Some people love being out on the water but don’t have the financial wherewithal to purchase their own boat. So, they are forced to rely on a friend who has one. But, there is another option that is not often considered, making one’s own boat. Yup, making one’s own personal real floating machine can be made with parts from a typical hardware store. 

Building a personal boat is a thing?

The idea of building one’s own boat is not new. Boat kits have been available for eons. However, the cost of those kits can also get prohibitively expensive. The complexity of the kit also increases with the size of the vessel to be put together. So, why not create one’s own personal size flotilla? Is that a thing? 

Yes, building a personal size watercraft is a thing. In fact, in a few recent YouTube videos, the channel supergokue1, shows exactly how such boats are made. Interestingly, almost everything needed for the vessels can be purchased at most local hardware stores. 

PVC, foam, a seat, foam glue, plywood, and a trolling motor

Once determining what size PVC is needed, a trip to the hardware store will turn up all the piping for the project. While at the store, picking up some foam sheets and foam glue will be necessary as well for the pontoons. Don’t forget to visit the lawn tractor isle for a replacement tractor seat, or a boating supply store for a swivel unit. Finally, a trolling motor and marine battery are probably the priciest things needed for the project to come together, unless paddling is preferred. Of course, the motor and battery can be picked up on the used market as well to help keep costs down. 

The video below shows what someone with proper planning and those materials can achieve. A floating personal size boat that actually floats is so easy, in fact, that multiple designs of the personal vessel show up on the same YouTube channel. 

Keep safety in mind with all DIY boats

There is a noteworthy caution to make here. Always keep safety in mind when creating a project, whether it is a boat or not. This is especially true for something that floats. That floating ability must not be compromised at all. So, tight seals are important. Also, wear life jackets and bring aboard other emergency equipment, such as a paddle, and something for communication. Ultimately, safety is the liability of the builder of these floating creations. The video creator even emphasizes that the creations are for his own enjoyment and not intended for duplication.

One of the design elements in this particular build is that the pontoons swivel. That’s a nice touch that makes it possible to have the entire contraption fit inside a pickup truck’s bed. So, portability is a definite plus of such a boat build. Also, the design itself seems to be pretty stable, as the captain was seen at one point standing on it. Even with the weight shift, the personal-sized vessel handled it well.

If borrowing a boat every time an itch to get on the water is not feasible, something like this little watercraft might inspire a crafty do-it-yourselfer to scratch that itch. But after seeing how easy a project like this is, the biggest challenge may not be making it float. Instead, the biggest challenge might be deciding what custom design to come up with that will still fit in a pickup, like this one does. Then again, the hardest thing might be waiting until the weather is warm again. Have fun, but be safe.