BOURNES WAY!

Trudy

2199-12-30T21:44:00.001+11:00

Trudy was my first build and is now going strong at 30 years old. She has crossed Bass Strait 8 times, including one memorable occasion when returning home from Wynyard she self steered for 27 hours with the tiller lashed and no one in the cockpit.( Too Wet, ) She had sailed 10 miles off the rum line to windward, and headed for the western entrance instead of Cape Woolamai.

Trudy

2199-12-29T21:46:00.000+11:00

She is a comforatble four birth boat that is simple to sail alone or with a small group.

La Cage

2199-12-28T07:25:00.000+11:00

'La Cage' . She is my second self built yacht which is a 40 foot vessel and has been on the water in constant use for over 5 years.

A fine example of a complete vessel designed and built using the method to be documented right here.

Cross Section of 19 Foot Container Boat

2011-09-06T17:09:00.002+10:00

The dotted line shows the original Dorey Shape. This would have needed heavy ballasting, which I did not want if I needed to tow the boat with a trailer. I have added an extra chine for form stability. The drawing also shows a detatchable keel, to allow the boat to carry sail.

Profile of 32 foot cruising Boat

2011-09-05T16:47:00.003+10:00

Drawing of 32 footer with fixed keel. The comission is for a centre-board version. I personally dont like things that move.

More chines added to building jig

2011-09-02T15:43:00.002+10:00

This model is 2 inches to the foot and shows how easy it is to add extra chines allowing the builder to create an instant shape.

Adding chine bars or pipe to building jig

2011-09-01T14:27:00.003+10:00

Chines being added to building jig using hurdles at widest beam and stern and bow rake.

Building Jig for 32 foot Cruising Yacht

2011-09-01T13:49:00.003+10:00

Model of simple building jig for 32 foot centre-board cruising yacht

New commission for 32 foot cruising yacht, starting with a simple building jig, will be added in amongst the existing build feature.

Additional Chine

2011-05-24T06:30:00.004+10:00

An extra chine has been added to the edge here to increase form stability. I have used the lightest mesh they make and there will be huge added buoyancy with the extra foam!

Additional Chine

2011-05-24T06:28:00.001+10:00

Mesh built up as part of the cockpit housing

Shelving Installed

2011-05-24T06:27:00.001+10:00

Easy to set up interior shelving units as you go, no need for complex cuts again, just slot and offcuts into the mesh!

2011-05-24T06:26:00.000+10:00

Some extra sections built into the interior

Start of Cockpit

2011-05-24T06:21:00.001+10:00

Back on the cruiser build, this is the beginnings of the cockpit taking shape, no hard work in this just built as required in situ

Video Footage of the Build

2010-11-26T23:21:00.003+11:00

2009-05-16T23:07:00.002+10:00

Here we can see the head liner in the wheel house being glued in and other ply panels progressing. Only seven Hours for carpet and ply so far. It is as close as you will get to instant boat building.

2009-05-16T23:06:00.001+10:00

Here we can see the front window area in front of wheel house where the mesh has been left out. Small drill holes mark the corners. These are taped over from the inside to stop foam from penetrating. When the area is later foamed and fibre-glassed the window area can be cut out.

2009-05-16T23:05:00.001+10:00

The merbiu hatchway. This will be covered with thin ply flush with the top, so that after foaming and sanding the area will be completely fibre-glassed over before the the aperture is cut out.

2009-05-16T23:04:00.001+10:00

Showing the starboard side ready to take last piece of carpet. It is hard to believe how quick this is coming together!

2009-05-16T23:02:00.001+10:00

Some 3mm ply attached to inside of wheel house

2009-05-16T23:01:00.001+10:00

This picture shows the carpet glued and tacked to head liner battens. When glue is dried the hatchway hole was cut out with a Stanley knife. Props helping to hold carpet. Carpet was cut to align with battens. These can be moved slightly which is convenient.

2009-01-03T00:04:00.003+11:00

I have been doing a couple of hours each day. Its fantastic to work on. Being a smaller boat I don't even have to climb inside to measure something.

I can actually install some of the wood work from outside the boat. It really is like having an invisible hull.

I am forever putting my hands through the mesh to grab a tool that's left in the boat. To give you an idea of time to build a boat like this in ply. A Hartley 16 foot trailer sailor takes 1200 hrs work. ( A small house only takes 1500hrs.)

I have done 30 hrs on the interior so far and should have it done in another 30hrs.That will be 80hrs all up ready for spraying with foam. We can safely assume 100hrs to get to this stage.

