FAQ & Resources

Large boats take longer to build than small ones—a lot longer. Before taking the plunge it pays to be realistic about resources of time, energy and money. As a general rule it is inadvisable to tackle projects much over 30 feet single-handed, unless the builder is either very experienced or prepared to hire help.

Fortunately, most of the designs presented here fall below that ceiling and there is certainly no need to feel deprived. A small boat will do as much—in many ways more—than a big boat. Furthermore, there is a completeness and intensity of experience found in small boat-building that is rarely felt with the larger projects, where simple relief at getting through is often the lingering emotion.

My experience is that traditional techniques—carvel and clinker on bent frames—offer far greater enjoyment at the building stage than any of the glued methods. In addition, building time is likely to be less.

The skill level is higher than other forms of construction, but much of that skill is technique and know-how, rather than additional manual dexterity. We are fortunate to live in a time when the secrets of the boatbuilder’s trade are revealed in countless books and magazine articles for those willing to research them.

Glued construction allows us to build structures that are lighter and stiffer than their conventional counterparts. It has the added advantage of more readily available materials and less critical fits. However, it also means working with toxic material while wearing latex gloves, and frequently a respirator. It means tool handles, tea mugs and telephones caked in epoxy, shavings that should not be burnt in the shop stove, and inevitably, a reluctance to involve your children. This will detract from the experience. If I were building for pleasure, I would go traditional every time.

Wherever possible I encourage the use of local materials. There are very few places, on this continent at least, where one cannot scare up enough wood to build a small boat. Knowing where the wood comes from and being involved in the conversion and seasoning adds a dimension to your project, and will connect you directly to boatbuilders in your area past and present. It might also encourage responsible timber management practices—one can hope.

If you can, avoid tropical hardwood. I have sufficient on my conscience already. If it is unavoidable, look for wood from sustainable sources. The same applies to plywood.

Every professional knows that building the boat is the easy part; correctly estimating man-hours and material cost is the real challenge.  While the home builder is not held to account in the same way, it is still very important to have some measure of the scale of the job before you start. The building hours quoted with each design are either actual hours taken from the time sheets in the case of boats we have built here, or are estimates I would use for costing in our shop. Some builders may be faster; those with less experience will require longer.

This is a tricky one to nail down, but by giving a skill rating to each plan, the intention is to give some idea of the relative difficulty of the designs as building projects. You will note that the skill levels given are independent of boat size. Some of the most exacting projects are the small clinker dinghies.

Basic level designs require basic woodworking skills—the ability to sharpen tools and make things fit—but little or no experience with boat building is necessary. While the plans provide all the information required, they do not necessarily detail procedure. It is assumed that you have access to reference books on the subject. Basic designs will require lofting the drawings to obtain full-size patterns, building a level base, and setting up molds accurately.

Intermediate level plans require some additional techniques of bending and fairing, some spiling, etc. Most boats of glued construction fall into this category.

High level plans require the full range of boatbuilding skills: laying out plank rabbets, steam bending frames, lining out planking, and so forth. As mentioned above, these are less skills of manual dexterity than knowledge of procedures, so don’t be put off. If you have good woodworking ability and are prepared to do the background reading, they are within your reach and will prove among the  most rewarding.

Along with plan purchase comes backup advice as needed. If you have questions after going over the drawings, or run into snags as you go along, I will do my best to answer them. Telephone or e-mail are the best means for doing this.

Finally, if you don’t find what you are looking for here, let us know. There is more material in the files, new designs in the pipeline, and I am always looking for new ideas to explore.

The total number of sheets will vary depending on the plan. Each set includes a lines plan, a table of offsets, a construction plan with a section, scantlings and usually a suggested building set-up. Sailboats will have a sail plan, and all designs will have layout plans. Clinker designs have notes about lining out planking, and some also have a fastener schedule. See lining out described in clinker construction techniques.

