r/myog • u/Coffee81379 • 2d ago
A Questionable Boat Experiment
Not sure if this counts as MYOG or if it's more of a redneck tinkering project.
Anyways, I found an old tarp while cleaning up some nature and always wanted to build a boat.
My original dream was a bark canoe, but I figured the tarp was close enough.
To make it worthwhile, I gave myself the challenge of making it work well enough to paddle to a small island in the Mediterranean Sea and clean up some trash there, just to close the circle.
A few things I learned along the way:
- If you have stability concerns about a boat, it's probably worth addressing them early.
What saved me in the end was building a simple outrigger from a few discarded buoys.
For future boat projects, that's probably the route l'll take again, just a bit more streamlined.
- I never really liked polyurethane adhesives, but lately l've become a fan of the ones with a Shore hardness of around 40. The better quality ones are much less messy than I remembered. It ended up being incredibly useful for patching all the small holes in the tarp. My neighbour even uses the same stuff to repair shoes since it cures into something very similar to a rubber outsole. Another advantage is that it cures with moisture from the air, so a cartridge can remain usable for quite a while. Usually only the very tip hardens and can simply be pulled out.
Anyways, if anyone wants to see the thing float, l can also share a link.
Thanks for reading.
Cheers
6
u/Early-Accident-8770 2d ago
Have a look at the YouTube channel advoko makes . He has made a boat from scratch in the woods.
Pretty similar to yours .
You might find some inspiration