Finding plans for your craft is at the ends of your fingertips. There are several Web sites that offer detailed plans for all kinds of water craft. There are also several books available on the subject.
One Web site that offers DIY house boat plans is ClarkCraft.com. This company offers plans for three models of house boats - the Haven Trailerable, the Haven 26, and the Rivermaid. The Trailerable plans are for an 18’, a 20’, and a 22’ house boat that is made of plywood, fiberglass or steel. This model has a 13’5” four berth living area with 4’ of headroom when you are sitting aft and 6’ of headroom when you are amidships. It has a forward 7’x3’ wheelhouse that can seat four people. It has a 7.5’ sundeck and a hinged sideboard that gives you the ability to walk around the hull. The plywood plans and patterns for the Haven Trailerable cost $108, the steel plans and patterns cost $117, and the fiberglass plans and patterns are $108. The company also offers study prints for $20.00 and a bronze fastening kit for $79.00.
The Haven 26 plans are for a 26’ wooden house boat that has an 8’ beam. There are two versions of the plans for this model available. One version has forward steering while the other version has steering aft. This house boat has a stateroom that has a double berth as well as two settee berths that can be used as uppers or pullman-style. It also has a lounge area and a stowage area. There is a galley and a toilet compartment that is equipped with a shower. Extra living space can also be converted on the sundeck by simply dropping the side curtains. The plans and patterns for this elaborate house boat cost $135. There are also $20 study guides available with this model.
The Rivermaid plans are for a 30’ or 40’ houseboat that has 6’6” of headroom throughout the entire living area. This model has two spacious cabins that can sleep four people while two more can sleep on the dinette style berth. Another person can sleep on the settee forward. Four or five more people could sleep on the foredeck if you decide to incorporate an awning into your design. In reality, this houseboat has the potential to sleep twelve people. This large houseboat can be constructed of plywood, fiberglass, aluminum, or steel. In both the plywood and steel versions, the hull is connected to a steel framed structure. The plans for both models of these large boats cost $225 and the study guide is $25.
Motherearthnews.com is another Website that has DIY houseboat plan-sized guides available. For just $30, you can download a PDF study guide to help you build your own houseboat. eBay also have some house boat plans available, although it is hard to say how good they are. Amazon.com also has several books available that may aid you in your building project.
Building your own house boat requires a good set of DIY house boat plans. By taking the time to search either on the Internet or at the book store, you should be able to find plans that are the most user-friendly for you. |