scamp sailboat cover

 S.C.A.M.P

I've been corresponding with Joshua Colvin and Craig Wagner, editors of , for a few years now, and have written articles and design features for quite a few issues. Even though we've not met face to face we've gotten to know each other some. The 8000 miles between us being only a fraction of a second away by e-mail. Knowing their bias to the small and simple I was not at all surprised to hear from them asking if a very small cruiser might be a practical proposition.

That's an area of boating that is very close to my heart. Being affordable is very important, as is being achievable, safe, and comfortable. Cruising yachts seem too often to be big, expensive, complex creatures that own their skippers rather than the other way around; what they were proposing was very much at the other end of the scale.

"Ten feet long," they e-mailed. "Sleep on board for a weekend. Something that would daysail an adult and a couple of children. Really easy to build in a garage, and small enough to not need an expensive trailer or a big car to tow it."

There were other considerations, but the above pretty much set the tone.

I have a very successful design called " ." It's a nine-foot long big little boat that will carry a heavy load in mountainous seas. Several of them are called which while not very original is appropriate and at least indicates that the owner-builders know a little of the history of Mt. Everest. Sherpa's a very good hullform for stability and load carrying. It sails well enough for a group of owners to have begun sailing as an informal class with a local yacht club, and is stylish enough to attract compliments. People love it, and I figure that it's one of my better designs.

With that as a starting point I drew a little sketch, photographed it, and e-mailed it to in Port Townsend.

The answer did not take long to come back to me-the response being very enthusiastic and encouraging. We had several exchanges of thoughts and ideas and I've since worked over the drawing, done all the arithmetic and adjusted a few things. S. C. A. M. P. (That's Small Craft Advisor Magazine Project) is a tad over 10 feet long and a whisker under five wide-she is short and fat. With her water ballast she will be exceptionally stable allowing the skipper to move around the little ship without worrying about falling out. SCAMP has plenty of freeboard, lots of dry stowage, a self draining cockpit-and for safety's sake a huge amount of air-tank buoyancy.

That little "cabin" is really a secure locker and buoyancy air tank. There is room in there for a sleeping bag, dry clothes, food, matches and such. There is also space for a lot more stores and equipment under the side seats, and if the skipper is intending to get away for a really big adventure, there is more space under the cockpit floor.

That self draining floor is the bunk, wide enough for shoulders, long enough for all but the tallest NBA player, sheltered and secure with their head up under the after end of the "cabin." I'd expect there to be about an even break between those who will tent the cockpit with a cover over the boom and those who will use a "bivysack" type outdoor sleeping bag. Either way it'll be easy to be comfortable in there.

Josh told me that a dedicated place for the bucket is very important, so there is a little well at the after end of the cockpit floor, the dinghy venturi bailers are positioned in there and it provides not only a secure place for the bucket in under the tiller, but also a place for any rainwater or spray to drain into.

The centerboard is hidden in the starboard side seat front, and does not get in the way at all. The asymmetry making such a tiny difference that few will ever notice from one tack to the other.

With twin skegs under her flat bottom, and a kickup rudder, she can sneak into very shallow water, and will sit upright when the tide goes out, often an ideal way of spending a night out in a small boat that would otherwise be bounced around by the waves and powerboat wakes in a big boat anchorage.

The rig is a simple balanced lugsail. I'd expect the boat to be ready to launch within 15 minutes of arrival at the boat ramp, the mast being unstayed and light enough to just pick up and plug in, the yard and boom with the sail being easy to fit, leaving only the rudder to put on.

I can imagine sailing around the point and into the glossy waters of a tiny sheltered cove, drifting along on the last of the evening breeze. It won't take long to get the tent up. The stove will have the water boiled for coffee by the time that's up and secure, and there are several choices of meals that can be heated and ready for supper by the time the coffee is down. While the little boat is indeed very small, it's comfortable, so why go home tomorrow, or even the next day? It's a big lake, and there are lots of anchorages like this to enjoy.

