The “stitch and glue” method is the easiest way to build a boat, as tens of thousands of amateur boatbuilders will testify.  The approach, which emphasizes the use of epoxy adhesives and strategic fiberglass reinforcement combined with marine plywood, is ideal for first-timers.  But like so many things, it’s easy to do but hard to do WELL.  This class is about how to do it well.

Stitch and glue techniques date back to the advent of modern adhesives in the 1960’s. The process dispenses with lofting, elaborate molds, and much of the complex joinery of traditional wooden boatbuilding.  Instead, computer-cut plywood parts are “stitched” together with loops of wire, then glued with epoxy to create a rigid and seaworthy hull. 

While this slot-together approach is friendly to amateurs, in recent decades professionals have seized on the method as a way to create beautiful, free-form hull shapes with amazing strength and light weight.  When pros build stitch-and-glue boats, they deploy sophisticated techniques that result in optimized structures and glittering finishes.

John Harris Instructor