I have long wanted to create a record marking the main points in the manufacture of a boat, but it never worked out! Dad is getting older every year, but there are still no cheat sheets, although he and I have put together more than one pair of boats... And this year there was a need to expand our fleet, because the children are growing up and boats are required that are more stable and load-bearing, for reliability movement. I myself used to swim to the surface, but with my sons I have to be careful about this! The time has come to take out the previously stored boards, edge them, plan them, prepare nails, and one weekend we get down to business! (It’s better to use spruce boards, without knots, but you don’t always have what you need)
First of all, Dad sketched out a small drawing with dimensions, based on the requirements and previous construction projects
Then they laid out the boards for the bottom, drew a contour on them according to the dimensions, cut out the main parts with a jigsaw, leaving only the edges, this can be seen in the photographs.
When adjusting the boards to one another, we leave gaps in the stern and in the bow, but in the middle we fit them more or less tightly
When all the parts are prepared, we begin assembling the bottom, first tightly assembling the boards, sewing them with nails in the middle with a cross member, then using a rope and two crowbars we pull together the stern, sew them together with nails, and do the same with the bow
Due to the fact that the crossbars are rounded, and gaps were left between the boards in the bow and stern, when screeding and assembling, the bottom turns out to be a bit of a sphere both across and along its length. In the future, this gives the boat stability on the water. It is not necessary to adjust and tighten the bottom boards to microns, small cracks are quite acceptable, this will make it easier to caulk the bottom.
When the bottom is assembled, we line out the edges according to the planned dimensions and markings so that the edges are smooth, otherwise it will not be possible to bend the side boards clearly
The most interesting thing is ahead, you need to bend the sides at the same time on both sides, if bending one by one can warp and the boat will turn out to be skewed. We apply the side board to the bow on one side and sew it on, then do the same on the other side, then one presses it, bending the boards, the second pierces it with nails towards the stern.
The boards were tied together in the same way as the bottom - with a rope. As a result, some kind of shape was drawn, then it’s easier. We bend the second row of side boards in the same way. We don’t hit a lot of nails when stitching because we still have to caulk! Next, we saw off the excess ends of the boards, both the side boards and the bow and stern. Then you adjust the front bow board.
After completing the assembly, you work with a plane, rounding where necessary, leveling it, going through the entire longboat, cutting out the frames beautifully. After making it beautiful, we caulk it, add nails in places, screw the rowlocks, resin the bottom, nail the strips to the bottom, resin them, then paint. We also make seats and paint them as you like. Our oars are transferable, we change boats, but the oars are the same. The oarlocks on all our boats are the same, so there are no problems.
In principle, I tried to take into account all the stages and subtleties in the photograph, so that it was clear. Two boats have now been put together, one for the opening, the second just recently. The boats were made identically, one was tested, the second was at the stage of completion of work.
If anyone has any questions, please ask, I’ll be sure to clarify! Truth questions usually arise when self-production, suddenly someone will take it and make a piece of wood. For those who live near the lake, a piece of wood is irreplaceable!
Thank you for your attention!
Drawings and photos
The very first boats on earth were dugouts: in some countries such boats are successfully used to this day. Then other, more advanced models began to appear: longships, gondolas, sampans. They painted in bright colors, acquired painted faces or carved figures on the bow or stern, some even with a motor. In the summer season, when the boat turns into the most pleasant form of transport, we reviewed photographs of traditional boats of all varieties and selected the most interesting of them.
(Total 34 photos)
1. Venice, Italy. In the 18th century, several thousand gondolas floated along the city’s canals. At the same time, the shape and size of boats were legislated. They haven't changed since then.
2. Hong Kong. Every summer, Hong Kong holds a traditional dragon boat festival.
3. Essaouira, Morocco. The only people working in the town are the fishermen, who on their bright blue boats (there are hundreds of them at the pier!) go to sea as early as five in the morning.
4. Lake Titicaca, Bolivia. The reed boats on which the natives sailed on the lake became the prototype for Thor Heyerdahl's famous reed raft.
