Bring Boating To Life: Ship A Build-A-Boat Kit To Your Home, Build It With Your Kids
Published: Monday, April 2, 2018
By: Clint Chase, Owner, Chase Small Craft
Malcolm and his boy did it, finally. It was not easy, it was sometimes dirty, and it took a long time. But, they were here, finally, sitting on varnished, wood seats that they made, with fishing poles in hand and smiling big. His boy was in heaven on this sunny day, floating past the green shoreline, casting towards the shore, and peacefully gliding along with the electric motor. It was quiet. Ther paint job gleamed in the sun, the dark green hull mirroring the evergreens’ shade of green. The boat did not leak a drop of water when they put it in the lake, and the feeling of security this little boat gave them made them a little bit giddy. They still had glue in their hair and paint on their clothes. The smell of the spruce and pine was still on them. The feeling of accomplishment and joy coursed through their veins. Together, they had built a boat; together, they were fishing; and there was nothing else that could match this feeling. They had built their own boat, together...
The idea usually starts with a sneaky thought, one that enters completely randomly at times, other times by the mere mention of boat-building by a friend or acquaintance, and, sometimes, it is an article or website that plants the seed. At first, the seed does not seem to grow much at all. But, as weeks go on of the “norm” - school, work, groceries, cleaning, etc. - the seed grows to a nagging thought that becomes something more. The thought of building a boat becomes an urge, a compulsion, an obsession. It has to be done. Malcolm knew it would be great for his son, for him as a father, and for their relationship.
There are a world of boats to build, many of them small skiffs for sail, motor, and oars that are built using the stitch-and-glue method. The boats are made of thin, plywood panels that are stitched together with wire, or even zip ties. Epoxy, an advanced adhesive, is mixed in two parts and applied to the seams. When the epoxy cures, the wires are removed and the boat becomes nearly monocoque, a fancy term for “one piece”. But, the method requires an enormous amount of glue and fiberglass needed to reinforce the joints structurally. The method is a great one, but makes for a great degree of exposure to epoxy. There is also very little woodworking involved.
Alternatively, the Easy-to-Build line of boats at Chase Small Craft uses a different approach called the Tab-n-Lock method. It also uses epoxy to hold it all together but demands much less of it. Also, a lot of the epoxy can be replaced with other adhesives. Even better, there is much more fun in woodworking. Instead of wires, there are tabs that fit into slots in the hull held with small wedges. The tabs are cut away after the glue cures. And, there is hardly any fiberglass required because the boats use a chine log, a 3/4" x 1-1/2" piece of wood that runs the length of the boat along its chine. This wood is the structure and adds to the aesthetic beauty of the boat. These boats are real wooden boats.
I know what you’re thinking: Wood is not good. It rots, you have to paint it all the time, and I don’t have the skills anyway to work with it. I know, I get it. I used to think the same thing when I sailed fiberglass boats and rowed fiberglass dinghies to the mooring. But, these preconceptions about wooden boats comes from the type of wood boat built traditionally from solid wood planking and fastened without the modern adhesives and advanced paint systems we now have. Solid wood planking moves with moisture and sheds its paint; this is why it has to be painted annually.
However, the skiffs at Chase Small Craft use the finest marine plywood made in the world, the most user-friendly and effective epoxy system on the market, and are designed to the high standards typically found in the custom yacht industry. The hulls are made of the plywood and coated with a water-based primer and oil-based marine enamels that protect the boat for years. One of the skiffs I built from the Easy-to-Build line has gone almost 10 years without needing any repainting!
The featured boats in the Easy-to-Build lineup are the Compass Skiff, Echo Bay Dory Skiff, Caravelle, and the Goat Island Skiff. The Compass and Echo Bay are, by far, the favorites. The Compass Skiff is a 10-foot outboard skiff made with ⅜” thick plywood hull and can take up to a 6hp motor. The Compass is a favorite for those who want a motor skiff as a tender to a larger boat, for fisherman, and for kids who are new to boating. The wide, stable bottom of the Compass and the high freeboard make it a secure and dry boat. The Echo Bay Dory Skiff (and larger sister, the Caravelle) is a 12-foot sailing and rowing skiff that derived from the traditional and highly seaworthy dories used on the Atlantic coast for fishing. They are small and lightweight -- easily car-top-able and easy enough to store in the yard on a pair of sawhorses. Yet, these are capable small boats that can handle oceans, lakes, and rivers alike. The Echo Bay is not as stable as the Compass initially, but as it leans over, it gains a great degree of “secondary” stability. As a result, she’s swift to row and sails like a witch. The sail and spars package up and store flat on the inside of the boat. The custom oars stow easily inside the boat while sailing and are at the ready for coming into the dock or rowing in when the wind dies. One of the most striking qualities of both skiffs is their tremendous capacity. Load the boats with kids, pets, and coolers and there is still capacity for you!
While these boats can be built from plans alone, the best way to build them is from the complete kits that we make in the shop. All the plywood, precut and labelled, comes in the kit ready to build. The solid wood, such as gunwales, chine logs, seats, and various wood cleats used to build the interior, all come to you already cut to dimensions. The only tools needed are a block plane, a saw, chisel, drills and bits, measuring tools, and a few clamps. The specialty adhesives and supplies come in the kit, as does the marine hardware for fitting out. A thorough instruction manual, plans, and all the customer support you need are a crucial part of the package. I am always available to take a question or help you through the sticky points.
Find out more or order your kit today at www.chase-small-craft.com.
…When the fish hit, he hit hard. The stable skiff was an asset as Malcolm’s boy leaned against the side of the hull and set the hook. He got him! The fish fought and the boy fought back. Time seemed to slow down for Malcolm. As a hawk glided on the thermals above and the puffy white clouds skidded by in slow-motion, he watched his 12-year old reel the fish in. They were frozen in time, alive, and in the moment. They were doing it together in their boat... the boat that they built with their own hands. He leaned over the side of their Compass Skiff and held him up proudly for his Dad, the best smile ever on his face.
tags: Do It Yourself (DIY), Kids & Pets
