Cool features of my kits

I'd like to discuss, in the next few months, a few examples of groovy ways to engineer a boat kit and build a boat. The first photo shows the side girders of the CNC cut strongback. This has been one of the gbuildest aspects of creating kits. In a few hours time, the strongback can be built and the chipboard molds attached via precut slots cut in mold and girder. If you make "Spock hands" with your left and right hands and insert left into right, you'll get a good idea how accurately and easily a CNC cut strongback is to set up. Even  these two dogs were able to do it, no sweat!

The second photo shows the chipboard bulkhead supports that slot into the girders and then are locked into alignment with a long batten which slots into the supports and automatically squares up the set up. These chipboard components are made out of 1/2" and 5/8" Advantech chipboard which stays quite flat. These chipboard components DO NOT become part of the boat.

The third photo shows the bulkheads and other marine plywood components of the boat mounted on the setup. Notice how the strongback catches the top of the stem so it locks into place. Anyone who has mounted a stem in 3d space over a strongback can immediately see how nice this is! You can also get a better sense in this shot how the supports slot into girders.

Next time I'll try to get some additional close ups of the alignment features of the building jig unique to my kits. These photos are courtesy of Jim Levang building hull #1 of the Calendar Islands Yawl. His build is at https://plus.google.com/115449767543136477921/posts/26mVWdN9FPd

New kits, Old kits, More kits!

New and Updated Kits

Calendar Islands Yawl under construction
Updated Deer Isle Koster (KDI) kits being cut out West

The CIY hull#1 is being expertly built in Duluth and everything is looks really good. The boat has been set up and planking has started.

The building jig set up was all CNC cut and self-jigging. In a post on the Wooden Boat Forum about the CIY project, the builder says "I have the distinct sense of the boat building itself" as he assembled the building jig and is not planking within 10 days time working on the side.

Here is the boat so far, all photos courtesy of Jim Levang, builder and owner of hull #1.

The building jig set up. All parts are CNC cut.

The stem, bulkheads, centerboard trunk, and transom all set up. They were all CNC cut.

Bottom and garboards attached!

But that's not all! You can also get the updated KDI. This model is not my own design, but drawn originally by Bruce Elfstrom, friend, fellow designer, and small boat guru from Connecticut who plays with boats, particularly Scandinavian type boats on the side. I have done a lot of new design work with the help of three builders of hull #3, 4, and 5. Photos below courtesy of Frank Stauss in New Jersey. He looks to be doing a fabulous job. 

New Jersey KDI.

NJ KDI.

The Deblois Street Dory is getting a few tweaks to the building jig set up to facilitate building and then two kits will be cut. Finally, the last project will be to finish the Drake 19, a new model. A bit of a line up is forming there for this kit. Everything is on track to be done by the end of May. Then I am going rowing and sailing, dang it!

I got this call a couple of mornings ago...

It was Seth Katz. In the Antique & Classic Boat business he's well known as a world-class restorer of boats. Indeed, there are many who have seen his work, but have no idea of the man behind it. For example; he is known for having restored the boats from the classic movie “On Golden Pond”, the US Mail boat “Mariah”, a Century Raven, and the Chris~Craft Sportsman “Thayer IV”.

 

Seth leads a team of very talented people that produce fine art in their restorations.

When you see the boats that come from Katz's Marina http://www.antiqueboatsales.com/index.html  up close...

 ...you realize that everything is perfectly tight and beautiful and that you can clearly see the grain of the wood throughout his boats. They are impeccable. 

Anyway, back to Seth's call...

Seth has been a good customer of ours for many years. Our customers are, of necessity, customers for years, because it requires time for Nancy and I to design, and then build, every piece of each of our models. We have many great customers and patience is a necessary part of the work that we do. We always endeavor to do our best on all of our models. Customers like Seth help keep our quality up, because of how knowledgeable and concerned with attention to detail, he is.

He called to say that another, who is an important friend to all of us in antique & classic boating, Woody Boater, wrote an article about a model that we made for Seth of the 17' Chris~Craft Custom Runabout “Reneeshins”.




 


Seth said that it was a nice article and, of course, how could we disagree? Thank you Woody Boater! Here is the link: http://www.woodyboater.com/classic-boat-art/some-fun-with-a-rocket-1954-chris-craft-17-runabout/  The article shows, both the original, and our model. Nice!
 

If you love boats, especially classic boats, you really should pay attention to Woody Boater. Wherever you are, he's got information about what's happening in your area.

Here are just a few of the other boats that Seth has done...

 

We've been writing less of late, because we have a lot of work to get done for several great and patient customers, including Seth. We will be writing more, if time permits, especially about our own ACBS Chapter's show here in the Chesapeake Bay – The 27th Annual Antique & ClassicBoat Festival / The Arts at Navy Point on June 13th - 15that the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels Maryland.