materials cost for Joel White peapod

[oarlock]

I'm a total novice who's foolish enough to think about tackling a Joel White 14' Maine Coast sailing peapod. But I'm completely clueless about what the materials cost would be--can anybody give me a rough ballpark? Under $2K? I guess that depends on the quality of wood you use. If I do this I'll want the boat to last my lifetime, if not my son's as well, so would use high-grade cedar and/or white pine.

Also, roughly how many hours of time does a project like this take? I know it's a lot, but would be curious if anybody's actually kept track.

Thanks, and please offer any tips, advice, or warnings.

[Steve Lansdowne]

I can't give you a price, but I do know that adding a sailing rig (sails, spars, rudder, centerboard/daggerboard, lines, etc.) to any boat ups the price a lot. I'd guess that if you build the sailing version you'll add perhaps 30-40% more to the cost of the boat than if you built the rowing version.

[Cuyahoga Chuck]

Depending on how involved the sailing rig is there is,at least, as much money sticking up in the air as is touching the water.
To get to prospective cost requires a rough list of supplies.
Taking anyone's time frame is ,to me, a gamble. Putting a hobby project on a schedual will certainly take the fun out of it and anyone who is enough of a beancounter to document hours worked is driven by a philosophy that I don't understand or care to practice.
If you are totally inexperienced it will take a long time.
My last project was a stitch and glue sailing pram 8' long. Built at rock bottom prices. Total was @ $600. Sailboat costs go up steeply with increases in length so $2000 might be a little low. If you are experienced it might be possible.
Charlie

[oarlock]

Thanks for the replies. I realize there's a lot of variables at work here, I was just hoping to get a ballpark from somebody who has tackled this or a similar boat design (both in terms of cost and time). I was guessing around $2K and 100-200 hours, but that was just a shot in the dark.

I talked with Jim Steele about having one built last summer, he would charge $6K (and he doesn't do sailing ones anymore, as he thinks the boats don't stand up to it. . .but that's a topic for a whole other thread).

(BTW, Cuyahoga, I graduated from Lakewood High School).

[ 08-19-2005, 11:28 AM: Message edited by: oarlock ]

[Venchka]

Sail costs are all over the map. Anywhere from $4 to $8/sq. ft. the last time I checked. You do have the benefit of being in a corner of wooden boat building Nirvana. You also can walk around the corner and talk to Grant Gambell, or wander inland to Appleton and talk to Brad Hunter of Gambell & Hunter Sailmakers. Finer people and finer sails would be hard to find.

Lumber shouldn't be hard to find. There's a bunch of it going into boats every day. If you are really interested in having the boat built professionally, Bill Buchholz at Apache Boatworks might be worth chatting to.

http://www.midcoast.com/~hilltop/assets/images/banner11.jpeg http://www.midcoast.com/~hilltop/assets/images/address2.jpeg

The Apprenticeshop in Rockland is another choice. They like building boats the right way. ;)

Don't forget Hamilton Marine in Searsport.

I have no interest in the above businesses. I have met and/or done business with all of them.

Wayne
In the Swamp. :D

[ 08-19-2005, 11:40 AM: Message edited by: Venchka ]

[gert]

I did a Joel White Shearwater 4 years ago for about 2400 Ca which includes sail at 500 and 5 sheets of 3/8 Acume ply (boat only needs four but I screwed one up), and that was with all bronze fastening. But does not include running around looking for stuff gas costs, which today would probably be more than the boat.

[Cuyahoga Chuck]

St. Edward.
Charlie