Building a boat from an earthen mould: video demonstration

In individual composite boat building, so-called "waste" molds are generally used. These male molds, often made from small laths, then require hours of sanding with filler, and are subsequently destroyed, like simple waste. In the video of these Vietnamese fishermen, we discover a clever technique for wasting nothing.

Wooden couples, combined with a top rail, are assembled upside down. These will later serve as the boat's structure. In the meantime, the voids are filled with clay soil and smoothed to create a smooth surface.

A plastic film is laid over the soil, to facilitate future demolding and separate the composite from the soil. Fiberglass cloths are positioned, and gradually impregnated with resin, mixed in simple basins. Several layers are applied, and air-dried.

Once the resin has hardened, the boat is demolded by hand and launched directly into the water. All that's left is a pile of earth, ready for reuse!

Admittedly, quality control isn't the same as on a site with controlled hygrometry, and the protection of workers using the resin is questionable, but there's no doubt that the example is food for thought when it comes to the controlled use of resources and limiting waste! And the principle of composite hull manufacture is crystal-clear.