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There’s only one reason to own a small wooden sailboat—it’s fun, pure and simple fun. But, if you’re the practical type and need just a little more encouragement, consider this. How about a sailboat that also nearly lifts from the water with the slightest tug on the oars, that handles a few kids for an afternoon of fishing on the pond and that you can cartop, toss in the truck or haul on a small trailer when the day’s over? How about a wooden boat that’s tough enough to last through years of use, light enough for the kids to pull ashore and sea friendly enough for sailors of all levels? Convinced yet? Well, let’s add this—how about all of the above in a boat that you build yourself?

If you’ve never built

a boat, though, the process might seem intimidating. Our solution was to opt for a kit—it’s a great way to get your feet wet and good insurance that you’ll end up with something that works. Our choice came from WoodenBoat magazine’s mail-order outlet, The WoodenBoat Store, P.O. Box 78, Naskeag Road, Brooklin, ME 04616; 800-273-7447. The boat we picked, called the Shellback Dinghy, is just over 11 ft. long with a 54-in. beam. It’s built out of mahogany marine plywood and solid mahogany with bronze fasteners and epoxy adhesive. The kit is available in a rowing model—a good choice if you already have a larger boat and simply need some way to get to its mooring—and the sailing version that we built. The sailing model features a lug rig and comes with the extra hardware and components for a daggerboard and rudder. The price for the rowing model is $1295 and the sailing model costs $1495 plus about $300 for a dacron sail.

So, what can you expect when you buy the complete sailing package? Inside the 12-ft.-long box that’s shipped to your door you’ll find screws, bolts, nuts, hardware, rope, sail and precut pieces for every part of the boat. You’ll also get a complete set of plans and a step-by-step manual written by Maine boatbuilder Eric Dow. What you don’t get is the epoxy, bedding compound and paint you’ll need—we purchased these from Jamestown Distributors, 28 Narragansett Ave., Jamestown, RI 02835; 800-423-0030. You’ll also need to buy lumber for the frame on which the boat is constructed, and a pair of oars.

If you have sources for the materials and hardware, you might consider just buying the plans ($75) and construction manual ($15). While buying the kit cuts down some of the construction time, starting from scratch wouldn’t be all that much more work. This is a simple craft to build—more by virtue of its design than the fact it comes in a kit. The glued lapstrake construction with thickened epoxy is very forgiving—even first-timers will have little trouble.

This project was originally published in the March 2000 issue of Popular Mechanics. You can find more great projects at Popular Mechanics DIY Central.

Step 1: The Building Frame

The manual and plans call for a building jig, or ladder frame, built from 2 × 4s. This jig holds the boat’s center frame, stem and transom, and the molds around which the planks are bent. To keep things straight and aligned, we used doubled 1 × 6 No. 2 pine to build the ladder frame instead of 2 × 4s.

Once the frame is leveled in both directions and secured to sawhorses that are screwed to the floor, position and attach the transom with screws (Photo 1). Then, locate the positions for the center frame that comes with the kit and the three plywood molds. Use the full-size pattern sheet from the plans to lay out the molds on 1⁄2-in. plywood. Then cut them out and screw them to the ladder frame. With the molds and center frame in place, add bracing to keep things plumb (Photo 2). Check that the stem fits into its notches properly (Photo 3). Plane a rough bevel on each side of the stem in preparation for the planking and secure the stem with screws.

Lay the 1⁄2-in. plywood bottom panel on the building jig, align it with the mold centerlines and temporarily attach it to the transom with a single screw (Photo 4). Bend the other end of the panel to meet the stem, clamp it in place, bore pilot holes and secure it with two screws (Photo 5). Then add screws across the boat’s center frame.

The manual recommends installing all components dry first, then removing them, applying epoxy and reinstalling. This method provides ample opportunity to check for fit, and all pilot holes are bored before the glue goes on. It’s best to use a tapered combination bit to bore the pilot holes, screw clearance holes and counter bores

in one operation.

With the bottom in position, remove it and mix a small amount of epoxy. The resin and hardener for the West System epoxy we used come in cans that accept small pumps to ensure accurate proportions. After mixing the resin and hardener in a metal can, add filler to bring the mixture to a honeylike consistency. Apply the epoxy to the stem, transom and frame, and reinstall the bottom panel.

To bevel the edges of the bottom to accept the garboard planks, first tack a thin wood strip, or batten, to one side of the molds, frame, stem and transom in place of the plank. Then begin planing the bevel, aligning it with the angle of the transom (Photo 6). As you progress, periodically use a small stick to check the angle. Hold one end against the batten with the inside faces flush to simulate the position of the plank (Photo 7). At the bow, carry the bottom bevel into the stem bevel. Use the batten to check that the stem bevel is correct (Photo 8).

