{"id":481,"date":"2019-03-04T13:00:45","date_gmt":"2019-03-04T13:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/?p=481"},"modified":"2023-02-03T13:54:59","modified_gmt":"2023-02-03T18:54:59","slug":"how-to-build-a-boat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/marine\/how-to-build-a-boat\/","title":{"rendered":"Building a Custom Wooden Boat"},"content":{"rendered":"

Somehow in the spring of 2007, Jeff Cobb ended up on Glen-L Marine\u2019s email marketing list. Glen-L Marine sells wooden boat plans. \u201cWeek after week as the email appeared in my inbox, I\u2019d have feelings of eagerness and disgust at the same time,\u201d Jeff recalled. \u201cEager to see all the pictures of new wooden boats people around the world were building from Glen-L plans, and disgusted knowing that if I opened this email, I could kiss my productive workday goodbye because for the next two hours I\u2019d be consumed by daydreams of the wooden boat I might build.\u201d Jeff was particularly enamored with building a small sporty two-seat runabout model called the Glen-L Squirt.<\/p>\n

While woodworking had never been his main hobby, Jeff had had the good fortune of growing up across the street from a cabinet builder and general jack-of-all-trades, Mr. Deedee, who built cabinets in his backyard shop. Mr. Deedee and Ms. Joy\u2019s house is where all the kids hung out, playing basketball, ping pong and backyard football. While Jeff never did much work with Mr. Deedee, just from being around the shop as a kid he had gained a lot of woodworking knowledge. Enough so that he was confident he could build a good wooden boat, but he wasn\u2019t sure if he wanted to make the commitment. But by the end of the summer he finally caved, ordered the Squirt plans, and began building.<\/p>\n

\"squirt
\u201cI just had to build this boat. I bought the plans, and built my first boat \u2014 a Glen-L Squirt.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We\u2019re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat<\/strong><\/h2>\n

After completing the Glen-L Squirt in May 2009, Jeff and his wife, Melanie, began to assimilate into the wooden boat community in southern Louisiana and beyond. \u201cWe enjoyed the Squirt, but its use is very limited being that the boat is only 11 feet long. We were enjoying the people in the wooden boat community and the boating experiences,\u201d Jeff stated, \u201cbut we wanted a bigger boat so that we could bring friends along. We also needed to go faster and handle rough chop in order to run with the big dogs.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, in 2012, Jeff started designing and building his second boat, the Pretty Girl Too. It\u2019s a 22-foot runabout that comfortably seats six adults. Jeff had very specific features and design qualities in mind for this second boat. Essentially, he wanted the boat to be like a modern luxury runabout in every way but built out of wood with the general appearance of a classic wooden boat. He built the hull from a set of Clarkcraft Mariner plans that he modified substantially. He also incorporated design aspects and borrowed inspiration from several different boats, including the Riva Aquariva, Pegiva Convertible, and numerous Chris Craft models and Glen-L builds.<\/p>\n

Building a Masterpiece<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cIt took me five years of nights and weekends to build the Pretty Girl Too,\u201d Jeff recalled. \u201cI\u2019d say at least a year or so of that time was spent not so much in building the boat, but in thinking through the design. I don\u2019t draw well nor do I know how to use CAD software, so the method of design consisted of building lots of mock-ups, which is quite time-consuming.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"constructing
Clockwise from top left: Various stages of constructing the hull.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After building and modifying the hull frame to the shape Jeff was looking for, he double planked the boat with a 1\/4-inch inner plywood layer and 1\/4-inch outer Sapele veneer layer. Next came lots and lots of sanding and fairing. Fairing is the process of creating a pleasant fair curve as you look down the side of the boat. Too little sanding and fairing result in a profile that resembles a wrecked car that was poorly repaired at a subpar body shop.<\/p>\n

