Building the Boat
We bought the plans for this boat directly from Bruce Kirby in 1993. Since then, Mr. Kirby has licensed worldwide distribution of the NIS series designs to Robert Ayliffe at nisboats.com in Australia. Mr. Ayliffe has enhanced and updated the design of the NIS26 over the years with suggestions from builders and innovations of his own. Many, many boats have been built in Australia under this licensing arrangement. Not so many in the rest of the world. Nisboats.com is no longer offering just the plans for the NIS26. Instead, they are selling pre-cut kits (which may include the plans-it's not clear to me).
- Carbon fiber masts. Much lighter and stiffer than aluminum or wood.
- Required for trailering: tabernacle or other mast raising scheme.
- Epoxy:
1. stick with brand names.*
2. When it starts to kick, quit using it.*
- Centerboard 12" off-center
- Bulkhead D moved forwarrd to front of cb case
- Bulkhead H moved forward 4" to make room for motor
- Thicker bottom
- Thicker cabin top
- Move ballast forward to prevent squatting.
- Box in the motor well to maximize bouyancy aft.
- Aluminum rudder frame for strength and light weight.
*Voice of experience.
Time
It took us 3-1/2 years to build our boat, working evenings and weekends. We tried to do something on the boat every day, maybe just sanding something for a few minutes, to keep the project fresh in our minds.
Cost
I have lost track of current costs for boatbuilding materials and supplies. Building a boat is expensive. You can buy an excellent used production boat for the same or lower cost. You have to want to do this for the experience and the satisfaction you get from creating a beautiful conveyance.
For those who have more time than money, it is possible to reduce the cost somewhat by using lower grade materials and second-hand components. For example, marine grade fir plywood from North America is not as cosmetic as Okoume or Sapele and has fewer plies but it is strong and suitable for panels with not much curvature. Also, there are second-hand aluminum and fiberglass spars available at low cost as owners convert to carbon spars.
Do not try to save money by using off-brand epoxy. I learned the hard way: we started off using some no-name epoxy that came in gallon paint cans. The amine blush was severe, creating a gooey mess that interfered with bonding and laminating. We wasted a lot of time remediating the mess.