CLC Cradle Boat

After we observed several clever builders making half-scale Eastport Prams to use as Cradle Boats for babies, we decided to make up a proper kit.

This is a great gift for new moms and dads!

At 47" long, the CLC Cradle Boat is an exact 50% replica of the Eastport Pram. The hulls are identical in nearly every way, especially the hull shape. The construction process is very similar. We've tweaked the interior to better suit the little ones, who won't need a rowing seat and daggerboard trunk just yet.

The CLC Cradle Boat wins first place for "easiest kit in our catalog." We've gone to great pains to limit the number of hours and amount of skill required. All the parts are cut on our computer and fit together perfectly. We've drilled the holes for you where temporary "stitches" of copper wire hold the boat's handsome shape while you epoxy the planks. Bulkheads drop into slots, so no measuring.

No need for fiberglass, so you're spared that step during construction. Even without the fiberglass reinforcement, the Cradle Boat is sturdy enough to get banged around the way things do in houses with kiddies. We estimate it will take you about 30 hours to do a first-class construction. Plans builders get full-sized patterns for every part. 

Click on this image to download a pdf with the correct dimensions to make a perfectly fitted mattress.

The rockers have a gentle slope so those pint-sized sailors snoozing aboard can enjoy the easy motion. Recognizing that little sailors soon become bigger sailors, the CLC Cradle Boat's rockers can be turned around in moments to create a solid (non-rocking) base. Now your Cradle Boat is a lovely place to store pillows or stuffed animals or toys. Your cats may decide it is the bed they have always deserved.

Likewise, longitudinal rockers and a straddle seat could be retrofitted for toddlers. Prefer to design and fabricate "davits" for a swinging cradle boat? Just trim off the "legs" that engage the rockers.

A very popular option is a conversion to a proper coffee table. This add-on kit includes a computer-cut top in premium marine-grade clear acrylic, ready to drop into place, plus a sturdy and attractive base that bolts on in place of the rockers.(You can easily switch between cradle boat and coffee table if desired.)

Besides being a perfect gift for the family's newest little boatbuilder and a unique piece of furniture, the CLC Cradle Boat is an ideal first stitch-and-glue project, a perfect practice project for those planning to move up to the Eastport Pram, Passagemaker Dinghy, or any CLC boat kit. The instruction manual is complete and easy-to-follow. ("Step 1: Make baby.") 

The Cradle Boat is made with the same A+ quality marine-grade okoume plywood as the rest of our boat kits. Plans builders get full-sized patterns for every part. It's fastened together and coated with epoxy for toughness. It will float, but please don't set any children or pets adrift in it.