Ideas Factory/ the foundry

29 on the go · 3 materials
nothing here is finished

Alba cruising on a wide English river at golden hour, three-quarter side view from astern, with a church tower, houses and trees on the bank and the sun low on the left. A gloss deep navy-teal hull with a sand-gold line along the sheer and a second gold line low on the hull, a crease rising towards the stern, and two long dark window slots in the hull side. A pale cream superstructure with a dark window band runs aft into a slim hardtop over the aft deck, where a wooden deco wheel stands at the helm and sand leather seating wraps a teak table. A red ensign flies at the stern and ALBA is lettered in gold on the transom above a teak platform. Off brief: the stern is an upright, squared transom carrying the name rather than a rounded sculpted tail, the superstructure starts behind a long flat foredeck and a raked windscreen rather than low with a softly rounded nose, and a radar dome sits on the roof.

← the floorAlba/parts·if / 067

How to build it

The same ply, epoxy and glass method as Notte Blu, with a separate superstructure: 21 steps, 8,000 to 12,000 hours, and about £170,000 to £335,000.

The card

parts 05 of 06

How to build it

parts 05 of 06idea_067

The notes

rendered

Same method as Notte Blu: plywood frames on a strongback, timber stringers, marine ply skins in epoxy, glass sheathed. The superstructure is built as a separate ply and epoxy structure on the finished deck. Alba is larger and has far more interior, so expect roughly 8,000 to 12,000 hours for one person, about 5 to 7 years part time. All hours and costs are approximate.

before you start

  • Commission a naval architect for full plans, scantlings and stability. A sea-going cruiser carries more weight high up than a speedboat, so stability checks matter more. Budget £8,000 to £18,000.
  • Same UK rule as Notte Blu: the Recreational Craft Regulations exempt boats built by their future user, provided you don't sell within 5 years.
  • Workshop of at least 16 m x 7 m with 5 m headroom, heated to 15 °C or more.

step by step

  1. Plans and lofting (about 200 h). Final plans, full-size frame drawings or CNC-cut frame kits.
  2. Strongback (about 80 h). Level, rigid base the full length.
  3. Frames, stem and tail formers (about 400 h). Cut frames from 18 mm ply, laminate the stem and sculpted tail formers, set up upside down.
  4. Keel, chines, stringers, engine bearers (about 500 h). Glue and fasten with thickened epoxy.
  5. Fair the framework (about 250 h).
  6. Bottom planking (about 450 h). Two layers of 12 mm ply.
  7. Topside planking (about 350 h). 9 to 12 mm ply, forming the crease.
  8. Glass sheathing (about 300 h).
  9. Fair and prime (about 500 h).
  10. Roll the hull (about 30 h, plus helpers and lifting gear).
  11. Bulkheads, floors and tank bays (about 600 h). Two levels: lower deck floor and saloon floor.
  12. Coat the inside (about 200 h).
  13. Tanks, engines, running gear, hybrid units (about 600 h).
  14. Deck beams and deck (about 500 h).
  15. Superstructure and hardtop (about 900 h). Saloon sides, curved roof on laminated beams, hardtop and pillars, window openings.
  16. Glazing (about 150 h). Saloon windows and hull slots, bonded in.
  17. Systems (about 1,200 h). Wiring, batteries, hybrid controls, steering, fuel, two bathrooms, galley, heating, ventilation, bow thruster.
  18. Paint (about 450 h). Ideally sprayed professionally.
  19. Interior fit-out (about 1,800 h). Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, saloon, galley, pale oak and upholstered panels.
  20. Deck fit-out (about 300 h). Helm, seating, platform, cleats, lights.
  21. Launch, sea trials, survey (about 80 h).

materials and rough costs

Item Quantity (approx.) Cost (approx., inc VAT)
Naval architect plans 1 set £8,000 to £18,000
Marine ply, BS1088 about 120 sheets £8,000 to £14,000
Timber for keel, stringers, frames Douglas fir or larch £5,000 to £8,000
Epoxy resin and hardener about 500 kg £7,500 to £9,000
Glass cloth and fairing compounds about 150 m² cloth £3,000 to £4,500
Paint system primer, topcoat, antifoul £5,000 to £9,000
Twin D4-300 with V-drives 2 about £70,000 to £100,000
Shafts, props, rudders, steering, bow thruster 1 set £15,000 to £22,000
Tanks, plumbing, electrics, electronics 1 set £20,000 to £30,000
Interior: 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, galley, saloon 1 set £20,000 to £35,000
Deck hardware, hardtop, glazing, platform 1 set £10,000 to £16,000
Total, twin diesel about £170,000 to £265,000
Hybrid system (extra) 2 motors, batteries, controls about £40,000 to £70,000
Total, hybrid about £210,000 to £335,000

Engine and hybrid prices are not published, so those figures are rough estimates; get supplier quotes. Ply and epoxy are scaled from the prices used for Notte Blu.

The drawings

2 sheets
Framing layout in side elevation and plan from below, bow on the left. Ply frames along the length, bulkheads between the cabins and in front of the engine room, stringers running fore and aft, a laminated keel and chines, and a pair of engine bearers under each engine aft.
01 · Framing layout in side elevation and plan from below
The build in four stages. 1, frames upside down on the strongback, steps 1 to 3. 2, keel, chines, stringers and engine bearers fitted, steps 4 and 5. 3, planked, glassed, faired and primed, steps 6 to 9. 4, rolled over, decked, with the pale superstructure and hardtop on, and painted in navy with the sand-gold line, steps 10 to 18.
02 · The build in four stages