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We thought it would be helpful to provide you with some of our most frequently asked questions about building a boat as they may be on your mind as well:

How long does it take to build a boat? Of course, this depends on the type of boat as well as the skills of the builder. Most can build a small boat in a few months, working part time. Building a larger one will take more time, but like Glen-L builder Rich in Portland says, “when asked how long I worked on my boat, I reply zero hours–no work, all fun.” Many save about 40% – 50% off the cost of a similar manufactured design by building it themselves. That is, if you can even find one that compares to one you customize for your specific needs. Also, when you build it yourself, you can buy a little at a time and look for bargains along the way.

How much will it cost? Each of the designs in our online Boat Plans Catalog has a link to the bill of materials that lists what you need to build the hull. This is the best place to estimate costs because they’ll vary depending on what materials you choose and where you are building. We’ve been compiling some customer feedback on cost and time to build and you can view that online.

I have never built a boat before, do you think I can do it? I tend to think you can do anything you want if you set your mind to it (at least that’s what my mom always said). Building a boat is like any new undertaking, it will be challenging and there is a lot to learn along the way, but the finished result is well worth it. Persistence is the key.

Have you chosen a design to build yet? We have a specially priced package of our most popular books and DVD. These books unveil the how-to’s of building a plywood boat as well as fiberglassing it when it’s done. The DVD actually shows the fiberglassing of various Glen-L designs, proving once again, that building a boat actually IS within the abilities of the beginning boat builder. Order your Glen-L Boatbuilder Library today.

By the way, have you seen our WebLetter archives? You can read past issues of the monthly Glen-L WebLetter and look up articles by subject…just click on “Index by Subject”–there is tons of great information here.