Aaron Held: Boat Building

Aaron has built two boats, 14' Blue Heron and 9' Silent Dolphin.

Blue Heron (14', 2000-2002):

Following the construction of the nine-foot Silent Dolphin, I was looking for a larger craft that would suit my needs. In the spring of 2000, I decided to build a larger center console style boat, around 14 feet long. Because I wanted a safe hull design, I chose to use the Glen-L designed Powerskiff 14 hull and add modifications to suit my vision.
My re-design of the Powerskiff 14 included modifying the hull for safe ocean use and fitting a comfortable interior layout. Design changes included: raising the freeboard five inches, building in a splash well for the motor, adding a series of reinforcement stiffening stringers and bulkheads to support a floor and add rigidity to the hull as well as adding closed cell floatation foam in all cavities. The interior included a center console housing engine controls, electronics including radios, sonar and GPS, copious storage and a large fuel tank for extended range.

The following links provide a step-by-step, photo-documented and narrated tour of Blue Heron's construction:

July 2000: Initial Layout, cutting plywood, hull assembly
August 2000: Support Cradle Construction
August 2000: Interior stringers, frame
August 2000: Hull flipped, fiberglassed

July 2001: Interior assembly: floor, console, bulkheads
August 2001: Interior/Exterior finishing
August 2001: Trailer Configuration and Loading
August 2001: Systems
August 25, 2001: Launch

June 2002: Mahogany Rub rail installed
June 2003: Mahogany splash guard installed

Silent Dolphin (9' 1994-1995):

Silent Dolphin’s hull was built in the summers of 1994-1995. It was a joint venture between my father and I, after he found small boat designer Kenneth Brown’s plans for a father/son DIY dory. Only nine feet long, Dolphin glides through the water powered by a custom rigged electric motor. She can run for several hours, pollution and noise free, on battery power.
Mr. Brown’s original plans were for a simple rowing dory, but I designed and added a foredeck, dashboard, remote steering and an aft compartment to house equipment such as the onboard battery charger and other electrical components. Dolphin was built using the stitch-n-glue wood and fiberglass construction method.

Please see: http://www.swanrivercustoms.com/