Building Tokyo Express: Turning a dream into reality. The building of a 40ft catamaran.

Building a home on the water

It took 3 years and $70,000 to turn a pile of wood, fibreglass and epoxy resin, into a boat that became home for the next 5 years. It was the biggest task I’d tackled and the best thing I’ve ever done.

If you’ve dreamed of building a boat and sailing over the horizon, but haven’t started because of money, there are ways to do it. I had more time than cash, so instead of buying expensive, off-the-shelf marine items, I made everything I could, even the steering wheel, and it worked.

The boat I built was lightweight, fast, and now after 23 years in the water, she still looks like the day I launched her. This book is the story of the building of Tokyo Express—a 40ft catamaran. What I did, how I lived, the highs and lows of homebuilding.

There are many ways to save money by building a boat. I discuss alternative ways to build the hull, the importance of finding the right place and there is a timeline at the back, of how long each stage took me, to give you a yardstick for your calculations.

Inside the book I discuss -

• Catamarans vs Monohulls
• Things to consider—before starting out
• Ways to build the hull
• Motor options
• Why the daggerboard is the most important part of the boat
• How I made a generator to charge the house batteries—for less than $200
• A simple steering system—made from bicycle parts
• Ideas for the nav station and interior
• Painting and antifouling that doesn’t need replacing
• And much more…

If you are interested in building a boat, this book will give you lots to think about. Grab a copy—eBook or Paperback.