Three Rivers College students design, construct boat

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. (KBSI) – Three Rivers College students recently designed and constructed a boat using the skills they learned in class.

The Construction Management classes comprise of Estimating I and II, Construction Management, Engineering Graphics, Blueprint Reading, Building Design, and Planning and Scheduling. The students put theory to practice by building a a wooden boat.

The finished fishing boat toured Lake Wappapello. The current plan is to sell raffle tickets in the fall to raise funds for future projects.

Students designed their wooden boat using skills they learned in AutoCAD. Then, they estimated the cost of materials and planned a construction timeline for completion. A schedule based on the timeline was broken down into tasks. It was each student’s responsibility to manage his/her time and materials to complete the boat on time and within budget.

“They hit all their goals with perfect timing,” said Construction Instructor Gus Winkler. “The students gave their all throughout this process and it paid off with a successful launch day at Lake Wappapello. Each student had a chance to operate the very project that they fabricated using the valuable skills taught to them at Three Rivers College. Having the chance to apply the theories we taught allowed them to create something they never dreamed they could.”

The boat hull is an original design laid out by hand. It iis made of wood, fiberglass mat, and total boat epoxy. The hull was built using hand power tools to the exact specifications detailed in the design, according to Three Rivers College. Students used the Three Rivers Computer Numerical Control machine to create the top deck and hatches.

The boat’s features include LED deck and hatch lighting, onboard sound system with Bluetooth, dual bilge pumps, EVA Sea Deck floor covering, a 45-pound trolling motor, two 100-amp hour lithium batteries, Lowrance Hook 5 Reveal GPS/Fish Finder, Comfortable Casting Seat and captain’s seat, and a custom-made trailer made to fit the custom designed hull.