He painted the boat bottom green and applied clear gloss above the waterline using numerous coats of SystemThree marine polyurethane for both. The finish was sanded to 5000 grit and polished to a high glossy shine. Finally, the hull was complete. Several friends and neighbors pitched in to help gently roll the boat onto some old mattresses and then lift it onto its trailer. A very happy celebration with beer and pizza followed.<\/p>\n

\"flipping
Flipping the boat so it could be loaded onto a trailer to work on the interior.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Upholstering the Rear Seating Area<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Designing the finished interior presented several challenges, but none bigger than the U-shaped seating area. Several mock-ups were built before finally settling on the final design. In the end, all that hard work and planning were worth it; the rear seating area emerged as a part of the boat that Jeff was most pleased with.<\/p>\n

Once Jeff completed the woodwork, he thought his portion of the work was finished. He was excited to see the finished project and ready to write a check to an upholsterer and get it done. But his excitement was soon quelled when he discovered that very few upholstery shops do marine upholstery, and none of them had an appetite for all the custom work needed for his boat.<\/p>\n

\"before
The rear U-shaped seating area before upholstery.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He first tried hiring an upholsterer in December 2016. Yet, by June of 2017, the boat was still not upholstered. He\u2019d been strung along for months by a couple different shops telling him they\u2019d get to it in two to three weeks, but never actually committing to the job. Frustrated by the runaround, he decided he would do the upholstery himself. He\u2019d watched numerous Sailrite\u00ae how-to videos and borrowed an old Thompson Mini Walker \u2014 the precursor to the Sailrite Ultrafeed\u00ae \u2014 from his brother, Carl.<\/p>\n

While Jeff was determined to get started on the upholstery work, there was a lot of apprehension. This was a major project for someone who\u2019d never really sewn anything, and the upholstery is so prominent in an open-air runabout that there\u2019s no place to hide mistakes. It really needed to be done right and professionally, and Jeff had grave concerns whether he was capable of sewing the upholstery to his high standards.<\/p>\n

Then suddenly, a hero appeared! Jill, a friend of Jeff and Melanie\u2019s, offered to do the sewing if he did all the foam fitting. This was a fantastic break! Not only did Jill have upholstery sewing experience, but she also had an Ultrafeed LSZ Sewing Machine. Much to her husband, David\u2019s, dismay, she even put their sailboat dodger project on hold while she worked on Jeff\u2019s upholstery. She professionally patterned the curved and irregular surfaces with Dura-Skrim\u00ae Patterning Material so everything fit tightly and sewed with Profilen\u00ae Lifetime Thread. The results were spectacular: \u201cAll too often I\u2019m asked by people looking at the boat, \u2018Who did your upholstery?\u2019 They are always shocked to learn that it was done by a couple of enthusiastic amateurs. Jill really came to the rescue and did a fantastic job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"pjimage\"
The completed upholstery work on the Pretty Girl Too.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A Snapless Cockpit Cover<\/strong><\/h2>\n

With the upholstery completed, Jeff\u2019s attention turned to another issue. He knew that in showing and using the boat it would spend many nights tied up to dock, and so he needed a cockpit cover to keep the interior clean, dry and protected during these overnight stays. While he appreciated Jill\u2019s help on the upholstery, he was determined to do this project all on his own. This would be the project where he\u2019d put all the hours spent watching Sailrite videos and his brother\u2019s old Thompson Mini Walker to use. He ordered Top Notch\u00ae 9 fabric, grommets, Boat Blanket material and patterning fabric \u2014 all from Sailrite \u2014 and was ready to get to work.<\/p>\n

