Overzealous project ?DEER ISLE KOSTER

[sonofswen]

image-asset.jpegimage-asset.jpg I have built a number of stitch and glue kayaks and have years of experience building furniture and cabinets. I am so intrigues with this small boat design that I may be throwing caution to the wind...so to speak, but just love the design. Any advice? Thinking of plans rather than a kit...
http://www.oconnorwoodenboats.com/new-page

[stromborg]

I built the red boat. It was a lot of fun from opening up the kit to sailing. My build thread is here: http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthre...West-Coast-KDI


Note that Clint has altered the deck (and maybe a few other things) since then but I think the basic boat has remained the same. I built the balanced and standing lug sloop rigs and enjoyed them both. She's a beamy, fast little thing that rowed reasonably well though it doesn't take much wind to move so the oars didn't come out very often. About half the time I was launching from a ramp with a dock to tie off too. It was a simple matter to drop the sail and use one oar while standing and come in like a big SUP.

Does Clint offer a plans-only option? I enjoyed building the kit and I think they offer a lot of benefits to someone getting started in boats. Getting the line-off right on a small lapstrake boat is pretty important, spiling isn't the most difficult thing in the world to figure out but is easy to screw it up and have to cut more wood. It's a skill set to learn. There is plenty of fussy woodwork to be done without wondering if your struggles to fit a plank are because you cut it wrong, with a kit you can be reasonably certain the shape is right. I was a theater carpenter for many years and all-round serial builder with 3 Pygmy kayak kits and a Flapjack Skiff from plans under my belt before starting the KDI. The Koster taught me a number of lessons that I used a few years later when I built my Eun Mara from plans.

At some level it comes down to a couple of questions:

Do you want to build a boat to go sailing? Get the kit.
Or:
Do you want to build a boat and then go sailing? Get the plans.

The difference is subtle but important.

Either way the KDI is a fun, reasonably sized project. I only sold Kayli Marie after realizing Marianita (my Eun Mara) was getting used all the time, the KDI had been sitting for a couple years and I didn't want her to just rot away.

[stromborg]

From the PTWBF:

[sonofswen]

Thank you Steve. Very good points and I am digesting them. Still up in the air a bit as we are in the process of having a house built, as I am no longer up to that task, or wish to be. I will have a 300 sq.ft. shop and looking forward to that. We have a one car garage now.
This is where I found plans..not even sure if is still possible to get them, oy. https://www.chase-small-craft.com/ne...di-plywood-kit

The picture above at in Port Townsend...pure beauty!

[stromborg]

I'm typing at my desk in the house I just finished building last August, great sense of satisfaction but I don't need to do it again. Though my shop needs to be extended by about 7' if I'm to build my next boat in there...there's that serial builder thing again...

Clint is a good guy and answers questions reasonably quickly, he swings through here periodically.

Where does one sail in the Eugene area?

[sonofswen]

Been "bumming" sailing time on a friends boat on Fern Ridge Lake. Plan on, eventually, trailering up into the Cascades. Took our sea kayaks there over the years, great fun. Waldo lake..after the mosquitoes leave. Fern Ridge would be the usual go to place.
We lived in Port Townsend for about 5 years in the 2000's, and I went through the sailing program, nwmaritime.org
Miss living there...as my wife is tired of hearing.

Eric

[Hugh MacD]

If you built, make sure you hit the little Wooden Boat Show down in Toledo! Sort of a mini-PTWBF with amazing folks and a fun venue. They have a great wooden boatbuilding program there that the whole community seems to support.

[sonofswen]

Thank you so much Mr.Stromborg. Your Thread on building the KDI is wonderful and so helpful. Your finished product the definition of exquisite!

[Clinton B Chase]

The KDI is something anybody can build from kit or plans. The kit is very complete and would benefit anyone wanting to build the boat. There is a lot to do on this little boat, so the kit is a great jump start and a way to spend more time building than the interminable cutting of plywood parts. I sell kits to the most experienced of woodworkers because of just that, but I understand that people want to have the experience of all that layout and cutting, so I provide plans for the KDI as well.

It's one of those boats that we need to build a demo of so we can bring to shows - it wins people over the second they see one, especially in the water.

[Ben Fuller]

One of the bits of input when deciding whether to go kit or plans is the cost of materials, time and tools. The web site shows you what you need in terms of plywood. And then you can estimate how much time it takes to cut out the pieces. Multiply that and add that to your materials cost. And add in any tools that you might need to produce the parts if you don't have them. Kit prices get much lower that way. If you have the cash, I've found that kits are the way to go, at least with the several kayaks I've done.

[sonofswen]

One of the bits of input when deciding whether to go kit or plans is the cost of materials, time and tools. The web site shows you what you need in terms of plywood. And then you can estimate how much time it takes to cut out the pieces. Multiply that and add that to your materials cost. And add in any tools that you might need to produce the parts if you don't have them. Kit prices get much lower that way. If you have the cash, I've found that kits are the way to go, at least with the several kayaks I've done.

Rethinking my process,,and even though I have built a number of kayaks from plans, this boat is realm of its own.
Thanks for the thoughts, I have a long ways to go as I am still getting a shop together.

[Larrycheek]

I built a KDI with Clint's kit a year or so after my friend Steve completed his. It wasn't my first build, but it was the first kit I'd tried—and it converted me, firmly and finally, to the CNC kit route for building a boat. It saves so much labor—especially the unpleasant slog of scarfing plywood—and practically guarantees that you'll turn out an accurate, nicely crafted hull. It's the way to go.

The KDI is one of the prettiest sailing dinghies ever designed, and I thought it sailed nicely. I sold mine after a couple of years, though, because like Steve I also had built a larger boat that I kept in a marina slip, and it was the one I kept going to. I realized I despised trailering despite the enjoyable access to different sailing experiences. But I'd still recommend this lovely boat to anyone.

[Michael_Owen]

I agree with Larry above regarding the boat's aesthetics. So pretty! I hope you build her.

I also agree with the kit ease-of build and cost thoughts of Ben. I built an Ilur from plans. (also very pretty!) and as great as the experience was, it took me almost 4 years.
If I were to do it again, I would get the kit. I spent $1000. on plywood alone, and, at the time that was about a third of the cost of a kit.

It's great that Clint sells a kit for the KDI!

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Mike

[Wiley Baggins]

Nice boat and lot's of great recommendations for the kit. I've built more boats from plans than kits. Building from plans can be rewarding, but if the boat I wanted was only available as a kit, I wouldn't hesitate to buy the kit, especially given all the benefits of a quality kit.

If you don't feel that way, Bolger did a Koster and the plans and a discussion of the boat can be found in Boat Design Quarterly #23-

https://www.woodenboatstore.com/prod...16904180695130.

[stromborg]

So, it's been a month...have decisions been made?

[dalekidd]

May be late, but I'll chime in. I'm building Clint's Calendar Islands Yawl 16 from plans. Like the KDI it is listed as "advanced beginner". I've built 3 stitch and glue boats previously and have a good bit of experience building at a "framing" level of carpentry. I'm guessing with your experience this is well within your capabilities.

I've never built from a kit. The reason I'm doing this from plans is two-fold. #1 is money. Hate to say it but I wouldn't be building this boat if I had to buy the kit. I'll build it for 1/2 the cost doing it from plans. #2 I'm enjoying the build process. I enjoyed the experience of spiling my own planks (the plans came with dimensions but I wanted to have the experience) along with measuring and cutting everything else. Granted my boat will be a bit under par as to level of fit and finish, but that is mostly me and not the path I chose. I'm sure it will still be a boat that I can be proud of and that will draw the attention of folks at the ramp (not that that is the reason we build boats).

Here's the link to my thread: Calendar Islands Yawl 16

IMG_7165.jpg

[Paul356]

Another reason to buy a kit from a reputable designer like Clint or, in my case, Graham at B&B, is the quality of materials you will receive. When I bought my B&B kit in 2013, I really had no idea where in the Milwaukee area to buy good marine ply, or even really what to look for if I was to try and order through the mail or online. I had already seen conflicting reports about what was and wasn't suitable marine ply, and then there was the question of meranti vs. okume. Buying the kit solved that, as Graham provided top quality goods precisely suitable for the build. I have recently worked on or seen at least 5 of Clint's kits at our volunteer boatworks, and the materials he provides are outstanding. You may be able to find good ply, etc., in your area, and if so, all good. But if not, or if you have any doubts about what you might be getting, that's another reason to order the kit with materials from Clint or Graham. I expect the same is true of CLC.