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Whitby Pilot Gig
Sale
Bowdoinham Rowing Club's Whitby Gig being rowed in Belfast, Maine.
Sale
Whitby Pilot Gig
Sale
Whitby Pilot Gig
Whitby Pilot Gig Thumbnail
Bowdoinham Rowing Club's Whitby Gig being rowed in Belfast, Maine. Thumbnail
Whitby Pilot Gig Thumbnail
Whitby Pilot Gig Thumbnail

Whitby Pilot Gig

Builder Testimonials

The Whitby Fisherman’s Amateur Rowing Club commissioned this stitch-and-glue rendition of a traditional Cornish pilot gig. Whitby is in North Yorkshire on England’s east coast, and the club races their six-oared plywood boat against traditional gigs.

The design of these fast-rowing boats dates well back to the 19th century. No one has ever built a stitch-and-glue Cornish pilot gig before Whitby commissioned this one, and at 32 feet long, it’s undoubtedly among the largest quick-assembly stitch-and-glue projects out there.

  • Skill Level Pro-Kit
  • Estimated Build Time 400 hours

Pro-Kits are for experienced builders with a knowledge of wood-epoxy boatbuilding techniques and the ability to work from traditional construction drawings.

This kit features computer-cut parts, puzzle joints, pre-drilled wire holes, and computer-indicated bulkhead locations, speeding and simplifying the construction process. The assembly manual makes the construction process accessible to experienced builders.

Build this boat if...

  • You are part of a community group that is enjoys activities that get you moving and on the water.
  • You're looking for a boat for team or club rowing.
  • You have a shop and a some eager souls looking for a new group project.

  • Classic Appeal

    Traditional looks that will never age

  • Quality Materials

    Only the best professional-grade materials

  • Sophisticated Design

    Nothing else like it to buy or build

Classic Appeal

Some might argue that small craft design reached the zenith of looks and performance in the 19th century. We wouldn't disagree. Designs like this one will still look good in a hundred years.

Quality Materials

Our kits ship with the same first-class marine plywood, timber, epoxy, and fiberglass that we use in our own boatbuilding shop. It's not cheap, but these boats are meant to last forever!

This is a design with qualities and features that are unique in the marketplace, both among DIY projects and production boats. Refined, tested, uncompromised, outstanding, and unique!

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We Can Help You Build this Boat

We offer classes for many of the boats we sell. For boats, such as this one, we can offer private classes upon request. Some customers also ask us to build the boat for them.
Whitby Pilot Gig
Bowdoinham Rowing Club's Whitby Gig being rowed in Belfast, Maine.

Bowdoinham Rowing Club's Whitby Gig being rowed in Belfast, Maine.

Whitby Pilot Gig
Whitby Pilot Gig
Whitby Pilot Gig Thumbnail
Bowdoinham Rowing Club's Whitby Gig being rowed in Belfast, Maine. Thumbnail
Whitby Pilot Gig Thumbnail
Whitby Pilot Gig Thumbnail

Specifications

Length
32' 0"
Beam
58"
Hull Weight Dry
725 lbs
Max. Payload
1,600 lbs.

Performance

Stability

4 out of 5
Very Tippy
Very Stable

Speed

5 out of 5
Cruiser
Racer

Payload

3 out of 5
Day Tripper
Freight Hauler

Ease of Construction

2 out of 5
Requires Patience
Very Easy
Bowdoinham Rowing Club's Whitby Gig being rowed in Belfast, Maine.
Bowdoinham Rowing Club's Whitby Gig being rowed in Belfast, Maine.

Overview

Pro-Kit 

The Whitby Fisherman’s Amateur Rowing Club commissioned this stitch-and-glue rendition of a traditional Cornish pilot gig. Whitby is in North Yorkshire on England’s east coast, and the club races their plywood six-oared boat against traditional gigs.

The design of these fast-rowing boats dates well back to the 19th century. No one has ever tried a stitch-and-glue Cornish pilot gig, and at 32 feet long, it’s undoubtedly among the largest quick-assembly stitch-and-glue projects out there.

