Choose a boat

I have started a new project: I want to build a small boat. As a former dinghy (racing) sailor and enthousiastic follower of ocean races like the Vendee Globe, Volvo Ocean Race and the Mini Transat, I landed on webpages of some people who were building their own boats in the Mini 650 class. They used the 'stitch and glue' method. It seemed to be not very difficult. It is done with epoxy resin and wood. I built a couple of windsurf boards in the past, with foam, glass fiber and expoxy, so I have some experience.

Now I had to find the most suitable boat for me. My shed is 6.5 x 3 m and it should be made broadwise, so it should not be longer than 3 m. My first idea was the Optimist, but to get it registrated for races, it should be exactly like the plan. Not a millimeter less or more. One of the builders of a Mini 650 showed in video episode how he started with a small tender boat in order to get used to the stitch and glue method, before he would begin with building a 650-boat. The model looked nice and the process doable, so I chose this boat.




It appeared to be an Eastport Pram. The plans are sold by Chesapeake Light Craft, USA. They even sell kits. When I ordered the plans, I was sent to Fyne Boat Kits, UK, because they 'do' Europe.
In the meantime I built two very stable sawhorses. I made them dismountable.




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