SCA (Small Craft Advisor) Editors on SCAMP

"What does a man need-really need? A few pounds of food each day, heat and shelter, six feet to lie down in-and some form of working activity that will yield a sense of accomplishment. That's all-in the material sense, and we know it. But we are brainwashed by our economic system until we end up in a tomb beneath a pyramid of time payments, mortgages, preposterous gadgetry, playthings that divert our attention for the sheer idiocy of the charade. The years thunder by, the dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before we know it, the tomb is sealed. Where, then, lies the answer? In choice. Which shall it be: bankruptcy of purse or bankruptcy of life?" -Sterling Hayden

Our own youthful dreams often featured small boats in supporting roles. Stalwart little vessels aboard which we'd venture across nebulous bodies of water in search of uncharted shores and uninhabited islands. Sometimes we'd land and go ashore to explore or make camp, often retreating to our boats to wait out a summer storm beneath a boom tent. We'd read sea stories by oil lantern and, on clear nights, sleep under a blanket of stars.

Curiously, these fanciful voyages never involved wrestling with a heavy mast, fussing with a smelly outboard, or being held off shore by our boat's draft. And even when we pictured whitecaps kicked up by a stout afternoon breeze, never was there a chilly capsize.

It was a longing for those simple pleasures that inspired thoughts of SCAMP. That and a persistent desire to go over "there"-that place we often see but can never quite reach. It seems to happen on every cruise. Never mind that we're usually sailing the smallest boat around for miles. We always come upon some ultra-shallow bay or intriguing tidal stream that disappears into the reeds, trees and rushes. To get in there-all the way in there-a boat needs to be light, shallow and easily propelled-and preferably flat-bottomed should we decide to stay though the ebb.

Trying our best to distill small-boat cruising to its essence, we sorted out our ideas and took the best of them to one of our favorite designers-John Welsford. It shouldn't have surprised us that, being of a like mind, he responded enthusiastically.

What we commissioned was the most micro of cruisers. We wanted a cabin, not for a claustrophobic casket-like berth-but for dry stowage, buoyancy and a bulwark against wind and seas. We tried to be honest about the compromises. In describing the boat to John we said SCAMP would be so small that, "the designer himself might cringe a little when he puts the pencil down."

Remarkably, where we expected John would need eleven or even twelve feet to meet our goals, he was able to do so in slightly over ten. And where we'd resigned ourselves to the possibility she might be at least slightly less capable than larger microcruisers, John drew SCAMP with a selfdraining cockpit, abundant flotation, and 145-pounds of water ballast. Unlike many larger designs, SCAMP should be recoverable from a complete capsize.

We've long been fans of pram bows and how they maximize volume at a given hull length, and before we could ask, John's initial reply suggested one for SCAMP

Thanks to an offset centerboard the cockpit sole/ single berth measures 25 x 77 inches, making accommodations almost luxurious for the solo sailor. Designed to be sailed, rowed and perhaps sculled, SCAMP can also be fitted with an outboard in place of her rudder-or with an optional mount for a trolling motor.

We believe every boat needs a bucket, so we asked John if he could design in a designated spot for one. He did. Every SCAMP sailor will have at hand a storage container, fire extinguisher, drogue or emergency steering aid, rudimentary head, bailing device, and a tool for filling the ballast tanks.

We wanted the simplicity of a single sail (single halyard, single sheet, etc.) and John wisely recommended the balanced lug. Although we're fans of this rig and unanimously saw it as the best choice, we wondered if some potential builders might prefer the more familiar gaff sail. At our urging, and with some reluctance, John drew SCAMP with a gaff. The resultant drawing with the much higher aspect rig looked less purposeful, unwieldy-almost fragile. Seeing SCAMP dressed like this so convinced us of the balanced lug's better suitability that we scrapped the gaff option altogether. John appreciated our coming to our senses and wrote, "The lugsail gets the right amount of area in the space available without getting outside the ends of the boat or going up too high. Remember that this is a very stable boat, and can carry a lot of sail without risk, and that's one of the strengths of the lugsail."

John suggests a practiced amateur could have the construction done and ready for paint in about 110 hours. It's our hope that new sailors and first-time builders will appreciate the small size and simplicity of the design, and that more experienced builders and sailors will appreciate SCAMP's surprising level of sophistication.