5. Thailand. Thai longtail boats are very maneuverable.
6. Crete, Greece.
7. Myanmar. Villagers near Inle Lake operate the oar with their feet rather than their hands.
8. Jakarta, Indonesia. Local fishermen sell all their catch to the Sunda Kelapa market, located in the oldest port of the capital of the same name.
9. State of Goa, India. Traditional Indian boat on the Goa beach.
11. State of Goa, India. For stability, narrow boats are equipped with a “float”.
12. Mexico City, Mexico. Pleasure boats, which today take tourists along ancient canals dug by the Aztecs.
13. Japan. Nagatoro are small river boats designed to transport goods and people.
14. Maldives. Dhoni boats are used for short trips. The locals have long since improved them by putting diesel engine.
15. Ecuador. These dugout boats are made from solid wood. The work takes approximately 3-4 weeks.
16. Bali, Indonesia.
17. Bali, Indonesia. Traditional narrow Balinese boats are equipped with hollow bamboo trunks on the sides for stability.
18. Porto, Portugal. These boats are used to transport new wine down the Doro River to Porto and the Villa Nova de Gaia area.
19. Camiguin Island, Philippines. The boat used in the islands is called "dhoni".
20. China. The Chinese boat sampan is a flat-bottomed boat whose name means “three planks.”
21. Malta. In any harbor on the island you can see boats painted in a certain way.
22. Malta. Eyes are always painted on the bow of boats, which are designed to protect fishermen from various dangers. These are believed to be the eyes of Osiris.
23. Malta.
24. Varanasi, India. Many boats are painted blue and Blue colour. In Hinduism they are considered divine.
25. Hong Kong. Aqua Luna is a vintage pirate boat with hand-woven sails.
Before you start building a wooden boat, you need to take care of its most important parts - sides. For this purpose, long, wide, not thick, preferably without knots, pine or spruce boards are selected. They must lie for at least one year in a dry place, on a flat surface with slight pressure on top to avoid their bending.
We inspect the prepared boards again for defects - cracks, falling knots, etc. Then we measure desired length(here, as well as further, specific dimensions of the parts of the boat will not be given, since all this is at your discretion) with a small margin and file each of them at an angle of 45 degrees - this will be the bow part.
Next, they need to be planed, and chamfered from the sawn ends so that the boards pressed against each other in the bow do not have a gap.
We impregnate these areas, and subsequently all others that will not be available for painting after assembling the structure, with a protective layer of antiseptic.
After this, we proceed to making the base of the nose - a triangular block. Its length should exceed approximately 1.5 times the width of the sides of the boat. The timber is also planed and covered with a protective layer.
Don't forget to leave a margin at the top and bottom, then after assembly, all excess will be cut off.
Having prepared these elements, we proceed directly to assembly. We start from the bow, firmly connect both sides and the triangular block with screws or nails.
We cut off the protruding parts at the top and bottom flush with the sides.
It must be exactly the same height as shown in the photo, otherwise the boards may burst during bending. The spacer angle should also not be made too large.
Having installed the spacer, we begin to bend the sides; here you will need a couple of assistants or a rope. Having bent to the required distance, we apply the “back” and determine where and how much to chamfer so that the sides adhere to it without gaps.
So, removing it little by little, we adjust it until we achieve the desired result.
Having achieved it, we nail down the sides and cut off the protruding parts from below, and from above as you want. It is better to do it in the form of a triangle.
Then we proceed to install the permanent braces and seats. Their number and location is at your discretion. When fixing them (and in other places, in general), be sure to first make a hole with a small drill in order to avoid the appearance of cracks.
We complete the very important initial stage by chamfering the bottom of the sides, spacers and applying a protective coating to them.
After the impregnation and wood glue have dried, you can begin making its bottom. For this we need a smooth galvanized sheet. It is desirable that its length matches the length of the vessel. True, choosing one is not easy, the fact is that construction stores mainly sell small sheets (1.2x2m, 1.5x2), and they are very reluctant to cut off large rolls. If you can't reach an agreement, take what you have. The bottom can be made from two sheets, it will just be a little more complicated.
