There are a few different methods that can be used to build a ship. It has Carvel Planking, Lapstrake Planking, Strip Planking, and Stitch & Glue. You’ll find the basics of each below.

With Carvel Planking, the planks are supported by each other in a frame. First, you create the frame. Then connect the adjoining planks to the frame with nails or screws. Then you need to caulk a bit to seal the seams so that no water gets in.

Lapstrake Planking is comparable to Carvel in that it is mounted on a frame. However, the planks overlap each other instead of sitting edge to edge. They are attached to the frame with rivets and glue and usually do not need to be caulked due to the planks being so tight to each other. The maintenance of this type of wooden boats is more complex than that of others due to the overlapping assembly.

Strip Planking is very similar to Carvel Planking, apart from the narrower strips of wood that are used as an alternative to large planks. This style of wooden boat can be attached with epoxy or nails.

Stitch & Glue is probably the easiest technique to build a wooden boat. This is the recommended method for someone building a ship for the first time. With this method, you use marine grade plywood to cut out the different sections of the boat following the instructions found on your boat plans. Then, drill holes in the edges of your pieces that will be attached to another section of plywood and line up the holes. The pieces are held together by inserting plastic wire ties or pieces of metal wire through the holes. Then fill the joints with epoxy to hold them together. When completely dry, remove the cable ties and fill the holes with epoxy. This method can be used to build a flat bottom boat, a “V” bottom boat, or a multi-bilge bottom boat which is a more curved hull. This type of construction is extremely easy to fix because you can patch up a fresh section of plywood and be back in the lake pretty quickly.

The Stitch & Glue method involves less material and doesn’t require an underlying frame or a garage full of tools to end up with a stunning wooden boat that’s easy on the eyes. That is why it is the simplest, the cheapest and the least time consuming of all the methods of building wooden boats.