I've been working on abudget boat for a couple of months now. Bought a very low hours Zenoah 23cc 2 port motor, BH Hansen header, tuned pipe, and muffler for NZD $400.00. I had an old 20 yrs flatbottom hull that was never that great. Usless as soon as it hit any wave. Turned out that it had a few cracks in it. I was going to pull out of the sale so the seller threw in an unused deep V hull of unknown origins.
I had to straighten it out as it was all twisted from not being stored very well. I put a ply laminate edge around the inside to shape it and made a deck to glue down. It didn't come with any deck. I cheated with the deck and got some roofing fibreglass sheet (flat) for $15. Is 0.40 thickness. Araldited the first sheet down, then painted a layer of resin over that and pressed another sheet down.
A light sand and it's ready for painting. Bulkheads made from 1/4 marine ply - offcuts so was cheap. Resin was West Systems that I got from a boatbuilders yard with the ply offcuts rather than a model shop. Much cheaper. I'll try to post some photoes of what I've done.

This is when I was shaping the top and building up a base to glue the deck too.

And with the deck glued down and the engine hole cut out.
I know the 23cc won't make it a rocketship but it will be good to learn to drive with. Can always drop in a 26cc later !! They cost $450 NZD here, the same price as the new Evo RCMK.

Another shot. Since it has been trimmed and sanded.

Need to design a windscreen deflector. Am trying to bend some the 0.40mm fibreglss sheet to make a scale raceboat type screen. In NZ we have formula Honda (150 Honda on 20 ft hulls) so am trying to make it look a little like that. I'll leave the engine exposed.

And while I'm running hot - 10pm NZ time now.
I'll probably use Aeromarine Stinger drive and extended rudder. The local hobbie shop recommends them. Previous comments are correct re putting money away. Put a little away every week. Cut out a few coffees, sell your junk on e-bay and get a few dollars from that.
I'm lucky in that I built a couple of boats 20 years ago, so still remember how to fibreglass etc. If you get it wrong, a dremel or a 100mm grinder are usefull for removing surplus glass. Be carefull with the grinder though!
I still have a jetboat, about 550mm long, powered by an aircooled OS20, no throttle. My father machined up a shrink on water cooled head. The jet unit was made 54 years ago. The OS 20 is very underpowered, goes at a walking pace, but was a great first boat. As it was so light you have to prime the unit by pushing the back of boat nearly under water!!. I'll get it going agian for my wee boy. It may get him interested.

Does anyone have any ideas on a top that I could put on my hull?:dash:

If interested we have local version of e-bay called Trade Me.
Under Radio Control - Boats, there are some new & used hulls for sale.

good luck with the build! Your already well over any of my budgets! Ive built complete boats for less than what you paid for your engine setup! Not really a budget build when you have already spent half a grand and you arent even a quarter through the build!:drinks:

Yes but far cheaper that what I would pay for a complete boat at retail prices. And I get the satisfaction of having built it. The way I see it, if you compare smoking al alcahol prices etc, our sports not that expensive. You can go way over the top and spend 000's or can cheapen it pretty well as much as you like. I plan to build this boat over several months. I have a rudder, stinger unit, and radio gear to buy.
Painting will be cheap, a spray can job can be done well with care.
I have enough glass and resin for another boat so the next one will be cheaper. I think that it's brilliant that you can do a boat so cheap.
I'll certainly be keeping an eye on your postings (have already) to see what I can learn. Things have changed a lot in the 20 years I've been out of boating, and everying is there already made - at a price.

Ozpulse wrote:
Must be gettin some 'good deals' I'm lucky to get a decent hull (in Northern Canada) for under 500.00

310 to 350 for a stock Zenoah after taxes - duty - shipping etc. up here

Food itself costs arm and TWO legs ....lol ya thats over $60.00 for the ham in his hand ...

Randy

Your hulls and hams are rather expensive!! I take it there are advantages to living in such a remote area to offset this? I like Ozpulse's idea of a cheapo boat competition though. It would be quite easy to do a boat cheaply, as you could use any dunger hull, motor, running gear etc.

You should look at High Performance Models in NZ. They only do boat stuff. Cheaper hulls, but probably not the same selection that you have. The Zenoah 260 PUM & RCMK Evo's are NZD $450. They also modify Zenoahs for $200- $300 more depending o what you want to do. I've been told that their Zenoahs are the fastest in NZ, however at this stage I can't afford a new Zenoah or RCMK.
My intention is to do this boat for under $850 NZD and I'm on target for that. I know that it won't be as fancy as some of the chinese made rigs out there, but at least I've made it (apart from the basic hull).