Making My First Model Yacht !

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Almost any kid can spend an afternoon fishing with a homemade pole on the banks of a river, or building dams, bridges and pools. It only takes a little bit of imagination to create a small raft to float in your backyard streams.
With some parental guidance and a chunk of balsa wood you can create a genuine craft to navigate that brook that will last for years to come. Follow this step-by-step guide and build your own floating masterpiece.



DIRECTIONS

The Keel and Hull:


1. Draw an outline for your boat on the 7-inch balsa block. Mark the boat's top edge on the 2-inch-wide surface.

2. For the hull, carve away the wood around the outline. Continue downward, tapering the sides of the boat so they meet to form a rounded ridge along its bottom.



3. Use a scoop blade (adults only) to hollow out the hull. Leave a 1/4-inch thickness around the sides and 3/4-inch along the bottom.

4. Carve a lengthwise groove (1/4 inch deep, 1/8 inch wide, and 3 3/4 inches long) along the middle of the boat's bottom.


5. For the keel, cut a 1 3/4- by 3 3/4-inch rectangle from the sheet of balsa.

6. Make a diagonal cut along one short side of the rectangle; the resulting tip should face forward when you join the keel to the boat.

7. Affix fishing weights with Krazy Glue along the bottom of the keel. Coat the groove with glue before sliding the keel in place.

8. Inside the hull, drill a 3/16-inch-diameter hole, 1/4 inch deep and 2 1/2 inches from the bow. Cut a 7 1/4-inch mast from the dowel.

TIP: Since the thinness of balsa wood can be challenging to work with, use a gentle hand when cutting and shaping.

The Boom and Sail:

Your child can personalize his boat by choosing the material for the sail, or by painting the canvas with fabric paint.

1. For the boom, cut a 1/4- by 5 1/2-inch strip from the sheet of balsa.

2. Glue on the boom at a right angle, 1 inch up from the bottom of the mast.



3. For a sail, cut a right triangle from the cloth that measures 5 1/2 inches wide and 6 1/2 inches tall.

4. Sand and paint the boat parts before affixing the sail. Put a few drops of glue in the drill hole, then insert the mast.

5. Spray the finished boat with a silicone sealant.

Voila!...