How To Build A Pontoon Sailboat

Learning how to build a pontoon sailboat is hard. You will need a lot of supplies, and you must spend a great deal of time and money on the project to have it come out successful. You must also have a complete understanding of sailing and of boat mechanics to make a functional craft. Following is some advice on how to make a pontoon sailboat.

To make a pontoon sailboat you will need:

• Wood for hull and outriggers
• Tools to shape wood
• Sailing equipment (mast, sails, etc.)
• Large workstation, preferable indoors
• Finishing products (sanding tools, paint, finish)

1. Start by buying everything that you will need to begin. The amount of supplies depends on the size and specifications of your boat. Building stores and marine supply shops will have what you need to make the sailing craft.
2. Next, begin working. Start with the hull, and start the hull with its frame. Make a curved hull frame that is keeled at the bottom, and tapers to the front end. The back end may be flat. Then, make two more hull frames from wood that are about two thirds as long as the first, and about one third as wide. These will be the outriggers for the pontoon sailboat.
3. Next, panel the hull and the two pontoon outriggers. Nail flat, treated boards horizontally to the frame, so that all of the space of the hull's frame is covered. There can be no cracks in the boats hull, so use some kind of sealer between boards.
4. Once you have the hull built and the two outriggers made, using boards, make a deck over a wooden frame at the top of the hull. This will be the area from which you control the boat. At the bottom of the hull, make a mount for the mast, and leave a hole through which the mast will be installed in the deck. You can install the mast now if you want, but most indoor building spaces have ceilings that are too low for this.
5. Attach the outriggers. Use either a wooden mount on each side, or a flat metal mount to set these off of each side of the pontoon sailboat's hull. They should be set so that they ride just higher in the water than the main hull, as the hull is heavier, and it will sink lower, allowing the outriggers to rest in the water higher up. Be sure to mount them evenly. It may be a good idea to set the boat in the water to see that your outriggers are mounted to the main hull at the right level.
6. Take the boat outside, and finish it. Make flat wooden tops on each smaller outrigger hull, so that you may step on them while sailing, and install the mast and sailing equipment. Then, sand down the boat, and paint it and cover it in a good waterproof wood finish. Now you may try out your boat.

Learning how to build a pontoon sailboat is not easy. You must know what you are doing, and you also have to understand how such a craft operates to successfully build such a sailboat. Take your time and work carefully, and, if you build it right, you can have a wonderful recreational boat when you are finished.