The Beginning of Our Journey!
I am new to this whole blog thing, hopefully this will get better with time.
It all began about a year ago, we were sitting on our center console boat at the marina daydreaming about being able to sleep on our boat. We were fantasizing about taking week long trips and being able to go on multi day fishing adventures. Most of all we wanted to be able to comfortably take our fur babies along for the adventure. In casual conversation, I made a joke about building a boat. Unfortunately, Cassie is just as crazy as I am and here we are today.
I knew from the start that this would be a long journey. We spent about 6 months doing extensive research on different boats, designs, and various features that we wanted to include in our vessel. We purchased a few different study prints, and 2 sets of full prints, only to realize they weren’t a great fit for us. Although we wasted money on prints, we will probably never use, we finally figured out what we wanted.
Spirited Designs, from Australia, had a boat that we could see ourselves building. It is a 23′ power catamaran with a sleek design. Catamarans are, by nature, stable in the water and fuel efficient. Being trailer-able was also a big feature for us. We reached out to Craig Schionning and asked if there was a way to extend his design. We agreed on two feet overall length and more interior headroom. He was quite happy to work with us on the alterations of the plans. We made payment for the prints, it took a couple of months for the alterations, and to actually receive our plans from across the globe. During this time we did even more research. We came to the conclusion that we had no idea what we were doing.
During all the research, we decided we should document everything involved. We would do a video log of all aspects of the build process, including what we have learned, and share it with friends and family. This would not only help keep everyone up to date on our build, but will also help explain everything that is involved in doing a project of this scale. It will also be a memoir of sorts for us to look back on in the future. (I may be biased, but I think Cassie does an amazing job sorting through hours of video, multiple takes, different camera angles, as well as various bloopers. She also adds voice-overs and music to the videos to give them a finished feel. We are currently posting videos on YouTube for everyone to see. Please go over there and give us a thumbs up. She works extremely hard and does an amazing job.)
Gazing out of a frosty window dreaming about the start of the build there was still a lot of work to be done. First we had nowhere to build this boat. During our research of different boat build projects I came across a video of “Six Points Wood Works” out of upstate New York. He had built a plastic wrapped, Gothic arch structure. We decided to go this route because it was cost effective and it was a fairly easy design. I submitted my prints to the local building inspector, and after a little bit of back and forth we were issued a permit. On some of the coldest nights of the winter, we persevered in digging holes for footings and cutting and assembling the arches. After standing everything up, we were finally able wrap it all in a heavy duty plastic. Ultimately we have built a 32′ long by 14′ wide Gothic arch structure. A feat by itself, we now have a place to build our vessel.
The next challenge would would have to overcome would be the work benches. If you should order this kit through Spirited, the panels you will receive are fiber glassed with the proper amount of glass for the associated piece. Unfortunately, we will have to do this process ourselves. We decided to build a bench long enough to accommodate the longest panels of the boat. After the panels are glassed, we will cut the legs off and reuse as a platform to set up the forms to wrap all of the flat panels around. This essentially shapes the hull.
Aside from watching YouTube videos, neither of us had ever done fiber glassing before. This is where “the box” comes in. On our current boat there is an awkward step in front of the console. Last year we built a box to level off the floor, allowing us to make cushions and give us a place to relax while at anchor. Unfortunately, we didn't have access to marine grade plywood so I had to use what was available. The plywood de-laminated after about a year of salt and sun, and needed to be replaced. This would be the perfect little project to learn on.
We were able to source some materials equivalent to what the boat would be made of, and started there. The first attempt wasn't a complete disaster but there were more than “some” air bubbles in our fiberglass work. We tried again on the reverse side of the panel with a different resin and had much better results. After some time testing materials and processes, we decided to use the cheap insulation foam from our local box store. I know some of you are thinking, why cheap out on materials? Ultimately this box will be given with the boat when it is sold. If it lasts a few years until the new boat is done, it will have done its job. The money saved on this learning curve will be reallocated to the new boat. This is also why we didn't paint the box. Realistically the box is under cushions 90% of the time and the small area that does show doesn't bother us. If in the future we feel differently, we can remedy it.
During this small project, we entered into March 2020. As the world knows Covid-19 started to circulate. This has wreaked havoc on our order for boat materials. With foam core construction, you basically take a specialized sheet of foam and layer fiberglass and resin on both sides. With the right combination of materials and densities this becomes an extremely durable, lightweight panel. Unfortunately, our foam has been delayed overseas.
This brings us to present day. we have decided to start laying out the forms that will shape the boat. We know that we are creating more work for ourselves, but at least we are progressing on the build. Neither of us have ever taken on a personal project of this scale, and one of the biggest concerns is loosing motivation or momentum. We will layout, cut, and dry fit all of the forms, before breaking everything down and putting into storage until we are ready for them again.
My final thought of the day: we are doing all of this documenting to share this experience with friends and family. Cassie is diligently working on videos, and I have started this blog to give everyone an insight of the thought process behind those videos. We have chosen to post on public domains in hope that someone out there may be able to use our experience for their own future project. Please feel free to follow us on
You Tube: Building MV dauntless
Instagram: @MVDauntless
and here on Tumblr: Building MV Dauntless.
We are trying to give updates weekly. Hope you enjoy!!!
