How Not to Build a Boat

<p>When their old GRP yacht was devastated by a Southern Ocean storm Jill Schinas and her husband Nick resolved to build something stronger. Gaily – and without having researched the matter to the least degree – they threw themselves into the work of designing and constructing the ultimate ocean-proof eco-friendly dream cruising yacht. On their side they had a wealth of sailing experience which provided a perfect knowledge of what was required but their only other weapons were irrepressible enthusiasm and the mindset which enables a man to build a radio from a potato or a mast from a lamppost.</p><p>Had this been a business enterprise no bank would ever have lent the capital for ranged against the dreamers was a whole battery of forces any one of which would have deterred more realistic people. For a start neither Jill or Nick had any experience with a welder – and yet they were proposing to build a steel boat. Secondly they seemed only to have enough money to buy a couple of masts and the sails. Worst of all they had two kids and a new baby in tow – and no one with a young family ought to attempt anything more ambitious than the washing up. Regardless of these drawbacks Nick and Jill went ahead.<br />“It’ll only take a year and a half” said he confidently.<br />Fifteen years down the line <em>Mollymawk</em> is afloat and the family have cruised all over the Atlantic; but the boat is still not finished.</p><p>This is the tale of what went wrong and what went right. Packed full of advice about such things as ocean-worthy design and sail plans it will also tell you how to operate a cutting torch how to avoid a leaky stern-gland how to pour your own rigging sockets how to handle a ferocious gander how to sandblast how to weld in mid-Atlantic how to amuse three young children in a cabin space the size of a phone booth… and much much more besides.</p><blockquote>“This thing will never be more than a rusting steel can.”<br />— Xoë Schinas aged 6 one year into the boatbuilding project.</blockquote><blockquote>“At last the truth about steel boatbuilding.”<br />— Nick Skeates designer of the Wylo II</blockquote><p> </p>