When you’re satisfied with the bevels, mount the first garboard plank with a single screw at the center frame. Then, bend the plank toward the bow and secure it to the stem with clamps. Pull the stern end of the plank in place and check that the plank is positioned correctly against the molds. Bore pilot holes and install the screws in the stem, frame and transom (Photo 9). Then, remove the plank and apply epoxy to the mating surfaces (Photo 10) and reinstall.

To -clamp the plank against the bottom bevel while the epoxy cures, temporarily drive drywall screws about 4 in. apart through both pieces at the bevel (Photo 11). It’s important to support the joint because it’s possible to distort the hull shape between the molds and frame. If you can, have a helper support the underlying panel with a block of wood as you go along. This is especially important when joining the 1⁄4-in.-thick planks to each other.

With the garboards in place, plane the lap-joint bevels for the middle planks, using a batten and stick to check bevel accuracy. When you near the stem, let the bevel fade away about halfway between the stem and first mold (Photo 12). From here forward, you’ll plane a tapered rabbet so the plank surfaces will be flush at the stem.

To cut the rabbet, first screw the next plank in position at the center frame. Then, bend it forward, align it at the stem, and trace a line along the previous plank (Photo 13). Tack a strip along this line to guide a rabbet plane and cut an increasing rabbet toward the stem (Photo 14). Plane the back of the next plank to mate with the rabbet. When the fit is right, install all the screws (Photo 15). Then remove the plank and reinstall it with epoxy.

With the planks on, plane the bottom edges of the garboard planks flush with the bottom, the front ends of the planking flush with the stem, and trim the rear ends of the planking to the transom (Photo 16). Mix extra-thick epoxy and fill the recesses at the plank laps (Photo 17). Fit and epoxy the false stem at the bow, beveling it to match the planking (Photo 18). Then remove the boat from the building frame.

Check the fit of the breasthook, the piece that stiffens the bow at the top, and trim where necessary. Add notches for the inwale—a stiffening strip that runs along the inside top edge of the hull that’s separated from the plank by small spacer blocks. Bore the pilot holes for the breasthook and then glue and screw it in place (Photo 19). At the stern, fit the knees to each corner. Mark their positions for boring screwholes through the transom (Photo 20) and install them with epoxy.

Use clamps to hold the gunwale guard strip to the hull when boring screw pilot holes. At the bow, simply push the strips in place, bore the holes and secure (Photo 21).

Position each seat and trim the beveled ends for a good fit with the hull. Then, mark the seat positions for fitting the seat support blocks (Photo 22). Fit the blocks (Photo 23), epoxy them in place and bore the holes for screwing the seats to the blocks. Scribe the hull line on the knees for the forward seat, or mast partner (Photo 24). Trim to the line and glue and screw the knees to the hull only. After the boat is painted and the seats reinstalled, drive screws from under the seat into the two knees.

To make the inwale, cut small blocks and evenly space them along the inwale strip, taking into account the positions of the forward knees, center frame, breasthook and stern knees. Leave the inwale strip longer than necessary at the ends. To glue the blocks in place without dozens of clamps, bore screw clearance holes and drive screws through the blocks and strip into the shop floor or a scrap piece of lumber (Photo 25). Clamp the inwale in position working from the center to the ends, and cut the ends to fit the breasthook and stern knee notches. Secure the inwale with screws and glue

Build the daggerboard trunk and fit it to a slot cut in the bottom of the hull. Use a straightedge to mark its height (Photo 27) and cut to the line. Then, install it with screws and bedding compound. With the boat sitting level, use a level to position the mast step correctly in relation to the mast hole in the seat (Photo 28). Trim the oarlock pads to fit the gunwale and secure them with screws. Then, turn the boat over and fit and install the keel.

The rudder and daggerboard are made by beveling the edges of precut 1⁄2-in. plywood panels. Use a spokeshave for the job (Photo 29). Mount the rudder with the supplied hardware (Photo 30) and construct the tiller as shown in the plans.

The spars (mast, boom and yard) come eight-sided. To round them, simply plane the corners to make 16 sides, and then 32. Finish rounding with sandpaper and bore the holes as required for installing the sail rig. We finished the boat with two coats of Interlux marine primer followed by two top coats of Interlux enamel. The spars and seats received seven coats of spar varnish.

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