To build a small wooden boat would require planning and some woodworking skills and tools to get the project started. However, to get everything done right, you have to keep in mind some of the things to consider in building a small wooden boat.

Some of these are:

BUDGET

Most get started building their own small for the simple fact that it is cheaper by far than buying one. To keep an eye on the cost and not expend more than the allotted budget for the project, you need to have a definite amount as an earmark for the boat building expenses. This will also help you determine the factors which will directly affect the budget like materials and the size of the boat.

MATERIALS

Since you will be using wood for building a small boat, it’ll require some other materials that work best with wood.

The materials which you are most likely to use are: marine plywood (this is generally used), boat building sawdust,copper wire, paint or varnish, marine epoxy and fiberglass cloth. Though these materials will vary depending on the design you are using.

Woodworking tools which you’ll also be using are: drill, wire cutters, pliers, eye protection, jigsaw. There may be some more else but these are the few essentials.

SKILLS

The skill set required to build a small wooden boat largely depend on the type of boat you are going to build. Will you be building a dory? or perhaps a dinghy, or a jon boat? All of which requires different designs outfitted for different purposes so skill set will also affect the choice of which type and design of boat you are building.

DESIGN

Plans plays a very important role in whatever woodworking project as it will save you from unnecessary frustration of having to figure things out on your own. More so with boat building as safety is great deal to do with building a boat. That’s why we strongly suggest that you use a very good and workable boat plan.

A good building plan should take you through the whole process of it step-by-step. It should have a complete list of materials needed so you can have it prepared beforehand and see if it fits with your budget.

Canal boating holidays are a really great way to unwind. If you’ve never been on a canal barge holiday, don’t worry, the basic skills are easy to master. You don’t need a license, and there is no test for you to pass. When you hire your canal boat, you will be shown how to operate it – including the daily checks which have to be made, how to operate the locks you’ll find on the canal, and how to steer your boat.

Most cruisers, such as the boats you’ll find on the Norfolk Broads, use a steering wheel to control them. This operates in the same way as a car steering wheel – although the response times in boats is much slower. A canal boat works differently – a handle at the rear, called a “tiller”, is used to control the direction of your canal barge. The tiller makes the boat go in the opposite direction to which it’s pushed. Push the tiller to the left, and the canal boat goes right – push to the right and the boat goes left. This may sound confusing, but it’ll soon become second nature when you start your canal boating holiday!

Boats generally take a while to react to the steering, this is especially true of canal narrow boats. So start by move the tiller just a little, then move the tiller a little more if you haven’t gone far enough. This time lapse is a little confusing to start with, but you’ll soon get to know how your boat reacts.

For those of us who are used to a car the time delay between moving your tiller, and the actual movement of the canal boat, can be a little disconcerting. With a little practice though, and you’ll soon be taking the corners like a pro.

The maximum speed on the canals is about 4mph, so you don’t have to worry about crashing your boat on the first tricky bends.