Using metal scissors, cut out a piece corresponding to the size of the bottom from the purchased galvanized steel. To make it easier to determine the length and width, we place the boat on a sheet and outline it with a marker, with a small margin of 1.2-2 cm, just in case.
Next we need to prepare the lower parts of the sides. We apply sanitary with a gun silicone sealant a small layer in the form of a continuous winding thread. Then we lay a special cord directly on it in two rows. All this will reliably protect the bottom of the boat from leaking in the future.
If there is no sealant, replace it regular paint, if there is no thread, put in tow.
Having completed this, carefully place the cut piece of tin on the boat, align it and begin to fasten it.
For fastening, you can use galvanized self-tapping screws with a press washer or nails. In this case, we fasten using a method that has been proven over the years - i.e. nails (1.8x32). We start work from the middle and move towards the edges. The work is monotonous and tedious, but there is no need to rush - protruding nails will not add beauty.
How often you need to prick them is shown in the photo.
We cut off those places where the tin protrudes beyond the edges by more than 5 mm. We tap the rest with a hammer, bending it onto the side.
The bow of the boat needs protection; we cover it with the same tin. We measure and cut out the desired piece in the form of a rectangle.
On that part of the sides that will be covered with galvanized steel, pre-impregnated with antiseptics (in general, by this time the boat needs to be covered with at least one layer of impregnation), we apply sealant with thread. After this, we apply the sheet as shown in the photo and nail it.
The edges of the tin should not extend beyond the triangle nose, otherwise the nails will come out.
We lay the galvanized sheets on top and bottom on top of each other, cutting off the excess and also fastening them with nails. The result will be a great nose, just a very sharp one. Therefore, we crumple or cut off its tip, so as not to damage swampers or fishing gear on it later.
A new boat on a pond will definitely attract attention; in order to somehow protect it from attacks or to prevent it from being carried away by the current, we make a fastening for a chain in the bow. For this we need a long bolt or pin. We drill a hole in the sides exactly along the diameter of the pin, secure it, and saw off the excess with a hacksaw.
The boat is almost ready. We cover it with an additional 2 layers of impregnation and leave it to dry in the shade.
If you wish, you can immediately take care of protecting the bottom of the boat by covering it with paint. Galvanized with outside, in contact with water, deteriorates over time without additional coating.
To make it comfortable to walk on the tin bottom and not rattle, it is necessary to provide wood flooring. He might be the one various designs. For example this one.
Now we can confidently say that the boat is ready! A boat with a galvanized bottom is much lighter than one with a wooden one, and during operation it will be easier to prepare it for the next season after wintering. In terms of strength, it is in no way inferior to others. For example, after 10 years of use, my previous old boat’s sides rotted, but the bottom was okay.
Yes, and one more thing - do not skimp on the antiseptic, it is this, and not paint, that resists the destruction of wood much better.
If you end up with something similar or even better, you can be congratulated on your success.
I present several final photos of different people:
Based on materials from: grossoxota.ru
Video lessons on making boats with your own hands
Plywood boat
Sheet iron boat
» from the presented material you will learn how you can make yourself a “Dolblenka” boat with your own hands. What is it used for? natural material, namely a soft tree, for example willow or aspen. The tree is selected in advance, straight and without branches, and the thickness of the trunk will be responsible for the displacement of the future vessel.
This technology for creating boats is very ancient and was passed down from generation to generation, from Father to Son, today it is almost forgotten, but there are still “Craftsmen - well done” on the Russian Land!
Let's look at what exactly the author will need to build a boat? We’ll also look at all the stages and watch the movie (Cut down your nerd).
Materials
1. softwood (willow, aspen)
Tools
1. chainsaw
2. hacksaw
3. ax
4. adze
5. jointer
6. source of fire (blowtorch)
Master class from Ivan Petrovich Ovchinnikov on building a boat "Dolblenki" with your own hands
And so, the author adopted this technology from his Father, and he, in turn, from his parent). In ancient times in Rus', the main building material, as you know, was wood, and furniture, dishes, peasant implements, carts, etc. were also made.