No. Full size patterns are not included in these designs for a couple of reasons. First, they are impractical in all but the smallest and simplest designs. In addition, the process of lofting is valuable in itself. It provides a useful introduction to any building project, making clear some of the essential concepts you will be using to work in three dimensions. It is also the source of additional information the builder often requires in order to solve problems that arise later in the construction.

Plans in our catalogue are drawn in either imperial units (feet and inches) or in metric (metres). The choice is normally made by the customer who commissions the original design, and since the majority of our customers are in the US and the UK, most plans are in imperial units. In recent years as markets have globalised we have seen demand for metric units grow too and we are frequently asked whether a plan drawn in one system is available in the oher. Since all plans are hand drawn to scale this is not possible without a complete redrafting. The advice in this situation then, is always work in the system a plan is drawn in rather than attempt to convert: there is much less risk of errors creeping in. Tape measures and scale rulers are readily available for either system and it does not take long for the mind to adjust. Convert only when necessary to order materials.

No. All of our plans are hand drawn to scale. This is the old-fashioned approach to boat building, in our opinion the most economical — and the most fun.

I recommend Robert Steward's Boatbuilding Manual as a good basic text with excellent sections on lofting and setting up. You will find there is no one book that covers it all, most have a particular slant towards one type of construction method or another.

For traditional plank on frame construction, Bud McIntosh's How to Build a Wooden Boat is a great resource.

For glued hulls The Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction is the bible as far as use of epoxy is concerned.

For clinker work, which to me is the best way of building small dinghies and certainly the most fun, John Leather's Clinker Boatbuilding is pretty good and Walter J. Simmons has a book or two that gives the North American take on that method.

A subscription to WoodenBoat magazine is essential for serious students of the subject—always lots of good stuff in there. WoodenBoat also publishes one or two how-to books on the construction of some of Joel White's small plywood designs. You might find those useful.

Water Craft magazine from the United Kingdom publishes a complete set of Paul Gartside boat plans in every issue. Subscribers can build right from the pages of the magazine. Whether you are a compulsive builder or simply enjoy studying boat drawings, Water Craft is the magazine for you.

Paper prints are non-fade photocopies of the original drawings. Upon ordering you will receive confirmation by e-mail of your order. The plans will be shipped shortly thereafter, folded in a 13 x 10 inch envelope, by regular mail. Overseas orders are shipped by air mail. Delivery time is usually less than three weeks worldwide. Shipping cost is added to the plan price, and varies depending on your location. Shipping costs are calculated in the checkout process.

Digital files are high resolution scans of the original drawings, in PDF format. You will receive an email confirmation of your order, and a download link specific to your purchase. There is no shipping charge for digital files. When your download is complete you may take the PDF files to your local copy-shop for printing. If you experience any difficulty in having your files printed, please let us know. 

Download links expire after 3 uses. If you lose or misplace your files, please contact us with your name and order number, and we will reissue download links for your purchase.

NOTE: A wide-format copier is required to print the plans to their original size and scale. Paper width is 36 inches and the depth is normally about 24 inches. 

All sales are final. However, if for any reason you are dissatisfied with your purchase, please contact us right way. Customer satisfaction is an issue we take very seriously, and we will endeavour to rectify any difficulties or concerns you may have.

We charge and collect sales tax on all purchase made within New York State.  The current rate is 8.625% and for New York State residents will be calculated at time of checkout and added to their total.

We do not charge sales tax on purchases from outside NY State and overseas.  Please note, however, that our overseas customers, particularly in the UK and EU, may be charged VAT at the rate applicable in their own countries upon receipt of their orders. We advise they check with their local tax authorities to understand their obligations in this regard.

The purchase of a complete set of plans entitles the purchaser to build one boat from those plans. Paul Gartside retains full copyright and ownership of the design. If you wish to build more than one boat per plan, please contact us for permission to do so.

In the digital age, infringement of copyright is easier than it has ever been. However, our ability to offer plans in this manner depends on a level of trust and honour in this regard.

Distribution or sale of designs in whole or in part represents infringement of copyright and is strictly prohibited by law.