I recently have gotten interested in the F-16 class and was thinking about how I would love to build one.

I understand that this is a huge undertaking! I also know that it really won't save me much money when compared to just buying one but the drive to sail something that I built makes me want to try it.

I know that there are some people on here that have homebuilt, most of the homebuilt boats are ply correct? What I was most interested in was the guy who was building a fiberglass foam laminate boat. I have experience with fiberglass and feel that I could get the best results with it.

So is this do able? I will have alot of time over that summer and since I have recently decided to take some time off from school I should have about a year and a half of just working when I could spend my free building this boat?

It sounds like you have developed an interest for the journey (i.e. the build process itself), so I think that you should be fine <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />. Only problem with foam building is that as far as I know there are no pre made plans available, with plywood you could choose between Blade, Taipan or even Mosquito.

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Valtteri

go here and have a look www.formula16.org decide on the design that you like and get stuck into it.Also where are you from as there might be people in your area that can help.

I have looked around the website alot, that was when I really got inspired to get into the class when I realized that a homebuild could compete with factory boats.

Valtteri said something about there being no design for a fiberglass boat. Could I use a CAD program to shape hulls like a known design and then build them. Basically it would be a one-off homebuild boat.

Before anyone flames me over the idea of designing hulls, I would not be coming up with a brand new design, just basing them off something previously built and then building them out of fiberglass. Also I have built a small fiberglass dinghy that I used to float around my pond on so I know how to work fiberglass.

Go for it.

Your only limited by your imagination.

(and possibly your budget.)

I saw some photos on here recently of a foam F16 being built and it’s very impressive.

You never know, you might just design and build a winner.

TJ

The odds for building a winner is low, but the odds for building a mediocre boat in the first try is pretty high. Sorry for being negative, but I believe it is very true. Getting a well proportioned hull dont just happen, it takes a lot of work and study. E.g. how will you meet the minimum weight while making sure the boat is stiff and durable?

If you want to build a proven design like the Taipan or the Blade, why not get in touch with the designers and ask them what they think about a homebuilding foam project?
Building in foam is not harder than ply, I think (I have never buildt a hull in foam, but I have done some repairs and other foam projects). But the materials are expensive, or at least I think so. I would definately have done a cost estimate by looking at the online store here and e.g. raka.com for epoxy/glass. When you think your cost estimate is pretty complete, multiply by a factor of 2, or even better, Pi. Then you have the probable cost for a finished boat.
Do you have a place to work and store your materials+results? Is the place insured, and will your work be insured?
If your not finished by the time winter comes, will the workshop be heated and warmer than 15degC?
Do you really want to mess around with glass, foam and glue, or do you want to sail an F-16?
Do you have family/friends/significant others who might have problems with you spending a lot of time on a boatbuilding project?

Sorry for coming down hard on you, but these are questions you should ask yourself before starting. It is all with the best of intentions. I have done a few projects and in my experience you need positive answers to these questions before you consider building. As a first time builder, I would definately have bought a set of plans. There are so many structural issues and clever things you pick up with experience that the plans will definately be worth it.

If you do decide to build, it have some significant rewards. Personally, I prefer working with wood a lot more than foam/glass, but foam/glass might be significantly faster and have a higher resale value. Good luck with your decision making!

I have asked many of the questions that you are asking me and think I understand what I am getting into. I do not expect the boat to be the best of the F16's but I would like to build something better than average.

I am much more interested in the idea of sailing something of my own design and built by me than winning every race. And like I said I am not going to stray to far from what you see in most catamarans in the hulls and the rig will hopefully be a carbon fiber rig with F16 sails.

Keep the advice coming please!

If I was to build a boat again, I would probably supply the MDF mould (or design) to a professional fibreglass builder and ask them to build the hulls and I would finish them off and fit them out. They've got the tools, experience and time. It's a compromise between saving costs, saving time, and doing the job properly. It will cost more than building yourself, but you can be fairly sure the finished product will be good, and it will cost less than buying off the shelf.

I have a lot of experience with designing and building boats, I'm a practising engineer in naval architecture so I know something about designing boats. If you know nothing about hydrostatics, performing weight estimates, fibreglass structures, etc, you probably shouldn't consider designing and building such a big, highly loaded boat first time. I've previously built a moth with some friends and it was similar to this build, but also completely different because of using different materials and the small increase in vessel size has big implications for the logistics of building. For certain tasks, I don't think I could've done them myself. At some stages we had 4-5 ppl working on the boat at the same time (mixing resin, applying resin and glass, applying peel ply), Yes, I have a lot of ppl to take for a ride when it's finished! Just moving a hull around is a two person task.

The 12 foot skiffs often use this techique, buy a proven hull and deck off a professional builder and finish it off yourself. The sense of achievement will not be far off building completely yourself, and you will be thankful that you did not do the whole thing, especially if you are relatively inexperienced with composite construction.

I had not thought of that idea, like I said I do have some experience with fiberglass. I built a small fishing dinghy that is still floating after five years. Granted it was under very little stress other than the transom which I could put an 8hp motor on and it never had a problem.

I am really interested in building the hulls. I am still in the planning process and haven't made up my mind for sure yet. I do have multiple people that will happily help me with the boat if I need them to.

Gree2056,
Where are you located?

Regards,
Phill

I am a long ways from you Phil, I am in Norman Oklahoma right in the middle of the US. I don't think there are any other F16's nearby. But I am hoping that if I start maybe some other people in this area will get into the idea.

If you start and people witness how versatile the class is
I expect some will join in.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Regards,
Phill

As I think more and more about this I become more and more excited about it.
In a couple of weeks I will be out of school and can start devoting some serious time to this.

In Reply to Ncik comments about moulds constructed in MDF. Unless the temperature where you live is reasonable steady, dont even contemplate using MDF for any kind of materials for the use of plugs for hull manufacture.

We have just been thru a very testing & frustrating period becuase we underestimated the amount of movement that occurs in MDF thru temperature change. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

What is MDF? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Medium Density Fibreboard

I have been looking at some pictures of F16's and am noticing that some of the daggerboards are not very long compared to their width? Why is this? Easier to build or use?

see THIS thread

Thanks, I am just asking because i am messing around with designing a boat and was just thinking that it seemed odd when the F18's are going for very long high aspect ratio boards.

Guys,

Were are overlooking the Stealth F16's (that do have high aspect boards for a long time now) and the fact that the new Vectorworks Marine Blade F16's also have high aspect boards now.

These are still not as long and skinny as the F18 boards, nor do I think we want that, but they do have an aspect ratio of 4 now which used to be 2 in the past.

Still I haven't found the lower aspect boards to be signifinant worse (or better) then the high aspect ones yet. The low aspect boards are surprisingly well suited to the F16's. Still I expect in time for the high aspect ones to get a little ahead.

If you look at the Alter Cup 2007 pictures then you'll see the new daggerboard design on the blades.

Wouter