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What size workshop is needed?

  • CW

    Hi, I've been waiting a long time to get to the position where I can start, I have some questions I'm hoping people on here can help me with before I do.

    1) I recently retired and have built a workshop in my back garden, it's 20 foot by 10 foot will this be large enough to build the sailing row cruiser?
    2) I want to make life simple and get pre cut panels if I can. Do the DXF files produce parts with puzzle joints? (I'm assuming there panels dont use butt joints and are normally scarfed)?
    3) I have the masts and sails from a small fleet of Laser fun boats. These were designed for roller reefing and are 4.8 m square in size. I'm presuming these will be suitable - am I wrong?
     
     
     
  • Tony Farrell

    Hello Colin,

    I built the Explorer type boat, not the Sailing Row Cruser, so my experience is not right on the nose.

    A1) Workshop size -

    For the length - I recommend the length of the hull plus 2 meters

    For the width - I recommend four times the width (actually four times the width of the saw horses on which the hull will be built)

    Caution 1: this does not include material stoarage.   

    Caution 2: this does not include a space in which to twirl around while carrying a sheet of 8'x4' ply. If you get all your pieces CNC cut you wont have to twirl much and you'll need less space.

    Caution 3: this does not include the space needed to construct and store the ama(x2).

     

    A2) -  As far as I know the DXF files produce parts with finger joints on the hull planks, butt joints on the deck panels. 

     

    FYI - I cut all my pieces by hand from 8'x4' sheets of 5.5mm ply and it was all managable. 

    FYI - all my joints are butt joints, I followed the build instructions, no issues at all.

     

    Thats all I got for you Colin.

    Happy retirement and happy building,

    Tony

     
  • CW

    Sounds like 20 foot is going to be awfully tight.
    I've been considering a whole range of other boats I could build but I keep coming back to the Sailing Row Cruiser. I hadn't really considered CNC parts as an antidote to limited space so your reply has been very useful. I'll find somewhere to get the parts cut with cnc and just take my time and muddle on through.
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