Boats and longships, respectively, were also built from wood; entire artels and brigades were created for this purpose. It may seem strange... but boats began to be made in the winter, when the tree is still asleep. The most selected in the forest suitable tree(aspen), it was cut down and shaped into a boat, after which the workpiece was covered with snow and remained in this position until early spring. During this time, the tree absorbed moisture properly. Why leave the boat in the forest, and even in the snow??? The fact is that for the further process of forming the boat, it is required to dry it over an open fire, place spacers, thereby giving it its final shape (everything is described in detail in the film)
But D. Vanya took a slightly different, easier path, chose a large and thick one (willow) in advance, cut it down to the very root, removed the bark and began to form the boat.
As you can see in the photo, the author first makes a gash, and then cuts it with a hatchet, he does everything professionally with minimal labor) The log is turned over by D. Vanya alone, because he is a Russian hero and eats porridge in the morning, and the master also knows the laws of physics and uses leverage (crowbar) and easily twists the workpiece as he wants) Using an ax, he sets the shape.
Then Ivan Petrovich moves on to making the inside of the boat, also using an ax and an adze.
Two partitions were left inside; they will serve as stiffening ribs for the structure of the boat.
This is what actually happens, the botnik is almost ready.
The master skillfully works with an adze, because he adopted this art from his Father.
After the boat has been made. it was processed using blowtorch so that later the wood is not afraid of moisture and serves the owner for a long time.
Our author got such a wonderful boat; now he can sail along the Don and fish. As you can see, it was quite easy for the craftsman to cut down the boat, and the most important thing is that the material is free and given by nature itself.
You can also view very good film, about the production of "Dugout" boats using ancient technology.
Why is the boat “black”?
Somehow I became acquainted with Meshchera fishing dugout boats, which are popularly called “black”. However, this name has already come into use even among scientists. And on the map of the cultural and natural heritage of the Shatura district of the Moscow region, certain symbol shows the distribution areas of such dugout boats on the rivers and lakes of the region today.
It is difficult to imagine a fisherman who has not rowed along a river or lake at least once in his life. I'm not even talking about those avid fishermen for whom a boat has become an urgent transportation necessity, and oars and sails have become unique tools of labor. In general, since ancient times, a fisherman on the water was just as inventive and savvy as in the field, forest, or yard. In accordance with the situation and often acting strictly according to his needs, he spent economically construction material, knew how to quickly find among the coastal vegetation the element necessary for the gear and design of the boat. Often, while traveling in remote lake regions, along the banks of small rivers, I met fishermen sitting in roughly built punts. It could have an almost square shape and look like a trough or even a box. One talkative fisherman explained it this way: “I live here on the shore. What do I need? He went down, got some change for his money, and that’s all for you. And no one will attach legs to such a vessel.” In Polesie I met the owner of a boat made of tin, which had willow branches instead of frames. By the way, this is how frames used to be made - “springs”. In the reeds of the Dnieper-Bug estuary I somehow came across a long boat with holes cut out on its sides. As the local talkative Berezhanian explained, a curved rod is inserted into these holes, at the ends of which bicycle wheels with blades are attached. “Spin them to your full health and full speed ahead,” he grinned.
Perhaps the most ancient method of overcoming a water barrier was a raft, the logs of which were connected by a bast or a “tack” - steamed in hot water young tree trunks. By the way, you can find fishermen everywhere who prefer to sit comfortably with all their fishing gear not on shaky shuttles, but on wide rafts. The first ship Eastern Slavs was considered a “korab” - a canoe woven from wicker and lined with bark and skins (“korob” - a basket made of bast or wicker). Some researchers even believe that the word “ship” became known to the world from the Byzantines, who adopted it from the Slavs, changing it to “carabos”.
