Plywood Boat Construction

Plywood has become a very popular small boat building material in recent years. Plywood boats are oftenly the lightest little boats available in many designs, go together very quickly, and do not require many of the more traditional ship building skills it takes to turn out a fine traditional wooden boat hull.

One of the most notable differences in the actual construction of a plywood boat, is that Patterns are relied upon much more in plywood hulls than is the case with a wooden boat design. This draw it off, cut it out, and put it together construction method results in a boat that is faster and in some ways easier to build than its' traditional wooden boat counterpart.

Many of the modern plywood boat designs call for little in the way of even wooden parts at all, using the now common tack and tape, also known as stitch and glue construction methods, and rely on strong epoxy joints, where the lines of the plywood panels meet at chines and other areas of the boat. This method results in a hull that is stiff, strong, and lightweight.

This construction method is particularly well suited for small car toppers, and is also used in large sized boats as well. Epoxy is the miracle material that has made this method viable and popular, and it has stood the test of time as a proven and reliable boat building method.

A good set of plans is a must for this small boat construction method, and one must use marine grade plywood for the task, which is a little more expensive than the standard builders grades, but still affordable, and a good consideration for many.

Plywood Boat Construction: