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How to make a homemade Off-Shore Battle game

SAFETY FIRST: Ask an adult to help with tools you haven't used before.

battleship

This classic game is even more fun when it’s homemade, so charge up your power drill, sharpen that saw and make this cool Off-Shore Battle game.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

  • Ruler
  • Tracing paper and tape
  • Power drill
  • Saw
  • Awl and hammer
  • Anvil pruning shears
  • Fine-tipped permanent marker
  • Wood glue
  • Screws
  • 3 10-inch-by-10-inch-by-3⁄4-inch boards
  • 2 small wooden door knobs
  • 4 hinges
  • 1 latch
  • Drill bit slightly larger than game pegs
  • 1 package of wooden skewers
  • Enough pine scraps to make the ships
  • Sandpaper
  • Red paint

WHAT YOU’LL DO

The Boards:

battleship-11. With lines spaced 3⁄4-inches apart, mark out a 7 1⁄2-by-7 1⁄2-inch grid on all three game boards. The center, vertical board has a grid with holes on both sides. The side boards have a grid only.

 

battleship-2

2. Tape tracing paper over your grid and draw diagonal lines as shown. Use an awl to punch starter holes for drilling.

 

battleship-33. Drill 1⁄4-inch-deep holes in the center of each square.

4. Use decals or a fine-tipped permanent marker to label the vertical squares A through J and the horizontal squares 1 through 10.

5. Attach the vertical board to the base with wood glue and screws.

 

battleship-46. After all the grids are complete and the holes are drilled, attach the knobs and give the boards an oil finish.

7. Put it all together using the 4 hinges.

 

The Pegs:

1. Use the pruning shears to cut the skewers into 3⁄4-inch pegs. You’ll need at least 140 pegs.

2. Paint 40 of them red.

The Ships:

  • Fashion 2 sets of 5 ships from scraps of pine.
  • Drill the 1⁄4-inch-deep holes before cutting out the ships.
  • Make 2 ships 3 3⁄4 inches long with 5 holes.
  • Make 2 ships 3 inches long with 4 holes.
  • Make 2 ships 2 1⁄4 inches long with 3 holes.
  • Make 4 ships 1 1⁄2 inches long with 2 holes.
  • Sand the ship bottoms smooth.

Get ship templates here:

You can also make the ships from plastic clay.

HOW TO PLAY

board

Players place ships on the grids of their individual boards. One player calls out a coordinate on the grid. If it’s a hit, he goes again. A miss means it’s the other player’s turn. Red pegs are used to track hits and natural-colored pegs to track misses. Whoever sinks all their opponent’s ships first wins.


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60 Comments on How to make a homemade Off-Shore Battle game

  1. purty good, and a rip-off of battleship…

  2. LEGOscout // May 20, 2014 at 7:33 pm // Reply

    Just like Battleship 🙂

  3. It looks like battleship but a lot cooler since you make them your self

  4. I’m going to make that!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂

  5. total copy of battle ship but a lot better because I can make it myself and it is probably a lot cheeper also

  6. total copy of battleship. easier, and probably less exspensive if you went out and got a battleship game.

    • Re: Bazinga

      It’s not about it being less convenient and expensive than a store bought game, it’s about teaching your scout skills to make their own games. This instills pride, confidence, self-reliance and gives them experiences that they will take with them throughout their lives…

  7. thats an awesome idea DS NinjaX

  8. Looks really fun and cheep. Practicality Battleship.

  9. this is awsome man

  10. I have The torpedo atack but this is better 😀

  11. admiral toot // November 24, 2010 at 8:33 pm // Reply

    they probably used that to plan real battles!

  12. this looks amazing cant wait to make this!

  13. The Man with the Banjo // June 29, 2010 at 3:45 pm // Reply

    I love battleship!!!!!!!!! 🙂 I’v got to try this.

  14. ducttapehero // June 22, 2010 at 3:08 pm // Reply

    Already have the game, but this is still cool!

  15. Like the idea. But where will I get 18 things and get it built all in 1 day?????!!!

  16. going to try this looks cool!!!!:)

  17. I wonder if i can get a meritbadge with this? By the way awsome idea BattleShip rocks.

  18. outdoor man // March 5, 2010 at 8:46 pm // Reply

    neat

    • megamanzeroflame // November 5, 2010 at 12:59 pm // Reply

      Are you kiding,this is more than neat. Although it costs more to make it than to get it .

      • DSNinjaX // August 6, 2012 at 4:52 pm //

        why not change up the attacks? say there is a attack called a torpedo that moves in a straight line one peg per turn? or have a moving ships rule and a base that the enemy trys to bomb to win (and ships can repair at base to. (he he))?

  19. It costs more to make this then it does to buy it from target. Also its spelled battleship, did you guys look before you pressed submit?

  20. that game is boring.

  21. pretty cool

  22. Colonel Bingo // October 1, 2009 at 3:36 pm // Reply

    I WANT TO MAKE IT SOON!!!!

  23. Awesome! Now you can make your own Battleship game!!!! This is way cooler than the normal Battleship!

    Jman

  24. i hate this 🙁

  25. nice now i don’t have to buy a game for my cousin

  26. Actually before “Battleship” the original name for this game was “Swiss Navy”.

    I found that in an old book of games I found in a used book store. I think this game has been around in one form or another since before ships had engines.

    I’m not quite that old so I can’t be sure. 😉

  27. shipmate555 // July 7, 2008 at 11:16 am // Reply

    That is a cool thing to do during your free time.

  28. gregy6000xL // July 3, 2008 at 9:03 am // Reply

    Enemy fleet destroyed congaulations admrial

  29. lol

  30. slugsbottem20000 // July 1, 2008 at 2:25 pm // Reply

    If it is not battel ship call me a scout!

  31. BATTLESHIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  32. its just battell ship but cooler

  33. Boy Scout Man // June 28, 2008 at 6:18 pm // Reply

    Battieship rock!

  34. hamburgerguy // June 28, 2008 at 6:11 pm // Reply

    I want to make it soon!

  35. because battleship is a trade mark.

  36. This game is excatly like Battleship. I wonder why you didn’t call it Battleship.

  37. Kooldude1010 // June 22, 2008 at 8:22 am // Reply

    this is the best game EVER!!!!!!

  38. Boys Rules // June 18, 2008 at 2:19 pm // Reply

    yeah its like BATTLESHIP to THEpizzaGuy.

  39. That’s a really cool idea.

  40. Commander Cody // June 10, 2008 at 9:25 pm // Reply

    I’ll like playing it!

  41. matthebrat333 // June 9, 2008 at 4:45 pm // Reply

    wonderful game I’ll be sure to make it soon

  42. Lightning // June 7, 2008 at 3:34 pm // Reply

    I will make this game

  43. THEpizzaGUY // June 7, 2008 at 12:11 pm // Reply

    isnt that like battleship

  44. Guitarboy112 (visitor) // June 7, 2008 at 11:25 am // Reply

    Can’t get grid quite right. very fun project though. Keep at it!!

  45. Awesome Idea,You Guys Rock!!!!

  46. CoinCollector100 // June 5, 2008 at 4:00 pm // Reply

    Thanks for a great idea!

  47. Cool

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