after pricing out wood this was not even feasible. After some sweating and being nervous we would have no boat I found a 13' Dory in need of repair on craigslist and swooped it up. The gunwales need replacing, parts of the ply wood sides are deteriorated and it is missing breast hooks also it is 13' not 8'6" but after checking it out seemed I could work with it and talked the owner down to $275.

Keep in mind this is a work in progress and I tend to change plans on the go as I run into problems.