The Building of Ngaire

 

Welcome: 

these pages will document the building of "NGAIRE" a 8.2m canal/river boat designed by Michael Storer  called "Venezia" Michael is a great Australian designer of Wooden and Plywood boats ideal for the amateur builder and seem to be of simple construction.

If you really need a reason why "to build a boat " here's mine: I live less than a 100 metres from the Gippsland Lakes one of Australia's most beautiful waterways, from my front porch I can watch the boats sail past, do I need to explain anymore ..... I could list more but that would be boring .... your here to watch a boat being built - be warned it will take a while.

Please have a look around if you have any questions just ask, and if I can I will try and answer you or point you in the right direction..

Cheers
by the way all external links on this site will open in a new window. 

The Boat: and why we chose it:

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We had some simple requirements:
  • had to look good
  • cheap to build
  • cheap to run
  • comfortable for 2 people
  • and trailerable

all these requirements plus many more where more than covered by the "Venezia".

Some Facts:

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The Boat shown in the image is not the "Venezia" but her baby sister a Dayboat Launch also designed by Michael she is 23 feet long.

Now some basic facts about the "Venezia"
  • Length - 26ft 10" (8.2m)
  • Beam - 6ft 8" (2.05m)
  • Hull Weight (approx)  - 850lbs (400kg) - Gaboon (Okoume) Ply
  • Displacement (people and some equipment approx) - 1600lbs (720kg)
  • Power - shortshaft high thrust 4-stroke outboard 10-15hp

From Michael Storer's site:
  • Simple to Build
  • Economical Performance - Good speed with small outboards
  • Light enough to be trailered
  • Easy building method
  • Flexible Interior

The building method: most words borrowed from Michael Storer Boat Plans

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  • The building of "Ngaire" is by a prefabrication method where the sides and bottom of the boat are built first along with the bulkheads.
  • The bottom is fully fabricated right through to being finished on the outside with the skeg and bottom runners fitted, fibreglassing and right through to painting.
  • It is then turned upright and propped into the required curve and the rest of the boat built on top of it.
  • This building method means that there is no requirement for a strongback frame to build the boat over and doesn't require that the whole boat be turned over at any stage.

A lot of thought: before we decided on which boat

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Hours upon hours of scouring the internet for just the right boat, and it was right on my door step, it just goes to show that Australia really does do well in most areas except Rugby Union "go the Blacks"  ha ha.

But seriously, I really did spend a lot of time looking at plans and reading a lot relevant and some not so relevant information, and in the end all that happened was confusion, and then I read somewhere to list your requirements and go from there with your decision .

This is part of our list: had to look good, cheap to build, cheap to run, comfortable for 2 people, and trailerable, shallow draft, room for 2 peoples important stuff, reasonable range, toilet, shower, easy to maneuver, outdoor area, considerate of the environment ie: low wake, not noisy - we could I believe convert the "Venezia" to solar powered much like the Mundoo2 (pictured).

My advice is simple: take your time, it pays off......