Amateur boat building doesn’t always mean building an entire boat from a set of plans. Much of the boat building I do involves designing, fabricating and modifying structures to make an existing boat better—or sometimes into something it was never intended to be. Whether it’s converting a sailboat into a motorsailer, rebuilding a weekend cruiser into a long-range liveaboard, or creating an ultralight boat using parts from an existing hull, boat building takes many forms in my Boat Werks.
My channel also documents other amateur boat builders working in wood, plywood stitch-and-glue, metals and composites. As amateur boat builders and restorers, we learn from each other’s projects, methods, successes and mistakes.
How I Approach Amateur Boat Building
Most of my boat-building projects begin with an idea, followed by planning, full-size patterns or templates, and then mockups before I start cutting expensive materials. From there, the process moves through fabrication, fitting and finishing. Whether I’m working with Coosa Board, fiberglass, epoxy, plywood or other materials, mockups and templating let me solve problems and establish dimensions before committing to the finished structure. “Mockups Prevent Screw-ups” is one of my Boat Restoration Rules. This approach is especially useful when building custom components for older boats where plans and factory drawings may not exist.
Pattern Making & Templating for Boat Building
Accurate patterns are essential when building bulkheads, cabinetry, interior panels and other custom components for an older boat. In this episode, I demonstrate four practical pattern-making methods—the tick-stick method, pink foam method, door-skin method and paper pattern method—while fabricating FRP shower panels for my Albin 27. These same techniques can be used throughout amateur boat building and restoration to transfer complex curves and irregular hull shapes into accurate templates before cutting expensive materials.
Full-Size Mockups Before Construction
Full-size mockups let you test a boat interior before committing to permanent construction. In this Albin 27 bathroom build, I use the pink foam mockup method to redesign the original head, establish bulkhead locations, check clearances and develop the layout for a standalone shower, marine toilet and storage. Once the dimensions are proven, the temporary mockup becomes the basis for the final Coosa Board and fiberglass construction.
Featured Amateur Boat Building Projects
Across MotorCity Boat Werks, I document boat-building projects from the initial idea through mockups, templates, fabrication and final installation. When a build project finally comes together, I call this a “Moment of Completion.” These projects include building composite structures with Coosa Board, fiberglass and epoxy, modifying existing hulls, fabricating hardtops and pilothouses, rebuilding structural components, and creating one-off parts where no plans or templates exist. The videos show the complete process—including material choices, measurements, construction methods, mistakes and lessons learned—so another amateur builder can understand not only what I built, but how I built it.
Compac 16 Pilothouse Conversion
In this project, I transform a 1983 Compac 16 sailboat by designing and building a custom composite pilothouse. Using Coroplast patterns, Coosa Board, epoxy and fiberglass, I modify the original cabin to create more usable interior space and protected accommodations while retaining the boat’s sailing capability. The project demonstrates how amateur boat building can go beyond restoration—using an existing hull as the foundation for an entirely different and more functional boat.
Ultralight Composite Dinghy Build
In this project, I rebuild a vintage Dyer sailing dinghy into a unsinkable 78-pound ultralight cruising dinghy, reducing its original 108-pound weight by 30 pounds—nearly 28%. Starting with the bare fiberglass hull, I use Coosa Board, PVC foam board and other composite materials to fabricate watertight compartments, seating, rub rails and structural components. The project demonstrates how modern composite boat-building techniques can transform an existing hull into a lighter, purpose-built boat that’s easier to lift, carry and store aboard a cruising boat.
Boat Building How-To Library
The MotorCity Boat Werks How-To Library brings together the practical techniques I use for amateur boat building, including fiberglass and composites, Coosa Board construction, mockups and templating, structural fabrication, woodworking, interiors, tools and materials. These videos and articles document the methods, materials and lessons learned from real boat-building projects. Every video is on topic, hands-on, concise and detailed. I show what works, what doesn’t work–real lessons learned from 30 years building boats. My videos are made for the amateur with information presented for the novice builder, competent amateur, or experienced craftsman.
In Search of Master Craftsmen & Professionals
I don’t know everything about boat building, and no one does. That’s why part of MotorCity Boat Werks is about going in search of boat-building expertise and motivation. I’ve traveled around the world to meet ambitious amateur boat builders, master craftsmen, professional shipyards and revolutionary boat designers to see how they approach their work, solve problems and build boats. These stories broaden what we can learn beyond my own Boat Werks and demonstrate just how many different ways there are to build a boat.
Haber Yachts — Revolutionary Small-Boat Design
In Poland, I visited Haber Yachts and naval architect Janusz Konkol to see how professional boat builders approach innovative small-boat design. Konkol has designed dozens of pilothouse sailboats and powerboats, including the Haber 660 and 34C4. His designs challenge conventional thinking about what a small, trailerable cruising boat can do. From hand-laid fiberglass construction and custom stainless fittings to the innovative C4 centerboard system, Haber demonstrates how thoughtful engineering, craftsmanship and unconventional design come together in professional boat building.
DIY 31-Foot DIY Trawler — MV Shé:Kon
This episode we travel 500 miles into Ontario, Canada, to meet Rick LaPorte and explore MV Shé:Kon, a custom DIY trawler based on the Bateau.com T-28, a CNC-cut plywood-and-epoxy boat design. Built over more than 14 years in a remarkably small backyard workspace, the project demonstrates large-scale amateur boat building using plywood, epoxy, fiberglass, composite materials and custom interior finishes. Rick shares the construction techniques, challenges, mistakes and lessons learned while transforming a CNC boat kit into a highly customized cruising trawler.
In Tallinn, Estonia, I visited Swiss Performance Yachts to see master craftsmen restoring museum-quality wooden boats, including classic Riva speedboats, and building new wooden yachts. Their work demonstrates the precision and craftsmanship required for high-end wooden boat restoration, from structural repairs and epoxy work to flawless varnished finishes. I also explore their cold-molded wood and fiberglass construction techniques used to build the Hoeker 33, providing a rare look at how traditional wooden boat craftsmanship is combined with modern composites and epoxy to build and restore exceptional boats.
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