I think I could finish the sanding and fibreglassing in another 100hrs. Even if the boat took 300hrs its a quarter of the time over traditional building methods!

The interior volume of this boat is quite generous. It will have a good size double bunk, and standing head room in the small wheel house.I am keeping the fittout simple ,with lots of storage under settee height.

I will use a portable camp stove and water will be in 10liter containers. The cockpit will be all fibreglassed up with the seats folding up. This area will have an awning for wet weather and be inclosed for somewhere to wash/ cook /clean up etc. With a 10 horse power 4 stroke outboard it would be quite economical to motor through the canals of Europe for example.

This boat is also being built to take a shallow extension to the keel, ballasted to convert the boat into a yacht. With a 20 foot mast. and a 3 foot bow sprit she will carry 200square foot of sail. Stay tuned for full details.

2009-01-03T00:00:00.004+11:00

Now the weather has turned good again I have been busy with the fitting out of the interior. I hope to get some steady progress at least until the interior is finished. The framing up to settee height is made up of 75mm X 50mm pine, and 12mm CD pine plywood. Both from the local hardware. This timber is being primed and sealed with Dulux house paint. The backs of the cupboards will be lined with canvas which will be glued to batons affixed to the inner part of the steel mesh.

2008-06-11T07:59:00.001+10:00

So far only 45 hours building time. This is being completed over a longer period of time as I can only commit a certain amount of time to this project due to other commitments. Stay tuned.

2008-06-11T07:56:00.001+10:00

This is showing the first module in place at bunk height. A lot of the fittout will be able to be built outside the boat, and simply slotted into place.

2008-06-11T07:51:00.000+10:00

This picture shows the keelson welded on and steel work to take the floor creating a flat plane to work from.

2008-05-15T05:29:00.001+10:00

The outer shell is complete, only 20 building hours to get to this stage. This method of construction can revolutionize boat building. The I-beams created are enormously strong, and total strength is possible in the skeleton. The time and money saved using this process are huge.

2008-05-15T05:11:00.002+10:00

Here you can see a close up of the sandwich construction, build moves quickly using this method.

2008-05-15T05:09:00.000+10:00

Once the outer skin is complete you can repeat the shape on the inside creating a sandwhich mesh that is incredibly strong.

2008-05-15T04:58:00.003+10:00

The hull taking shape, the steel sandwich construction is very easy to replicate for any self buider with minimum welding capabilities. Create a single 'skin' mesh of the hull shape. All dimensions available from Bourne Boats.

Container motor boat 19 foot

2008-05-06T02:56:00.001+10:00

Another Angle of the basic frame structure. As you can se it is very simple to get the boat shape formed using this method.

2008-05-06T02:55:00.000+10:00

Here we are looking at the gunnels being shaped and the rake of the bow set up using star posts. For setting up in all conditions drawings of a simple jig is supplied with the drawings.

Getting Started

2008-05-06T02:46:00.001+10:00

The very start of the construction using two pieces of angle iron, which are levelled length-ways and across forming a simple strong-back. This method of construction eliminates the need for conventional frames and the shape is achieved within minutes. The two base pipes are set in place, and using the dimension supplied with the plans the base shape is instantly formed.

Building a Boat Using the Bourne Method

1999-12-31T07:20:00.000+11:00

The purpose of this blog site is to take a look at my alternative method of boat design and building that I have used to produce both a 27 and a 40 foot yacht. These boats have been tested over a thirty year period and are both still in constant use.

This blog will be charting the complete build of a brand new boat using the tried and tested Bourne method.

The boat to be fully documented here is going to be a 19' motor vessel small enough to be containered anywhere in the world. The idea here is to give you the reader a full description of the ease with which you can produce a simple steel frame.The next step is to do the fit out, which becomes the easiest part of the build due to not having to conform with the outer mesh steel skeleton. With the interior complete, wired and plumbed expanded eurathane foam can be spayed from the outside on to the back of the interior expanding out through the mesh. The excess foam is sanded back to steel mesh, leaving the boat ready for Fibre-glassing. A vast variety of vessels can be built this way. This is the secret to the Bourne Method of Boat Building.

Add this to your favorites and visit often for the latest updates on my new vessel.

For further information you can contact me through the comments section of the blog or email Peter Bourne at;

bourneboats@gmail.com

And remember as this is a blog that after the fully built boat pictures the posts will appear most recent first so for the starting shots of the build you will have to use the archive list on the right to start at the beginning. Thanks and enjoy reading.Iam also including pictures of a 32 foot cruising Yacht I have been comissioned to design. The new build will be having a swing centre-board. I have included a profile drawing with a fixed keel.