Preview: Building the Oonagh Rowing/Sailing Dinghy, Part 2 – An Overview of the Building Process

47 Responses So Far to “Building the Oonagh Rowing/Sailing Dinghy, Part 2 – An Overview of the Building Process”

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  Mike Justice says:

  Do the plans come in imperial also?

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    Steve Stone says:

    Hey Mike. The plans only come in feet/inches.

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  james constable says:

  HI – just launched my OONAGH this morning, built from plans and not kit with a few customisations and without the sailing rig. What a fantastic boat and I really appreciate the videos. If there is a place to post some photos I would love to add mine to the collective. Thanks for a great winter / Covid project, James

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    Steve Stone says:

    Congratulations James. We’d all love to see photos, etc. Do you know about the forum? Here’s the spot for photos and anything else you’d like to post. We encourage you to share as much as you can of your process. Each section of the forum corresponds with the videos and each step. You can find the link above.

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    Steve Stone says:

    … and you can email us photos at support(at)offcenterharbor(dot)com

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  Maura Mulcahy says:

  Good Afternoon. Just preparing – hopefully this weekend, Fri/Sat to secure the garboards and side boards on now that the keel is set.

  My questions are regarding hardware – I’ve looked on the website, subscribed to wooden boat as well but wondered – what specific fasteners / screws are recommended for my next phase?

  I realize I’m a neophyte but this is a boat project “for beginners” so hopefully this is not too foolish a question. I’m referring to:

  “The extra costs to build this boat in addition to the kit and plans is estimated to be US$1,500 to US$2,000 ——> for hardwoods, epoxy, hardware, sails and rigging. The sail should account for about $600 of those extra costs.”

  Thank you for your help, we are at a stand still at the moment as I don’t want to proceed without bit of guidance here.

  Thanks,
  Maura

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    Steve Stone says:

    Hi Maura. As a first-time builder I’ve been very impressed with your gumption to just order the kit, drive up to get it, and dive in, maybe even weathering the feedback of naysayers and doubters I’d imagine. Having watched hundreds of boatbuilders — from beginners to 40-year pros — here’s a thought that may help.

    At some point you’ll notice that you shift from needing to rely much on answers from others and you’ll sync into the work, studying the plans carefully, then studying the extensive materials list provided and sussing things out slowly by going back and forth, and then back and forth a few more times to come up with the answer that was buried in those details all along.

    Your boat, just like the boats that professionals build, will have a series of little mistakes that only you will notice. But it’ll be beautiful and it’ll float, row and sail well. And it won’t leak. We see pros make mistakes every single day, sometimes pretty significant ones. And then they fix them or if they are only aesthetic in nature they hide them in ways that mean nothing when the boat is complete. Sometimes the only difference we see between pros and first-timers is the amount of worrying they do over the possibility of making mistakes and the fretting over mistakes already made.

    A general list of the number and size of fasteners would be handy for ordering in bulk for those not near a good supplier, and we’re hoping to get that from Hylan & Brown. You can also go to the plans, see where the screws will be, calculate the thickness of the pieces they’ll secure and develop a list that way. You have Hamilton Marine nearby and they have wonderful staff to help out with questions, and I’m always surprised how those type adventures develop trusted local relationships for exchanges of information further down the line. I bet you’re going to be answering questions from others soon.

    We recommend silicon bronze screws, and square drive heads are wonderful for this application where they’ll be buried and sealed. You can save money by going with high quality stainless, or even a GRK type screw for those buried under epoxy etc., but this boat will last many decades and eventually even stainless can get pits and rusts out, so a bit of extra money on fastenings now will add to the longevity of the boat, possibly in decades. We also recommend John Brooks’ book on plywood lapstrake boatbuilding. But Doug’s plans are very detailed, as is the materials list, so combined with some help from someone experienced at Hamilton Marine you should be golden, albeit slower and more methodical.

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      Maura Mulcahy says:

      Roger that.

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  James Vibert says:

  It appears that the bow transom shape has changed from the original pictures to the video build. Or have my old eyes deceived me?

  • 

    James Vibert says:

    Never mind, my cataracts were playing with me.

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  Paul Fielder says:

  Hi Steve, I live in Canada, Vancouver which as you most likely know is about 21/2 to 3hrs drive from Seattle. If I bought the kit where would it get cut?? I know that CLC boats have an outfit that cuts their kits in Port Townsend. Thanks, what a lovely little boat just right for an old (73) guy like me for messing about on the water

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    Steve Stone says:

    Yes Paul. We’d cut yours in Port Townsend and you can pick it up or have it delivered. Or there may be an option to ship it near the border on the US side and pick it up there.