Although SCAMP wasn't designed specifically with kids in mind, we think she would make an ideal exploration boat for young sailors-safe, capable and easily handled. We intend to donate a set of plans to any formal organization or school looking to build a SCAMP for this purpose.

Now on to the next step-finding a builder for the prototype and getting SCAMP in the water! SCA

SCAMP Plans are available at Duckworks

• Boats & Gear
• Instructional
• Cruising Stories
• Cruising Destinations
• Race Results
• Race Reports
• Racing Technique
• Submit a Classified Ad
• Boats for Sale
• All Classifieds
• Terms & Conditions
• Your Dashboard
• Seattle Area Racing Calendar (SARC)
• 48° North Cruising Rally
• Croatia Flotilla
• Close to the Water: My Boat Crush

When I first saw a Scamp sailboat, I thought it looked like an oversized children’s bath toy. It seemed to bob around sitting too high in the water, and that snub nose made me feel that part of the boat was missing. But once aboard, the high sides created a dry ride and an atmosphere of safety. With a small cuddy forward, and lots of hatches for neatly stowing gear, it felt serene compared to some of the open boats I normally admire, where gear and stray equipment clutter their cockpits.

The Small Craft Advisor Magazine Project (better known as SCAMP) is an increasingly popular small sailboat that can be built from plans or a kit, as well as ordered as a ready to sail fiberglass model constructed locally by Gig Harbor Boat Works. With a 100-square-foot sail, and measuring just shy of 12 feet with a beam of about five feet, the boat seems like it shouldn’t sail well at all, but somehow it does.

I’ve been out on Scamps enough times to not be surprised by their abilities. For such a small boat, I’m continually impressed by how comfortable and spacious the seven-foot long cockpit, with benches lining each side, and the five-foot cuddy make the boat feel. If I was blindfolded at the helm of a Scamp and you asked me how big a boat I was steering, I’d say something long and steady — maybe 20 feet. After all, I’d be sitting straight up, with my legs down in a well, not scrunched up like most dinghies. The tiller in hand would feel steady, with no signs of the boat wiggling due to any slight inattention.

I wasn’t alone in finding the aesthetics of the hull curious. “I became interested in Scamps very slowly. At first I did not really care for them,” my pal Randy Wheating wrote by email. “However, my big Chebacco was being used less and less.”

Many people construct their own Scamps as part of a class. Friend and lifelong sailor, Dale Simonson, told me, “I sort of ended up with a Scamp by mistake. Or, more like by happenstance. I was planning (or dreaming about planning) to build a boat in a few years… when I stumbled onto an upcoming ‘Scamp Camp,’ a group build of ten boats. Ten students, four instructors, two weeks, and come home with your own boat!”

Dale noted, “I wasn’t totally enamored with the design until I started to really consider the value of the workshop, and getting such a good jumpstart on a build. It wasn’t until we got into the build, and all the ensuing discussions with the instructors (in particular, John Welsford the designer, and Howard Rice the adventure sailor), that I fell in love with the concept and the approach of the design as a very small vessel that is capable of cruising my local near-shore waters of the Salish Sea.”

For some Scamp sailors, the camaraderie is a big part of the appeal of the boat. There’s an active online community as well as Red Lantern rallies where scads of Scamps congregate. But that’s not true for everyone. Samantha Ritchie, the captain of a fiberglass Scamp named Kerfuffle observed, “the Scamp community is mostly older white men. I like older white men, but that’s not really my group, so I am not into the ‘community’ thing very much. That being said, I love seeing other Scamps and always go chat with the owners.”

But like other people, Samantha appreciates the balance of simplicity and function. “I am very comfortable in the Scamp, and it’s a low fuss kind of boat.  I am strong for a 65-year-old woman, but not as strong as I was 10 years ago. Despite that, I can easily put up the mast, pull the boat up on a beach, etc. No need for winches for any big jib — no jib!”

