Boatbuilding with kids

[Kyle Meadows]

Hi all,
I'm entertaining the idea of conducting boatbuilding programs for kids at summer camps, community centers, etc. and have two questions to start with:
1. Has anyone done this type of thing before and do you have any pointers/advice/warnings related to boatbuilding with kids?
2. Do you have any recommended designs for this purpose? I'm thinking canoes or skiffs, but possibly sailboats if a longer building session is available. One idea is to build a boat during a 5 day summer camp session, with the boat being built in four days and launched on the fifth, so obviously, the design needs to be as simple as possible, yet still result in a sturdy boat.
I have come across the plan for the Bevin's Skiff, http://www.alexandriaseaport.org/bevins_skiff/
which looks like it might be a good candidate for a quick and easy build. Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks in advance!
Kyle

[Thorne]

What about safety limitations on materials and VOC exposure? In other words, can you use epoxy and thickeners, have the time to let it cure, and be able to sand it if needed?

No direct experience but I know that some show/demo builders are using PL Premium instead of epoxy, even building fillets with it and glass cloth. Reported to be not nearly as strong as epoxy fillets, so this sort of design might not be a good choice if you can't build with epoxy.

[David G]

Kyle,

This group may be of interest to you:

http://www.compassproject.org/

[Clinton B Chase]

Kyle, I have run the Compass programs for the past 4 years. The Bevins is perfect for the 5-day thing you are thinking about doing. The skiffs in WB's Getting Started series would work to. As long as they are NOT stitch and glue...doen't work well with kids.

Time is the only real constraint you have mentioned. How many kids? How old? What do you do with the boats afterwards? Usually it is hard to get more than 4 kids around a skiff at a time and all have clear well defined roles (KEY!), so have side projects. We do a lot of oar making and also parts making for later in the project and for future projects.



Clint

[Kyle Meadows]

Thanks for all the replies and the good questions.
Thorne,
I definitely don't want to expose kids to VOC's or epoxy if that can be avoided. Thanks for pointing that out.
Clinton,
As far as the number and age of kids and the time needed, nothing has been decided yet and I'm completely open to suggestions.
I'm new to boatbuilding and this whole idea has only recently been hatched. I wish Maine weren't so far from KY. I'd love to visit and see the program firsthand. I welcome any advice from you on how to structure such a program. I have a lot of experience working with kids, a fair amount of experience woodworking, but very little in building boats. It's just something I've wanted to do for a long time.
I'm glad to know that the Bevins is a good choice. As far as what to do with the boats, I was thinking that summer camps with lakes could keep and use them. Other facilities, such as community centers, etc. without a body of water might be able to auction them off to raise money for the facility, kind of like 4-H.
Again, this could just be a wild idea that won't come to fruition, but I am interested in persuing it nonetheless.
Thanks again for the replies!
Kyle

[Spokaloo]

Do a search, there are several pertinent threads to this.

E

[Kyle Meadows]

Thanks. I did a search before posting, but I'll give it another shot.
I appreciate your reply.

[sailboy3]

It seems like it would be nice to build a traditional cross-planked skiff instead of some modern plywood rig using epoxy, glass cloth and other such unnatural materials. This might be outside of your time limits for the class but it would make a nicer boat and give the kids a sense of history. You also might want to consider seaworthyness when selecting the design as I'm guessing the kids will be using it.

[Kyle Meadows]

I agree. I would love to build a traditional design, but for a very brief introduction to boatbuilding, I don't know if that would be possible.

Good suggestion about seaworthiness. Anybody familiar with that aspect of the design? It would be used only in a small inland lake, so most of the turbulence would come from the kids!

[sailboy3]

I think the object here is to teach woodworking skills, not quick and dirty boatbuilding.

[Kyle Meadows]

sailboy3,
I admire your philosophy! I agree that woodworking skills are important, and desirable. But to finish a boat in a five day summer camp, with the kids involved in many other activities besides boatbuilding, my object would need to be quick and dirty boatbuilding. Woodworking skills would unfortunately have to be secondary. :)

[Kyle Meadows]

one sheet of plywood skiff.

Works I built four.

http://www3.sympatico.ca/herbert.mcleod/skiff.htm

Planhttp://www3.sympatico.ca/herbert.mcleod/plans.htm

Instructions

http://www3.sympatico.ca/herbert.mcleod/build.htm

Easily made in a few dedicated hours.
Thanks, rum pirate, for the info. I admire your philosophy as well!

[sailboy3]

sailboy3,
I admire your philosophy! I agree that woodworking skills are important, and desirable. But to finish a boat in a five day summer camp, with the kids involved in many other activities besides boatbuilding, my object would need to be quick and dirty boatbuilding. Woodworking skills would unfortunately have to be secondary. :)

only 5 days? ouch.