A more advanced floating device was the “dolbanka” - a single-tree boat, which was hollowed out from the trunk of an aspen, willow (“rebovka”), linden (“lipka”), oak (“oak”). Europeans learned about Slavic dugout boats and single-tree boats from the Greeks. “The Slavs cut down monoxyls everywhere in the winter, and in the spring they lower them into the water...” wrote the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus, who traveled along the Dnieper in the 10th century. IN different regions the construction of dugout boats had its own peculiarities. In remote Belarusian villages you can still find dugout canoes - “kamyags”. As a rule, they have a trough-shaped shape. Boards (wings, “floats”) are nailed to the sides at the level of the water surface for stability afloat. Fishermen all over the Dnieper told me about dugout canoes, and I had a chance to see them on the outskirts of Kyiv in the village of Korchevat. A local schoolboy, an avid fisherman and lover of water travel, bought a “dug” in a village near the Desna region. She still serves him well. The boy took me through the yards local residents. In one garden we found three old “dugs” with rotten sides. There was also an old man who explained the technology for making dugout canoes: “The wood for the dugout canoes was cut down in winter or in early spring. The trunk was cut lengthwise into two boats. The stern was located where the trunk was wider. First, an ax and a plane were used to make the “top” - the part that reaches the water. Then they hollowed out the middle with an adze, leaving a “sill” in the stern. To ensure that the thickness of the dovbank along the sides was the same everywhere, pegs were driven into the sides - “beacons” of the same length made of a darker type of wood. As soon as you reach the “beacon”, stop cutting in this place. Then they poured water into the boat and threw hot stones there to “break” the sides. “Strokes”, oars in our opinion, were made of ash, this type absorbs water the least ... "
I did not at all expect to see dolbanki in a “live” form in the Shatura region, which is part of the famous Meshchera. I even managed to photograph several of these boats in the south of the area, near the bridge over the Yalma River. Here in the lake-swamp region, without a boat is like without hands. The muddy peat banks of local reservoirs do not allow fishermen to get close to the water even in high waders. You cannot catch a fish from a peat pond without labor, which is aimed primarily at taking care of the construction and equipment of the swimming device. The idea of a dugout boat was suggested to the ancient Meshcheryaks (one of the versions of the translation of this word is “people of water”) by the hollow - “side” in the tree trunk where bees settled. Burning out a hollow with fire, expanding it with a stone ax and a bone chisel - this is the technological chain for constructing Meshchera dugouts. Boatmen mainly used poplar, linden and aspen, which, like soft rocks, could have been processed with a Neolithic stone axe. When bronze and iron appeared, pine was used. The patriot and Meshchera expert K.G. Paustovsky mentioned the local boats - “monoxyl” (i.e., made from solid wood): “They look like Polynesian pies. They are hollowed out from one piece of wood. Only on the bow and stern they are riveted with forged nails with large heads...”
With the help of bronze tools it was already possible to split wood along the fibers and create a boat more complex design. It was still a dugout, but already a boat-plane. The most simple design such a boat consists of five parts: an almost flat bottom, two side boards, hollowed along the entire length in the form of a gutter, and two ends. There is no bow and stern, and the ends are either two boards nailed at an angle, or more complex ones - pointed “cocors”. Straight slotted side boards are resistant to bending and allow you to do without additional fastenings. Today they are nailed together with iron nails and staples, but in the old days they were “stitched” together with a flexible juniper root - vitsa.
There is no need to turn such a boat around in narrow erik channels - it moves back and forth well. She has a very low landing - she is not afraid of shallows and snags on the river bottom, which are found in abundance on local lakes and rivers. A carpentry work was produced using an adze axe, which has been preserved in many villages to this day. The tool is still used by carpenters, sometimes even used as a hoe when cultivating the soil. And finally: why is the boat “black”? There is nothing sinister in the name. Well, firstly, after burning out the core it became black, and the faces of the boatmen became dark from soot and soot. Secondly, before launching boats, they were often covered with resin to hide grooves, joints, and cracks. You can't imagine a more menial job. Well, the color of the water in the peat lake. Complete blackness. By the way, it was there that the dead Meshcheryaks were often sent. Especially those who spent their entire lives on the water. The deceased was placed in a boat, rolled into the river and set on fire. The flaming ark floated through the dark waters until the bottom burned out and the body plunged into the darkness of the kingdom of eternity...