Projects
Minimax motorboat build
I built this boat in my garage in July 2021 with basic tools and materials mostly purchased from a local building supply store.
It worked great with the little 2.5HP motor I use with my sailboats (see photo below). I can't believe how stable it is, and how light it is. It is very easy to lift on to the top of my car with two adults.
In the photo above, I was experimenting with my 15HP fuel injected outboard. The boat just barely supported the weight of that motor, fuel, me, and my son. It was actually scary fast. So fast I did not trust myself to even try to measure the speed with my phone. If you try this, make sure you bolt the motor to your boat. I did not do this, and long story short - the motor flew off the boat and sank. Luckily for me, I was able to scuba dive within a week and recover the motor - which has been running fine ever since.
Cost CA$500 + tax
The cost for the complete boat build was about $500 Canadian dollars + tax (obviously this does not include a motor).
- plans $40
- lumber $200
- hardware $110
- epoxy $100
- paint & primer $50
Design
I used the original 8-foot Minimax design for my boat, and I followed them almost exactly. I estimate that it took me about 26 hours to finish the build.
The design is really efficient since it uses only two 4x8 sheets of plywood and some additional smaller lumber.
I purchased the full sized plans from Muskoka Sea Flea:
Purchase page for full size plans
Free plans are also available:
8-foot minimax free plans (pdf)
Photos
Here are some photos that I took of the build:
