best kit sailing dinghy??

[paul oman]

hello

I'd like to get some local folks interested in building a few sailing dinghies and get a 'sailing club' going on our local town "mill pond". (I can dream, right?)

Best would be some sort of kit purchased for a few hundred with rigging, sail, etc. included. Any ideas or suggestions?

paul oman
progessive epoxy polymers

[Garrett Lowell]

Paul, for most small sailboats, a few hundred will buy just the sail. You're looking at about a 1500 dollar minimum for an 8' or so sailboat kit.

[Matt J.]

WE bought two CLC Eastport Prams; complete, including Kirby Paints and bronze fittings we put very nearly 1500 into each... Of course now we want to sell them and find there's little market for a $1500 dinghy.

The boats are great for us, light, stable, row well, sail well, take abuse when needed, and always draw complements.

[imported_Steven Bauer]

You're selling Peas and Carrots! Oh, no. :eek:

Steven

[Matt J.]

Mike... fortunately we built them just for fun, and have found we have an extra boat or two.

Steven, we're selling Carrots, but plan on keeping Peas (Jenny built Peas). I suppose a dinghy / tender to RARUS (named for a horse), would be more appropriately named "carrots" but I want to keep Jenny's boat. I'd like to sell the cedar strip dink I built, too, but haven't bothered getting it ready... :rolleyes: ;)

[TomHaven12]

I think your best bet would be the kits sold by WoodenBoat. You'll have to adjust your anticipated spending level though:

http://www.woodenboatstore.com/store/departments.asp?dept=9

[rbgarr]

I went to the Portland Boatbuilder's Show a few years ago and remember seeing 6'-7' sailboats called something like 'Cape Cod Swifties' that were used for winter frostbiting. They might be suitable for cheap construcion and millpond conditions. Anyone know more about them?

[Mike Vogdes]

Flounder Bay has some nice deals on kits if thats the path you would like to take.

http://www.flounderbay.com/books.htm

Personally I would buy the plans and make my own kits if I where doing what you have in mind. If you do buy the plans you will be responsible to ante up to the designer everytime you produce another boat from his plans.

[Steven R]

Paul,

The CLC Skerry is a fun boat to build and sail. However, the kit (with sailing options) are over 2K. I saved a few hundred on the sail by going with a sailrite kit.

More info here

Building a Skerry (http://www.get-outside.com/skerry/skerry.htm)

and

Chesapeake Light Craft (http://www.clcboats.com/index.php)

http://www.get-outside.com/bdaysail/bdaysail01.jpg

Steven Roberts
www.get-outside.com (http://www.get-outside.com)

[htom]

At that price point, I think that you're looking at Gavin Atkins' FlyingMouse with Tyvek sails.

http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/designs/atkin/flyingmouse/

Although for the same amount of plywood I suspect that you could build Bolger's Ruben Nymph and have a better "trainer".

[Brian Palmer]

How about building a fleet of Bolger's Elegant Punts from scratch (priced locally) and with the sail from Dynamite Payson ($235)?

I don't think you could go much cheaper than that with any kits that are out there.

I built a Punt when I was 14 and it was a great boat for the money (earned cutting lawns at $5 a pop).

-- Brian

[Hwyl]

Paul, Have you been to see the Cape cod frosties racing in Portsmouth/Newcastle. It's not too far from you and they fit your price parameter (or can be made down to that price). They sail at the turn of high tide on Sundays in the winter, just drive on the causeway, you won't miss them.

There are also some in Portland. They are not great boats for beginners, the daggerboard has a very short chord and they stall easily when going upwind.They are not very comfortable either.

http://www.capecodfrosty.org/

There are other boats that size, but I'd say that the original Frosty idea was a great one (luan ply, closet pole mast) the boats have become high tech now.

There are various boats that are mentioned on here, one by our own John Bell http://www.mindspring.com/~jmbell/blondie.htm, another would be the "mouse" that might sail better.

[ 01-14-2005, 01:32 PM: Message edited by: Hwyl ]

[Tim B]

These look interesting.

http://www.firebug.co.nz/index.html

Starting sailing club with small boats will probably need to involve kids. This is about the safest, kid friendly design for a 8 ft boat I've seen.

In a different direction.

http://www.boatdesigns.com/cgi-bin/store/web_store.cgi?page=sabotina.html&&cart_id=653120_3781

The sabotina may fit the bill. Their websit listed new sails for $150 about a year ago. Did a quick look and didn't see it. Total cost using their sail and HW is in the $500 range. I don't know about the quality. I was going to buy one of their sails for a similar boat but ended up buying a used one. As far as the boat design, it is much like the El-Torro, which is popular with kids and some adults. The design can be alittle difficult, they are crank when tacking. Floatation bags are a must for self rescue.

[CactusCruiser]

So many cheap,easy to build small dinghy's. Try Paysons, Stevensons, and PolyTarps sails.

[Steve Lansdowne]

Have you considered going from plans but pooling your resources to build them from the same set or two of strongback/mold setups? That would make them easier to build, as the setup is taken care of, and speed up the process. It would also ensure that your hulls are identical. Maybe someone could also pre-cut many of the pieces from a standard pattern and thus make things easier on the novice builders.

[Cuyahoga Chuck]

You want cheap? I'll give you cheap!
The D4 from Bateau.com. Plans are a free download. That means you can build multiples without feeling guilty.
D4 is a vee-bottomed dinghy in stitch and glue. Dimensionally close to an Optimus Pram. Can be built from exterior grade plywood if you don't mind the increase in weight and plugging all the voids with epoxy.
Two sheets of ¼",one sheet of 3/8ths. Gallon and a half of epoxy. About 50 yards of 4" 'glass tape.
Bateau sells the epoxy tape kit for about $150. Gyppo plywood $50. 35 sq.ft. spritsail @$225 or cobble one up from a blue tarp. Mast and sprit can be made from whatever.
If you're willing to spring for Okuome the hull can be built to 55-60 lb. Much lighter than an Opti.
I built it because it because it would go up and down my basement stairs with ease. And also, I have been known to squeeze a nickel hard enough to rupture the buffalo.
Charlie

[Venchka]

Try Uncle John's General Store way down on the edge of The Swamp. :D

Skiff Kit (http://www.unclejohns.com/skiff/Default.htm)

http://www.unclejohns.com/skiff/sk-info.gif

Good luck!

Wayne
In the Swamp. :D

[Steve Miller]

I don't think any one offers a kit with sail, spars and hardware for as little money as Fred Shell. You have to add shipping, epoxy and paint to the cost. His kits include models from 7' - 14'. He has a couple of bigger boats with cuddy cabins too but they cost. Prices start at under $800 for the 7' to $1650 for the 14' open boat. The 12' is $1175.

Shell Boats (http://www.shellboats.com/sbboats.html)

[paul oman]

these are all great links and a real resource for anyone looking for a small kit boat.

I think I will catalog them and post those links on a dedicated web page, so keep those suggestions and links coming! It's win-win for everyone and these kit makers can all use the added exposure.

I also wanted to suggest the old "Sea Snark" now called Super Snarks. They sell for $699 complete. Not exactly a dinghy, or a wooden boat, but they do sail and are ready to go. I've used up a few in the past decades.

Anyone remember when Kool Cigarettes sold promo Snarks for under $100 back about 1972?

regards
paul oman
progressive epoxy polymers, inc.
www.epoxyproducts.com (http://www.epoxyproducts.com)

[Ocean Spray]

. . . . . talk about a long time ago . . . . I bought a Snark, in 1958-1959 with my paper route money from Jordan Marsh in Boston for $75.00, complete with sail,mast rudder and daggerboard. I had it for three years when the styrofoam hull finally broke in half while sailing (from being dropped so many times).
My mother was so upset she called Jordan's and demanded a refund! Jordan's sent me my whole $75.00 back to me.

[paul oman]

I've explored each link and posted them with comments at
www.pauloman.com/smallboats.html (http://www.pauloman.com/smallboats.html)

thanks all!

paul oman
progressive epoxy polymers