We started with the lines of TREFFRY, built in 1838 and still considered the paragon of the type. We adapted CLC’s LapStitch™ system for quick and strong construction by novice builders. Very little in the way of a mold is needed, just a few female cradles during the hull assembly operation. Ten structural bulkheads add great stiffness to the hull and support a variety of fixed rowing seat geometries, depending on the racing ambitions of the crew.

Hull #1 went together very quickly and without drama over the winter of 2015. Starting from a CNC-cut kit, initial hull assembly takes as little as three days. Here’s what the Rowing Club had to say about the prototype:

“The kit was very good, fitted together with no alterations. Stability was very good. The speeds vary depending on [seating] position, in some positions achieving 10 knots.”

There are now quite a few Whitby Pilot Gigs on the water in the US, adopted by rowing clubs for racing and training programs.

The gig is stitched together upright in a simple building cradle for convenience and to ensure accuracy. Then, the hull is flipped, and the LapStitch™ seams are bonded with epoxy. A modest amount of fiberglass fabric reinforcement is added below the waterline, inside and outside, while all surfaces are sealed with epoxy. With the addition of laminated rails, the structure is rigid, light, and durable.

The Whitby Pilot Gig uses 12'6" sweeps set in thole pins or Concept II locks.

Read this article about our staff visit to some Gig racing clubs in New England.

Buying Options

Choose Your Boatbuilding Experience

Building a Whitby Pilot Gig begins with selecting the option that best fits your skill level and shop size.

  1. Select Your Configuration

    Build From a Kit:
    Most builders start with the Base Kit. It’s all there.
    Build From Scratch:
    Build from scratch using our Plans & Builders Guide.
    Build From a Wood Parts Only Kit:
    For those who have their own supply of epoxy, fiberglass, and hardware.
    Order Study Plans or Manuals:
    Like to study up a bit first? Download study plans or a copy of the assembly manual.

  2. Choose Options and Add-Ons

    Additional Components:
    The Whitby Pilot Gig uses 12'6" sweeps set in thole pins or Concept II locks. You can also order nonskid decking, storage covers, oar bags, beach dollies, and more.

  3. Get Building!

    Computer-cut kits feature all of the latest tweaks for easy assembly, including slot-together frames, pre-drilled holes for stitching-and-gluing, puzzle joints, and precision in the fitting of parts.

Standard Configuration

Sale
$7,250.00 $6,525.00

The Whitby Pilot Gig kit includes all hull parts computer-cut...

The Whitby Pilot Gig kit includes all hull parts computer-cut from BS 1088 okoume marine plywood, all holes pre-drilled and frames located. Panels are pre-drilled 9mm okoume, with the exception of 12mm Sheer panels for the Rails. Seat-tanks are slot-together 18mm okoume; frames are 18mm with 4mm okoume doublers. Transoms are 18mm plus a 9mm transom-doubler. Rails, inwales, spacer material, Yoke, Breasthook, Quarter-knees and Foot Stretcher rails are Sapele Mahogany. 12mm Rudder halves and hardware included. Fir Blank material for Seats are provided in the Full-kit only, along with complete epoxy, fiberglass and hardware. Computer-cut 3/4" Particle Board for Cradles/Forms and a Thwart-Seat Template also included. Complete epoxy and fiberglass kit included. Comes with a thoroughly illustrated builders guide.

Whitby Gig parts layout drawing
$3,625.00

The Whitby Pilot Gig kit includes all hull parts computer-cut...

The Whitby Pilot Gig kit includes all hull parts computer-cut from BS 1088 okoume marine plywood, all holes pre-drilled and frames located. Panels are pre-drilled 9mm okoume, with the exception of 12mm Sheer panels for the Rails. Seat-tanks are slot-together 18mm okoume; frames are 18mm with 4mm okoume doublers. Transoms are 18mm plus a 9mm transom-doubler. Rails, inwales, spacer material, Yoke, Breasthook, Quarter-knees and Foot Stretcher rails are Sapele Mahogany. 12mm Rudder halves and hardware included. Computer-cut 3/4" Particle Board for Cradles/Forms and a Thwart-Seat Template also included. Comes with a thoroughly illustrated builders guide.

