Man builds 12-foot-long sailboat with materials from hardware store
Popular Science...
It traditionally takes years of training and apprenticeship before shipbuilders truly master the art of handcrafting wooden vessels. However, that doesn’t mean all that time is necessary. Kentucky-based YouTuber Nick Kroehnke, aka Cumberland Rover, has spent the past few months documenting his progress on constructing a simple, 12-foot-long sailboat using everyday materials from the local hardware store. As he demonstrates across multiple videos, sometimes all you need is basic carpentry skills and a bit of creativity to take to the water yourself.
According to Hackaday’s recent rundown, Kroehnke began his journey by building a rowboat using two pieces of 1×12 lumber that he bent and attached to a basic wooden frame. From there, it was only a matter of fastening a plywood bottom and installing a couple seats, along with waterproofing the entire boat.
But why stop there? More recently, Kroehnke added accessories like a mast and sail using additional hardware store lumber. The boat is gaff-rigged, meaning it relies on a square sail hoisted to the mast using a spar. The choices make for both a fast setup and a quick breakdown. When winds aren’t favorable, Kroehnke can still use a pair of oars to paddle along in his tiny ride.
Anyone truly interested in giving the project a shot can order his exact plans through his website. But if that seems like biting off more than you can chew, Kroehnke offers multiple other wooden boat designs, including a kayak and a pirogue.
Of course, just because you can build it doesn’t make you a master seafarer. Make sure to learn the basics of sailing and always use proper safety precautions when on the water. The goal is to sail the boat, not go down with the ship.
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