However, there was one concern in making a cockpit cover that kept gnawing at Jeff. After hours and hours spent sanding and polishing the decking to a high-gloss mirror shine, he couldn\u2019t bear the thought of marring his beautiful woodwork with snaps for attaching the cover to the boat. He came up with a clever alternative. Instead of using the traditional snaps to attach the cover, he tethered it to each of the four docking cleats. Then he added pockets to the cover that hold collapsible fiberglass tent poles to keep the cover taut. Jeff admitted, \u201cIt\u2019s certainly a little different looking, but it\u2019s a breeze to put on and works wonderfully, even in fairly high winds.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"snapless
The cockpit cover Jeff designed that cleverly uses tent poles so he didn’t have to add snap fasteners to his woodwork.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After completing the cockpit cover, Jeff put his newfound sewing skill into action by making fender covers with help from Sailrite\u2019s project video<\/a><\/strong><\/span>. He also sewed some tote bags and did some canvas mending for a local sailing club. While finding satisfaction in the items he was producing, the actual act of sewing on the old Thompson was more often than not tedious and frustrating. The machine lacked the power to go through multiple layers of fabric and the stitch length adjustment would not hold in place. The final straw came when the tensioner broke. You can no longer find replacement parts for the machine, so Jeff rigged a homemade tensioner, but it didn\u2019t work so well.<\/p>\n

He then found a local sewing machine repair mechanic who installed a tensioner from a different model machine. \u201cIt worked OK, but not great,\u201d Jeff explained. \u201cI\u2019d entertained the thought of getting a Sailrite machine early in the process while watching the videos but questioned whether it would be worthwhile just for doing the few projects I was working on. But once I realized how much I enjoyed sewing and began to envision all of the neat custom items I\u2019d be able to make, I vowed that the next time Sailrite offered a 10 percent discount on the machine I was buying one \u2014 and I did.\u201d<\/p>\n

What made Jeff decide on an Ultrafeed? Following many other boatbuilders on the Glen-L forum who did their own upholstery, he noticed that most used the Sailrite machines and all of them spoke highly of their machines. Jill also loved her Ultrafeed and recommended it. \u201cI\u2019ve yet to read anything negative about Sailrite or their machines; it\u2019s all glowing reviews. So, for me, buying the Sailrite machine was a no-brainer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"pretty
Jeff worked nights and weekends for five years building the Pretty Girl Too.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Smooth Sewing Ahead<\/b><\/h2>\n

Although Jeff hasn\u2019t owned his Ultrafeed for very long, he\u2019s enthusiastic about all the projects he\u2019ll make with it. Having a heavy-duty sewing machine opens up a realm of new project possibilities. Jeff admits that he has more ideas than he\u2019ll ever have time to sew, but he\u2019s excited about the ones he will get to. He has plans to re-cover his outdoor patio cushions in LSU purple and gold for their game-day watch parties and has a desire to build curved wood mahogany captain\u2019s chairs with custom upholstery for the Pretty Girl Too.<\/p>\n

Another thing Jeff is looking forward to is loaning his Ultrafeed out to his brother. \u201cCarl doesn\u2019t sew too often, but the next time he does, I know he\u2019ll enjoy the power and smoothness of the Utlrafeed over his old Thompson. When taking on any complex DIY project such as a boat, it\u2019s always nice to have an \u201cace in the hole.\u201d Carl\u2019s my ace. He\u2019s an extremely experienced craftsman in many areas and always available to provide advice and a helping hand. He\u2019s also one of those guys who has every tool imaginable and has generously let me borrow them. It\u2019s not often I have the opportunity to lend him any tool because he has them all, and so I\u2019m excited about him benefitting from my Ultrafeed in the sewing projects he pursues.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oh, and how did Jeff come up with the name Pretty Girl Too for his second boat? \u201c\u2018Pretty Girl\u2019 is my wife, Melanie\u2019s, pet name. She\u2019s been so supportive of my boatbuilding hobby. The amount of support and encouragement she\u2019s provided are immeasurable, and so I proudly named the boat after her. Thus the name, \u2018Pretty Girl Too.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\"PG
Jeff and Melanie are all smiles aboard the Pretty Girl Too.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Who We Are<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Sailrite is your one-stop DIY shop! We are a passionate crew of do-it-yourselfers who strive to equip you with the supplies and how-to knowledge you need to tackle your next project. Do you want to learn upholstery, leatherwork, canvaswork, hobby sewing, bag making or more? We have the fabric, tools, hardware, sewing machines and notions you need to master any DIY. And even if you’ve never sewn before, our tutorials and how-to videos are designed for beginners and experienced crafters alike.<\/span><\/p>\n

