Tag Archive for boat building
![4243095018_0e3c090804_o.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/4243095018_0e3c090804_o.jpg?fit=400%2C322&ssl=1)
Shantyboat on the Mississippi
In July, we are bringing the shantyboat across country to…
Continue reading
![1507512_10201963558184673_958940268_o.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/1507512_10201963558184673_958940268_o.jpg?fit=400%2C268&ssl=1)
What the #*@&% happened?
You must hate me. Last I left you with “Walls…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/IMG_1148.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Roof Rafters – The cabin takes shape
When we disassembled the Hollister chicken coop, we got a…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/IMG_1141.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Cabin Framing, More Mistakes Were Made
If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s not being…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/IMG_1141.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Cabin Wall Framing. Finally.
Whew, finally. We get to constructing the cabin walls. This…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/wall-detail-fine.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
New Boat Vocabulary Word: Coaming
One of the smarter things I’ve done on the shantyboat,…
Continue reading
![IMG_1216.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_1216.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
A Collection of Photos from a Non-Shantyboat River Float
I took a two-week break from building the shantyboat to…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Sea-lectBowEyeSecurityLoop.jpg?fit=320%2C223&ssl=1)
Bow Eyes and Stern Tiedowns
Sometimes little things can be a big headache. And sometimes…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/IMG_1072.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
The Cabin Has a Floor
Let’s put in a floor! This is the floor that…
Continue reading
![IMG_1050.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_1050.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Obsessive woodworking, top side
With both decks on, I could be an obsessive woodworker…
Continue reading
![IMG_1028.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_1028.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Installing the aft deck
I put the aft deck on. Thought you should know.…
Continue reading
![IMG_0670.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_0670.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Motor Well, A Mini-Project Unto Itself
Oh, the motor well. Seems simple enough. Build a box…
Continue reading
![IMG_1010.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_1010.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Protecting the Bilge
Water is the enemy of wood longevity. Protecting the wood…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/IMG_1008.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
A Front Deck and Photos of an Adorable Puppy
First off, now that the boat is upright, I made…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/waterlodge-elevation.jpg?fit=400%2C179&ssl=1)
More Cabin Planning
If you’ve been following the blog, you know that one…
Continue reading
![815aZGk5g-S._SL1500_.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/815aZGk5g-S._SL1500_.jpg?fit=319%2C320&ssl=1)
A Bunch of Questions
Here’s a big pile of questions that occur to me.…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DSC_2160.jpg?fit=400%2C600&ssl=1)
A Big Flippin’ Deal
For months I’ve been wanting to flip the boat hull…
Continue reading
![shantyboat-20130423-pen-stbd.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/shantyboat-20130423-pen-stbd.jpg?fit=400%2C267&ssl=1)
Fancy Pants New Renderings
There you go. 3D rendering doesn't make anything more real,…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/IMG_0674.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Thinking About Cabin Construction
Now that the boat is ready to be flipped, I’m…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/IMG_0940.jpg?fit=320%2C320&ssl=1)
Welding the Trailer
Timeline: Less than a week before the boat flip! The…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/IMG_0222.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
And now back to the trailer
Remember the trailer? This one, the one that almost killed us?…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/IMG_0568.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
The Talented Mr. Johnson
For a while now, my cousin Brian has been wanting…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/IMG_0707.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Those Troublesome Skegs, Finishing Touches
So the skegs are mounted, but the carriage bolt countersinks…
Continue reading
![IMG_0611.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_0611.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Those Troublesome Skegs, Mistakes Were Made
So the skegs have been cut, spliced, drilled, countersunk, stained,…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/IMG_0637.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Those Troublesome Skegs, Bolt Holes and Finish
Here we drill all sorts of holes in our newly…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/IMG_0598.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Those Troublesome Skegs, Scarf Joints
I had to turn 14 foot pieces of lumber into…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/IMG_0555.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Those Troublesome Skegs, Part the First
When we built punk rafts and floated several big rivers,…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0553.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Hull UV Protection
Fiberglass over plywood is ridiculously tough. There are wood and…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0529.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Fiberglass Finish Coats
After the fill coat, the texture of the fiberglass cloth…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0520.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Fiberglass Fill Coat
At this point, we have the fiberglass bonded to the…
Continue reading
![IMG_0502.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_0502.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Fiberglass Bond Coat