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      Steve Stone says:

      And given that the border is closed now, and shipping to Canada is a big challenge, we’re currently getting quotes from CNC manufacturers in Canada. Check in with us about March 1st and we’ll probably have a Canadian supplier by then.

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  Roland Aube says:

  What is the font used for the boat name OONAGH. It is very elegant

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  Roland Aube says:

  Hi
  Have received the plans and am poring over them, looking for sources of mahogany and fir in Canada… However, I did not receive the promised photographs. Can you e-mail me? I will be looking for hardware in Canada, otherwise ordering from your suggested sources in Maine. When we order the kit, I will have it shipped to Sault Ste Marie, Michigan and arrange for a shipper to cross the border.
  Thank you for an interesting project: the only think I have to do is re-negotiate space in the garage. The Admiral thinks that garages are for cars in Northern Ontario. Stay Safe.
  Roland

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    Nate Rooks says:

    Hi Roland – You can view detail photos here:
    https://www.offcenterharbor.com/oonagh-detail-photos/

    • 

      Roland Aube says:

      Thank you!

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  Robert Donaldson says:

  When will the rest of the videos become available? I have the plans and am ordering the kit. The garage is cleaned out and ready to go. I hope we don’t have to wait long for the videos.

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    Steve Stone says:

    Hi Robert. We’re editing the videos now, and the plan is to release them as fast as we can over the winter, and hopefully faster than anyone can build the boat. We may finish the editing faster than we actually release them, and if so we’d provide those with plans/kits access before they are released (so as to keep a wide variety of topics coming out and not to overwhelm members with too many of one thing if they are not into boatbuilding).

    • 

      Robert Donaldson says:

      Great.

    • 

      Bob Donaldson says:

      Are there specs for hanging the boat from davits on my pier? I assume 3 eyebolts would do it, but exactly where to put them is the question. Would the bow and transom handle the weight of the boat?

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        Nate Rooks says:

        Hi Bob,

        That would probably work. Perhaps Doug will chime in, but here’s a method recommended to me for another dinghy:

        Two eyes fixed well into the keelson/keel, roughly 1/3 from each end, then stabilizing lines athwart.

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        Steve Stone says:

        Hey Bob. That is not in the drawings, but a bit of research around the web will likely solve it. The boat itself will handle that, as it has lots of interior structure to keep its shape and she’s a stiff boat once completed. Probably not a good idea to leave heavy gear in it or hang it without a cover somewhere that it can fill with water.

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      David Tew says:

      HI Steve. Is the boat built in the videos the first one or is it being built currently?

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        Steve Stone says:

        The boat in the video is finished and in the hands of the owner. Hylan & Brown is building another one for another Off Center Harbor member currently.

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  Tiago Jesus says:

  Never mind the dinghy (which is lovely, by the way)…
  I paused the video at the Concordia Yawl for a few minutes, just drooling at it… :-)

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  Kamin Lambertson says:

  Wondering if any boats have been built with only the chine seams epoxied. Is it marine plywood that comes with the kit? Nice looking boat! It would be for my grand daughters, 12 and 10 years old.

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    Nate Rooks says:

    Hi Kamin – I had a plywood (okoume) lapstrake rowboat that was built with only the chine seams epoxied, and I wouldn’t recommend it.

    The Oonagh kit is out of meranti marine plywood.

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  George Kewin says:

  Lovely. How many weekend hours for a typical semi-skilled working DIY’er? A full winter? Long Spring?

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    Nate Rooks says:

    The estimate is 300 hours, so if you did full weekends of 20 hours, that’d be 15 weeks, so let’s say 4 months of solid weekend work. Sounds like a winter or spring to me!

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  Harry Levinson says:

  Is that the mast for the boat in the background when the scarfing table is described at 1:30. :)

  I’m looking forward to this.

  • 

    Steve Stone says:

    It’s for a different boat, Harry.

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  Ben Tombs says:

  I agree with Steve Borgstrom; wouldn’t a pivoting rudder blade or ‘drop’ blade perform better? Would work pretty well for getting on and off beaches.

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  Steve Borgstrom says:

  Lovely boat, I think you have a winner here. Can’t quite justify it as a tender for my Eun Mara…yet.

