Build your kit boat like an expert

Polly Robinson shares her best practice for constructing a boat from a pre-cut kit, and how to troubleshoot potential problems

- Polly Robinson

Plywood boatbuilding has been popular for years - it's cheaper, quicker and more accessible than traditional building methods - but in the past you'd need to loft the plans onto the plywood or use large, full-size paper plans to transfer to the panels.

Enter Computerised Numerical Control (CNC) machines which allow the designer to transfer all the panels into a computer- aided design (CAD) program that then allows the CNC machine to cut out the panels with great precision and speed.

The builder then gets started straight away with the fun part-assembling the boat with minimum risk of misshapen panels or human error.

Epoxy allowed plywood boatbuilding to become faster and easier. Using a stitch and glue method-where panels are held together with wire or cable ties (stitched!) to get the boat's shape and then secured with thickened epoxy applied as a 'fillet' to hold the shape permanently (glued!) -the epoxy is stronger than the wood it's holding together.

It's a method that hasn't changed much in the years it has been used - The Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction: Wood and West System Materials by Meade Gougeon is still as relevant today as it was when first published-and a great source of information for all kit builders.

The nature of a plywood boat kit with pre-cut panels means the risk of a disaster is greatly minimised. It's a great method for first time builders or those who want to get onto the water as quickly as possible. Although problems are minimal there are a few areas where some care should be taken, as well as some best practices to follow.

BEST PRACTICE