Catamaran & Small Boat Building

 

Welcome

to my website. Here you’ll find photos, stories and information on building boats large and small, with tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way. I built this website originally to accompany my YouTube channel. The blog section has information on various topics.

 

Tokyo Express

A 12m cruiser/racer catamaran – 2 yrs & 9 mths to build – launched 15th August 1997. Details of the build.

Small boats

Small boats you can build in your garage.  A good family project and a way to get a taste of boat building. See how they were built.

Plans

Plans to build your own boat. Packed with information for the first time builder. Start building your boat now.

Where to start

Building your own boat and sailing off over the horizon, is a dream that lives inside many. Well at least that’s the impression I get from the many people I met while building Tokyo Express (TE) and the feedback now from the videos on YouTube.  After years of dreaming, at 39 years of age I finally turned that dream into reality with the launching of Tokyo Express. This website is about my journey.

You don’t need expensive kits

or exotic materials to build a boat. You don’t need expensive tools or a degree in engineering either. I fabricated most of the parts and systems on Tokyo Express (TE) from scratch. Steering system, steering wheel, doors, hatches, fore beam, catwalk, daggerboard, rudders, engine mounting, generator, electrical system and plumbing.

Even the mast I bought as a kit. I had more time than money so I built everything I could. There were no exotic materials used and yet I ended up with a robust, lightweight and extremely competitive boat that was lighter than a typical production boat.

If I hadn’t been designing and redesigning many parts of the boat, learning for the first time how to do things and building a shed, the boat would have been finished a lot quicker.

On the Tokyo Express page

page you will find an overview of the steps I took building TE. If you are thinking of starting a similar project, this is a good place to start. It was a lot of work, but it was also the most rewarding project I have undertaken. It was well worth the sweat and tears. Please look around. Email me if you have questions…

Recent Posts

Catamaran vs Monohull

Catamaran vs Monohull

Catamaran vs Monohull If you are thinking of building or buying a yacht, you have a significant choice to make, before you even start looking at individual boats. Do you want one hull or two? Deciding between a catamaran and a monohull is a big decision and one worth...

Going fast – in small boats – hull speed.

Going fast – in small boats – hull speed.

Going fast - in small boats (with a small motor) This article looks at how to go fast, in a boat with a small motor. Plodding along at snail’s pace can get a little boring. No matter how relaxed I am and how much time I have nothing puts a smile on my face quicker...

Tim Weston Boats

2022©timwestonboats.com