What should I build with 2 sheets of plywood?

[hospadar]

Hi!

I'm looking for opinions and suggestions about what little sailboat I should build with 2 sheets of 1/2" ACX plywood I have leftover from a construction project.

My desired characteristics:

• can probably be rigged with the rig from a Zuma (because I have one laying around, and it'd be a lot easier for me to re-use that instead of putting together a new rig)
• chine logged, not fiberglass/stitch-n-glue. I've done a bunch of stitch and glue boats, but it's nasty, I kinda hate it, and I don't want to spend the $$ on glass & goop. If I do a chine log build, I might tape/epoxy the exposed plywood edges, but probably not more than that
• leeboard preferred, but not a hard requirement. I don't relish building a centerboard trunk, but would consider it for the right design
• uses not much more than the two sheets of ply I already have and maybe a couple extra boards from the lumber store (chine logs, gunnels, etc). Buying a little extra material is not out of the question, just trying to avoid making it a Whole Thing
• car-toppable - we have a little camper trailer that we take camping, and I'd love to be able to bring a boat with us too - so anything that's so big it needs a trailer is out (cause we're already pulling a trailer). I realize that anything made out of two sheets of 1/2" ply isn't going to be REALLY light, but I can rig up something ramp-ey so that we can slide it onto the heavy-duty racks on top of the little camper
• easy to build - the less time I spend building it and the more time I spend sailing it the better - I'm not trying to make something perfect that will last forever
• Free/cheap plans would be nice, but I'm willing to pay for plans

What I'm thinking of so far:

• PD racer (I think with 16" sides I can pretty much do it all with 2 sheets - I might get another sheet to make airboxes, but that's OK)
• Summer Breeze
• Bolger teal (not sure if it's doable with only 2 sheets?)

Opinions? Other designs I don't know about?

[amish rob]

A punt/scow/garvey.

[Hugh MacD]

Looks for something with very little contour. I don't think that ACX is going to take much of a bend. The Puddleduck may be your best choice. Have fun!

[dbp1]

There are a decent number of two sheet boats -- e.g., bolgers tortoise, and maybe elegant punt, or even more interesting, some of the crazy things flo-mo has posted on this forum -- but I think you are going to be putting yourself in a world of pain trying to use 1/2" plywood -- all the small designs I've ever seen use 1/4" (or lighter), and it's not just that it will be heavier -- any curves will be many many times more difficult (or impossible) in the 1/2". If you want to build a box that floats, that's one thing, but building something that sails any direction aside from downwind....

Is there really a reason why you absolutely have to use that plywood? It's ACX, so it's not even going to be _that_ durable -- you could get a couple sheets of 1/4" ACX for not much money (I don't know, $50? I've only been shopping for marine ply recently, and quarter inch is $65 a sheet around here, so cheap plywood has to be a lot less!), and not only are you going to have a much easier time building the boat, but you'll end up with something that you can actually easily lift! You can still probably use some of the 1/2" -- for the leeboard, maybe for thwarts, knees, etc... but using it for the hull of a 6-8' boat seems like a mistake...

[hospadar]

Ohhh duy the curves. Probably I could kinda test-bend the sheets for any particular design to know that they'll do what they need to before I cut em up.

No particular reason I have to use the 1/2", just trying to use the scrap I already bought - i'm really more trying to use the plywood for something fun than I am in need of a new boat.

[dbp1]

Well, if you want to build something fun out of it, my suggestion would be to build a skin-on-frame design -- some of the nice ones that Dave Gentry has call for 1/2" frames, so you could use the ply there. e.g., here's a canoe I just built:



But he also has small sailboats -- Annabelle might be perfect -- and I think they all call for 1/2" (i.e., 12mm) frames. You still need the long stringers, but they can be anything that's light, straight grained, and reasonably flexible. You aren't going to use _all_ of your two sheets, but you'll probably use at least the better part of one of them!

[cluttonfred]

Teal is certainly a nice little boat if you can get the plywood to bend that tightly. The original is designed for 3/8" so you could probably get away with it but the boat is going to weigh over 100 lbs.

Teal.jpg

https://www.instantboats.com/product/teal-12-0-x-3-6/

There are plenty of other other boats that come to mind if you want to add a little material. Pointy Skiff (3-sheets) would work if you added a cross-planked bottom in lieu of the third sheet. It's not traditional but I bet you could forgo the caulking and just cover the planked bottom in Dynel/Xynole polyester cloth and epoxy and give it a good soaking with epoxy from the inside and it would be just fine.

Pointy Skiff.jpg

https://www.instantboats.com/product...-10-6-x-4-2-2/

[seasnail]

There's always hannu vartiala'a 10 1/2 ft skiff, designed for two sheets.

2009_153.jpg

2009_130.jpg

2009_096.jpg

[Edward Pearson]

Milgate West Mersea Duckpunt. Chine logs. No centercase or foils! Just a paddle for a rudder. Car top. Free plans.

It was originally 18mm wood boards, more recently 10mm plywood so your 12mm should be spot on...there was a Flo-mo version he breathed over...





http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?140347-Duck-Punt-free-plans-for-the-boat-with-no-rudder-plate-or-leeboards

Had a look, Flo-Mo's nested panel version does come out of two sheets! You're in luck. This is the waste...



http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthre...sland-Sound-MA

Flo Mo's version:

http://flo-mo.weebly.com/light-weigh...duck-punt.html

Original Milgate version:

https://smallboatsmonthly.com/duck-punt-plans/

Duck Punts are actually pretty clever. Plenty of waterline and they float in any water. In the marshes foils don't work so the long low aspect chine grips as it heals. About the only way fo doing it. Shoot pictures of ducks though no guns! Think it's a cheap used/ old opti/ oppi sail they use. A lot of fun if you have shallow water.

Ed

[cluttonfred]

That Duck Punt is great! For those that don't have an spare Optimist sail laying about, this sleeved training sail would be perfect and cheap at under $150 delivered in the USA.

sleeved optimist.jpg

https://www.velasailingsupply.com/op...t-class-legal/

[amish rob]

0958F3E9-8D9F-4743-8934-168F7DF25D5E.jpg
One could even use a tarp “sail” and make the spars from wood.

[Edward Pearson]

Laid back sailing. I really must build one. Not only for the wildlife, but at low tide our local spot would be deserted and I’d have the place (and parking) to myself. In another of his videos they seem to go upwind better than you’d expect. The tacking angles look respectable.

[Dave Hadfield]

Cupboards.

Arbitraily limiting a boat-build this way was illustrated very clearly to me when we built a Six-Hour-Canoe. It turned out to be a boat which stays in the rafters.

Buy another sheet of plywood. Open your options.