Start your DIY journey today: www.sailrite.com<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Somehow in the spring of 2007, Jeff Cobb ended up on Glen-L Marine\u2019s email marketing list. Glen-L Marine sells wooden boat plans. \u201cWeek after week as the email appeared in my inbox, I\u2019d have feelings of eagerness and disgust at the same time,\u201d Jeff recalled. \u201cEager to see all the pictures of new wooden boats … Continue reading Building a Custom Wooden Boat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":581,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[2],"tags":[27,58,29,26,24,37,70,25,57],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/jeff-and-wife.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/padSoq-7L","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1958,"url":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/marine\/diy-rowboat-boat-cover\/","url_meta":{"origin":481,"position":0},"title":"Rowing the Chesapeake Bay","date":"February 1, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The world is full of dreamers and doers. Those who think big and shoot for the moon. Go-getters who make a plan, put in the time, sweat and dedication, and create something truly spectacular. Shawn Moyer has a dream. He wants to row the length of the Chesapeake Bay. But\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Marine"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/shawn-in-boat.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1666,"url":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/marine\/sailing-with-the-cloudy-bay-crew\/","url_meta":{"origin":481,"position":1},"title":"Sailing With the Cloudy Bay Crew","date":"September 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"For many, the idea of living aboard your boat and sailing the world is simply a pipe dream. It takes a lot of preparation and courage to cut ties with the land and jump into a life at sea. Glen and Oana Sansom decided years ago to devote their lives\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Marine"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/DSC01415x-1170x878-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1361,"url":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/marine\/sewing-boat-marina-ultrafeed\/","url_meta":{"origin":481,"position":2},"title":"Marina Hopping With the Ultrafeed\u00ae","date":"March 9, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"If you've ever been dissatisfied working in the corporate world, you're not alone. Susan Oschmann left her job at a stuffy law firm to rediscover a life that she loved and that would bring her joy, fulfillment and a much-needed sense of accomplishment. With ingenuity and great determination, she set\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Marine"","img":{"alt_text":"susan on boat at marina","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/susan-bimini.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2163,"url":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/marine\/sewing-a-boat-dodger-ultrafeed\/","url_meta":{"origin":481,"position":3},"title":"Dresses & Bags & \u2026 Boat Dodgers?! Oh My!","date":"October 15, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"When the time came to replace the dodger on Ellen Bell-Irving\u2019s 18-foot Maritime Skiff, she turned to her good friend of 30 years and fellow sewer, Pat Kane. Both women have a long history of sewing, but neither had tackled such a large marine project before. They put their heads\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Marine"","img":{"alt_text":"The inside and outside of the finished dodger","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pjimage.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1625,"url":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/marine\/sewing-boating-ultrafeed\/","url_meta":{"origin":481,"position":4},"title":"Sewing for the Boating Life","date":"August 24, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Though not raised in a boating family, Laura Weller-Brophy has a very unique and interesting job in the marine industry. She co-owns a boat club that maintains a fleet of boats that the members have unlimited use of during boating season. \"This is the perfect way to get on the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Marine"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/bimini2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2948,"url":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/marine\/sailboat-canvas-ultrafeed\/","url_meta":{"origin":481,"position":5},"title":"A 20-Year Odyssey: Sailing Dreams, Woodworking & Self-Reliance","date":"March 15, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Wayne Edney is no stranger to hard work, patience and the spirit of self-reliance that defines every DIYer. In 1994, he completed the build of a Bristol Channel Cutter 28 from a bare hull. He spent eight years building the boat on a teacher\u2019s salary, devoting his weekends and summers\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Marine"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/sailboat-on-water.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/481"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=481"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/481\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2798,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/481\/revisions\/2798"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}