Consultancy for Independent Boat Builders
“Boatbuilding Consultancy”
Building your own boat, on your terms
Whether you’re working from a set of plans in your garage or taking on a more ambitious project, there’s a point in every self-build where an experienced hand makes all the difference — the moment a decision about materials, sequencing, or method could save you weeks of rework, or cost you them. That’s where this consultancy comes in.
Drawing on more than 35 years of experience across both traditional timber boatbuilding and modern composite construction — including a genuine working knowledge of how to blend the two rather than simply choosing one — I offer hands-on, on-site consultancy to individuals and small yards undertaking independent boat construction. This might mean a build from purchased plans, or one carried out in clearly defined stages with support brought in only where it’s needed. No job is too small to ask about, and no build is too ambitious to talk through.
How I can help
- Plans to reality — Guidance from the moment you choose or draw up plans, covering material selection, method, and build sequencing before you make the first cut. Getting this stage right sets the tone for everything that follows, and it’s often where self-builders most value a second opinion.
- Hull, or hull and deck, construction — I can build the hull alone, or the hull and deck together, then hand the vessel over for you to complete the fit-out yourself. This suits builders who want the structural work done to a professional standard but are keen to do the finishing themselves.
- Partial fit-out — Support with specific stages of the build: systems installation, joinery, laminating, or fairing — whichever part of the process you’d rather not tackle alone, or simply haven’t got the tools or experience for yet.
- Full fit-out — Where the project calls for it, I can carry a build all the way through to a launch-ready condition, giving you a finished, seaworthy result without having to manage every stage yourself.
- On-site support — Wherever practicable, I come to your build location rather than requiring the vessel to be transported to me, minimising disruption to your project and your timeline.
- Advice on mixed construction — Guidance on where traditional timber methods and modern composite techniques can be combined to best effect, weighing up the demands of your particular design against your budget.
A consultancy shaped around your build
Every self-build is different, and the right level of support varies enormously from one project to the next. My involvement is tailored accordingly — from a single site visit to review progress and flag anything worth addressing, to ongoing supervision through a defined stage of construction, to sustained, hands-on collaboration throughout the whole build.
If you’re not yet sure what kind of help you need, that’s a perfectly good place to start. I welcome enquiries from prospective clients at any stage of planning — including those who haven’t yet finalised their requirements, or are still weighing up plans and materials.