Okay, so let’s review. Fiberglass (of more accurately glass-fiber reinforced…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0498.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Fiberglass Seal Coat
We fretted over fiberglassing the hull so much, we put…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/IMG_0477.jpg?fit=320%2C320&ssl=1)
Hockey Puck Manufacture (or Epoxy is Stressful II)
Did I mention that epoxy is stressful? To recap: You…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/20090714_abandoned_boat_quebec.jpg?fit=400%2C267&ssl=1)
Opinions are like assholes…
Everyone’s got one. Every now and then I’ll ask a…
Continue reading
![IMG_0471.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_0471.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Hull Finish Work (or Correcting Mistakes III)
I like to joke that I bring Old World Craftsmanship…
Continue reading
![IMG_0440.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_0440.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Hull Ends
Oh god, at the end of every work day when…
Continue reading
![IMG_0412.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_0412.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Sheeting the Hull
It looks easy, right? What could go wrong? Four rectangular…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/IMG_0436.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Correcting Mistakes II: The Usefulness of Square Corners
When we went to put sheets of plywood on the…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/IMG_0415.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Correcting Mistakes I
Today, the chickens come home to roost. Remember that pesky…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/IMG_0387.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Cross beams
This was an exciting day because for the first time,…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/IMG_0370.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Side Stringers
The side stringers are the sides of the boat. So…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/IMG_0352.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Keel and Skeg Stringers
It most conventionally built wooden boats, the frames refer to…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/hurtlocker.jpg?fit=400%2C300&ssl=1)
Epoxy is Stressful
You know the scene at the end of any action…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/IMG_0336.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Angles and Precision
I have experience in the housebuilding, construction world. I used…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/IMG_0333.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Making Sawdust
The whole process of building a boat involves cutting a…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/IMG_0330.jpg?fit=200%2C200&ssl=1)
Organization: How To Make Boatbuilding Not Suck
Boats are made of lots and lots of funny precision…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/IMG_0289.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
First Build Day: Building Form
After months of hemming and hawing over plans and possibilities…
Continue reading
![postergirl4-sm.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/postergirl4-sm.jpg?fit=400%2C621&ssl=1)
Questions for the Old Man
I didn’t expect myself to be talking to the old…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0277.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Boat Plans: Choices Made and Not Made
So it looks like we’re building a boat. Not merely…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/truckoffcliff.jpg?fit=400%2C300&ssl=1)
Boating errand in the flattest dryest spot in North America
“Ha ha,” said Alex when we took off with the…
Continue reading
![shiponroad.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/shiponroad.jpg?fit=400%2C259&ssl=1)
Tips on how not to die in a fiery ball of twisted metal on the highway
Anyone know anything about trailer tow hardware like sway bars…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/551383_10150649564935869_595580868_9541241_875576716_n.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1)
Destruction and Creation
Sometimes the treasure hunt of creating something from salvaged materials…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/twin_girls_38.jpg?fit=226%2C320&ssl=1)
Bruce’s Pontoons
We were planning to use Bruce’s pontoon boat that he…
Continue reading
![waterline-calculations.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/waterline-calculations.jpg?fit=400%2C331&ssl=1)
Math is Hard – Calculating a Waterline
Who would have thought boatbuilding would involve so much math?…
Continue reading
![cabin-doodles.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/cabin-doodles.jpg?fit=400%2C289&ssl=1)
Karaoke Doodles
So far, I’ve ignored the inside cabin layout, thinking that…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/multi-ortho-01.jpg?fit=400%2C417&ssl=1)
Beyond Napkin Plans
I’m trying to turn my shantyboat speculations into something that…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Gable-End-Details.jpg?fit=400%2C319&ssl=1)
Folding Gable Ends
We were aware that this beast with its generously gabled…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Escargot.jpg?fit=384%2C602&ssl=1)
Boat Builder Porn
Is it hot in here, or is it just me? …
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/flier.jpg?fit=400%2C546&ssl=1)
WANTED
You know how many marinas there are in the Sacramento…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Diag-Bracing-Detail.jpg?fit=400%2C355&ssl=1)
Walls and diagonal bracing
I was worried that since we were planning to sheet…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/bad-boat1.jpg?fit=400%2C338&ssl=1)
A Madcap Boat Scavenging Journey
Kai and I took a mad motorcycle trip up the…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/boathouse.jpg?fit=400%2C278&ssl=1)
Inspiration
Looking around, shanty boats have been around for a long…
Continue reading
![punk-raft-zine_Page_22.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/punk-raft-zine_Page_22-e1491792227357.jpg?fit=400%2C356&ssl=1)
A Mad Idea Fueled by Gin
It started with Camp Tipsy. Alex and I started talking…
Continue reading
![](https://i0.wp.com/peoplesriverhistory.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/floating-cabin-napkin-sketch.jpg?fit=400%2C283&ssl=1)
Sketchy Napkin Plans
As with all great projects, this one started with a…
Continue reading