Whitby Gig parts layout drawing

Alternative Configurations

$35.00

This option comprises the latest version of the full-color, n...

This option comprises the latest version of the full-color, neatly illustrated 15-page step-by-step Builder's Guide. The guide-only option is for builders who want to study the project in detail before taking up their tools. This is intended for builders who already have some epoxy, fiberglass, and stitch-and-glue experience. 

While the guide is expansive in detail, it does not include offsets or patterns for builders working from scratch. We regret that we are not able to transmit plans or CAD/CAM data digitally.

Whitby Pilot Gig plans drawing
$30.00

This option comprises the latest version of the full-color, n...

This option comprises the latest version of the full-color, neatly illustrated 15-page step-by-step builder's guide. The guide-only option is for builders who want to study the project in detail before taking up their tools.  This guide is intended for builders with some epoxy, fiberglass, and stitch-and-glue experience. (Not recommended for first-time boatbuilders.)

While the guide is expansive in detail, the manual does not include offsets or patterns for builders working from scratch. You'll need the "Plans and Builders Guide" option for that. Plans are available through the mail. We regret that we are not able to transmit plans or CAD/CAM data digitally.

This option comprises a 15-page assembly guide emailed in the form of PDFs at 11x17 (280x432mm). Upon placing the order, you'll receive an email with a link to the PDF.

Be sure to use a correct email address. If you have filters in place, be sure that emails from admin@clcboats.com are not blocked.

Download PDF

Videos

Whitby Pilot Gig Sea Trials

Whitby Pilot Gig in the Great River Race 2016

Bowdoinham Rowing Join Us HD 720p

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I order this kit?

Click on the Buying Options tab the top left of this page and follow the directions.

How much does this boat weigh and how much can it carry?

The weight and payload of this boat, along with other statistics such length and beam, can be found under Specs in the Specifications section, which is just below the lead image seen at the top of this page.

Can you send me the plans digitally?

Sorry, but until digital rights management technology for marine architectural work catches up to that used for books and music, we are unable to transmit digital plans. Currently, only study plans and manuals can be sent digitally.

What is LapStitch Construction?

CLC'S LapStitch™ Construction

Patent No. 6,142,093 

Our system combines the unquestioned grace of lapstrake hulls with the proven ease of stitch-and-glue construction. The strength of the LapStitch™ joint is such that the designs require comparatively little fiberglass or fillet work, making them especially easy to build.

Lapstrake hull shapes evolved over millennia. Many would suggest that the type reached a high-water mark with the Viking longboats, but the actual building method was little changed right up into the 20th century. Planks were riveted together, and the technique required prodigious skill on the part of boatbuilders.

Over the last few decades, the advent of modern adhesives and high-quality marine plywood brought about the first major innovation in lapstrake building methods: "glued plywood" lapstrake hulls. This method of planking produces very strong, stiff, and beautiful hulls that never leak. This is progress, to be sure, but glued lapstrake boats still require molds and arcane joinery skills. It isn't a process suited to amateurs.

In 1997, Chesapeake Light Craft developed a way to build lapstrake boats without molds or complex "rolling bevels" on the lapstrake planking. Using sophisticated computer design software, we are now able to devise hull shapes that will assume a round-bottomed shape without a jig or "torturing" of the wood. A special "rabbet," or groove, is machined into each strake so that they are self-aligning. They are wired together just like a stitch-and-glue kayak. When these joints are filled with epoxy, the result is a remarkably stiff and strong hull that is visually indistinguishable from traditional lapstrake planking.

LapStitch™ construction is featured in these CLC boats:

After more than 15 years of development, the evolution of LapStitch™ has reached the stage where we can render complex lapstrake hull shapes in complete confidence without "strongback" molds.  Chesapeake Light Craft can design and build for you LapStitch™ hulls of any shape or size.  

Classes

We Can Help You Build this Boat

We offer classes for many of the boats we sell. For boats, such as this one, we can offer private classes upon request. Some customers also ask us to build the boat for them.

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