HOW DO YOU BUILD A WOODEN BOAT?
With computers, plywood, copper wire, a pair of pliers, and lots of epoxy. At least, that’s how “stitch and glue” boatbuilding works. Combine computer-aided design, ultra-high-quality marine plywood, and space-age epoxy adhesives, and you get elegant, ultralight structures that anybody can build in their garage. Or apartment, living room, school shop, or cargo hold. (We’ve seen it all.)
|
 |
It starts here, on a computer-controlled widget called a “CNC machine.” Fed the shapes of the boat’s parts, it cuts them with startling accuracy. You’re ready to start building.
|
|
This is the "stitching" part of "stitch and glue." Just short lengths of wire that will temporarily fasten the pieces.
|
 |
The hull takes shape rapidly---in an afternoon. Bulkheads, some temporary, some permanent, help form up the hull.
|
 |
This is the underside of a kayak deck, a jigsaw puzzle pieced together with bits of copper wire. |
 |
All Chesapeake Light Craft boats use fiberglass for strength and durability. This is the underside of the kayak deck. |
 |
Hull and Deck "clamshells" are mated. |
 |
The exterior gets several layers of fiberglass, which turns clear when saturated with high-quality marine epoxy. |
A bunch of sanding, three coats of varnish, a round of hardware installation, and you're on the water. The Shearwater Sport kayak pictured here took less than 80 hours total.

|