  I do have question about the shape of the rudder, which seems “old fashioned” compared to what appears to be a high aspect daggerboard. A kick-up foil back there seems more in keeping with this modern technique/classic styling boat. Was this a stylistic choice or is there a performance benefit?

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    Doug Hylan says:

    Hi Steve,

    I guess I never thought of OONAGH in high performance terms! Trying to combine good qualities for rowing, sailing, motoring and towing were about all my poor brain could handle. Neither the daggerboard or the rudder would want to be thick enough to get any significant foil shape, and I doubt that any performance increase would be measurable. A fold up rudder would indeed be nice in some conditions, but seemed like a complication in a boat aiming at simplicity. Around here we often like to be able to skull our little boats for short distances with the tiller. A blade rudder doesn’t work very well for that.

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  Dick Galland says:

  Micheal Kingsley, if you come up with ideas about adapting this boat to modest whitewater river use – say, class 2 – I’d like to know. I too am thinking about a a boat I could row, run a river in, and sail…

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  David Tew says:

  Great that the scarf lands for the planks come pre-planed and the scarfing/nail hole jig is excellent. Can you tell us more about Kit’s background and experience? I bet it’s interesting.

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  Micheal Kingsley says:

  Also, if you buy the kit, do you have to buy the plans too?

  • 

    John Hennings says:

    Yes, the plans are sold separately from the kits.

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  Micheal Kingsley says:

  What exactly is included in the kit? Oarlocks? Epoxy? Sail plans, ect? I would really like to build this myself. How long and wide an area is required for the strongback? What kind of paint is required? I have a list of stupid beginner questions. Never built a boat and I live in Idaho, so how about river use? Sorry if I’m asking too much at once. 66 years old and I only have time to do it once.

  • 

    Nate Rooks says:

    Hi Michael – You can find all the info here: https://www.offcenterharbor.com/oonagh-sailing-dinghy-plans-kit-arriba-hylan/

    Kits consist of CNC-cut plywood only; rails, seats, and other pieces of “real” wood are not included, nor are the spars, sails, or rigging.

    Plans sets are not included with the kit and must be purchased separately

    The boat’s dimensions are 11’8″ x 5′ – the strongback itself will be about that same footprint.

    Paint is a big topic and up to the builder.

    This boat would be fun on a slow river, but not for going down rapids.

    Don’t be sorry! If you want to build a boat, this will be a fun one.

    • 

      Micheal Kingsley says:

      Thanks! It’s looking like I might buy the plans and go from there. Maybe make a few changes. You should play my first guitar. It isn’t like any other, and people love it. This looks like a LOT more fun. Maybe raise the ends a little for the river, etc.I’m still researching, but you got to start somewhere. Thanks again!

    • 

      Eric R Winter says:

      About the not-included items: what is the skill level for “rails, seats, and other” real wood items? Will the instructions with the plans guide me through these items? What about spars, sails and rigging?

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  Peter Brackenbury says:

  I am so looking forward to this. I am working on figuring out some kind of shop space by the spring. This series is going to be incredibly helpful. Curious how many are building right now?

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    Steve Stone says:

    Glad to hear we’ve inspired you, Peter. I’ll answer your question and a few others that are likely to come here…

    While it’s always hard to tell how many boats are being built, a lot of plans and quite a few kits have sold since we announced it a few weeks ago, and kits are beginning to be cut in Europe and Western Australia as we speak. The West Coast of the US and Canada are now up to speed, and we’re hopeful that the rest of Australia and New Zealand will be covered soon. Of course Hewes & Co. here in Maine already covers kits for the rest of the U.S. and Canada.

    We’re making final tweaks on a forum for builders so they have a place to exchange ideas, tips and photos.

    We have dedicated one of our editor’s time exclusively to this video series now, so hope to have the videos in this series rolling out regularly over the winter to stay ahead of those building their own boats.

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      Roland Aube says:

      Can you tell me the size and weight of the kit, as delivered. I have to get it shipped to an address in the USA and arranged to have it picked up and delivered in Canada.
      Still looking at the plans and looking forward to more videos before we order. Well done and very interesting so far.

      • 

        Steve Stone says:

        Hi Roland. The kits ships on 4′ x 8′ x 1′ pallet at 540 lbs. I sent you an email separately with more info and we can provide a quote with shipping to a destination upon your request.