I am originally from the Cleveland, Ohio area and I spent a lot of time enjoying boating on Lake Erie while growing up. My family owned a 1970, 16' open bow fiberglass boat that was powered by a 60 hp Evinrude engine. With this little boat, I learned how to drive it, how to pull water skiers, how to water ski, how to maneuver a trailer, and how to catch walleye! Upon graduation from high school, I immediately went in to the Navy, so you can say that I have an affinity for marine craft.My career has taken me to Tennessee where we don't have the Great Lakes, but it has many smaller lakes and a couple of major rivers. Career and family responsibilities have an influence in one's life and owning a boat hasn't been high on the priority list up to this point.
So why a boat now? I've had this desire to build a boat for at least 5 years. Being a hobbyist woodworker, I have an appreciation for things made out of this beautiful, natural material. The desire fell into remission until about a year ago when I saw a unique looking boat heading for a floating pier along the Cumberland river. I just knew, even at a distance, that this was not a cookie cutter fiberglass boat from one of hundreds of manufacturers. When the boat docked, I started talking to the owner and looking over his craft. He verified that it indeed was a home built boat and he told me a little bit about it. I told him of my desire to build a boat and he helped give me some confidence that it is doable. He told me that he had gotten the plans from a company called Glen-L out of California. I had stumbled across their website in the past and told him I would check them out again.
I went to the Glen-L site (www.glen-l.com) and spent quite a bit of time looking at various boat designs as well as tons of pictures of boats that others had built. That was all it took to get me to seriously start planning a boat build. If there were no real life obstacles (money, skill set, etc), I would have chosen a retro design reminiscent of the old Chris Crafts. It would have a barrel back shape and it would be powered by an inboard motor. However, I had to think realistically and I realized that my skill level, shop space, and finances should probably dictate that I build a boat that is no more than 16' in length and powered by an outboard motor. I had about 5 designs picked out and then I finally nailed it down to Glen-L's Malahini. It is a 16' runabout which can be powered with up to a 75 hp outboard engine.
So why not buy a boat instead of going through the time and expense of building one? I suggest you go to the Glen-L site and look at builder pictures and the answer will be there. Most builders will tell you......it's not so much about being a boat owner, but rather about the boat building experience. I will share my experience of building the Malahini over probably the next 2 years. Yes, it is not something that is normally done quickly. The winter months will be too cold in my shop to use epoxy and so during that time frame, I will go back to being a hobbyist woodworker. Besides the weather factor, life responsibilities will also get in the way at times. I am looking forward to the journey and will share some of the experiences in this blog.