I initially expected the Scamp to sail like a bulldozer, slogging along pushing water. In reality, it moves smoothly under sail and turns on a dime, making sailing out of a marina or around other tight places deceptively easy. With only one sail and a short waterline, making 360 degree penalty turns actually feels like fun. I will admit one fault about my crush — as I’ve sailed alongside my friends in their Scamps, they are gradually outpaced by all but the shortest hulls.

I’ve been out in Scamps in a big blow, but when filled with 175 pounds of water ballast (integrated into cavities in the hull), I’ve been impressed with how stable they were. But, it wouldn’t be a sailboat if you didn’t get scared from time to time and yes, despite the broad beam and reefable sail, I’ve seen them capsize. Still, the boat is self rightable and floats high enough to bail with a little effort.

Besides being fun to sail, the Scamp is an able camp cruiser and despite its size, both Dale and Samantha have done overnight stints at anchor with their partners. Dale notes, “I think I’m a minimalist at heart, my wife and I lived in Volkswagen vans for two years, touring Europe and Australia. I love to row (and sail, even more) and don’t care much for motor boating. I have found backpacking, kayaking, camping, and living a bit ‘rough’ to be enjoyable… Big poofy pillows are allowed. Dutch ovens, too. It’s a very comfortable floating tent that turns into a kitchen, a lounge, and then a fun sailing machine… and fits in a single car garage.”

As I’ve started to play with the many strings and sticks attached to slightly larger boats, the simplicity of the Scamp keeps calling me. Sure I’d be slower and maybe not as sleek, but the comfort and adaptability of the Scamp in such a small package just keeps me smiling.

Bruce Bateau sails and rows traditional boats with a modern twist in Portland, Oregon. His stories and adventures can be found at www.terrapintales.wordpress.com.

Bruce Bateau

Bruce Bateau sails and rows traditional boats with a modern twist in Portland, Ore. His stories and adventures can be found at www.terrapintales.wordpress.com

Featured , Events Coverage

Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival Kicking Off Today!

September 6, 2024

Race Reports , Featured

BYC PITCH Regatta Celebrates 50 Years

Cruising Stories , Featured

#TBT: Grasshopper to the San Juans

September 5, 2024

48° North Cruising Rally 2024

September 4, 2024

Boating Lifestyle , Featured

Editor’s Letter: The Season for Learning

September 3, 2024

Fisheries Supply Fall Swap Meet Set for September 28

August 30, 2024

• Plans & Kits
• Kits and Packages

S.C.A.M.P. Printed Plans

• Create New Wish List

Description

Additional information.

S.C.A.M.P. (Small Craft Advisor Magazine Project) For Plans Instant Download, click HERE Original Designer: John Welsford Additional Development: Kees Prins Kit Adaptations: Turn Point Design Our own youthful dreams often featured small boats in starring roles. Aboard these simple, stalwart little vessels we'd venture across nebulous bodies of water in search of distant wild shorelines or uncharted islands. We'd land, hike into the interior, and make camp. But always our boats offered refuge from any threat, including summer storms, which we'd wait out beneath our boom tents. At night we'd read sea stories by oil lantern and sleep under a blanket of stars.

Curiously, never once did these visions include negative images of wrestling with a heavy mast and complex rigging, fussing with a smelly, recalcitrant outboard, or being held off shore by our boat's draft. And even when we pictured the afternoon breeze kicking up whitecaps, never once did the vision include a chilly capsize.

It was the dream of returning to those simple pleasures that inspired thoughts of SCAMP. That and a persistent desire to go over "there" - that place we often see but are unable to reach. It seems to happen on every cruise. Never mind that we're usually sailing the smallest boat around for miles, we always come upon some ultra-shallow lagoon or serpentine tidal stream that disappears into the reeds, trees and rushes. To get in there - to really commune with nature - a boat needs to be light, shallow and easily propelled - and preferably flat-bottomed in case we decide to stay right though the ebb.

SCAMP features an offset centerboard, massive flotation from sealed seats and stowage cabin, a water ballast tank holding 173 pounds of water, an after cabin "veranda" that functions like a hard dodger, and a flat bottom and skegs for beaching.

PLANS: Complete plans now available on 7 24 x 36" sheets. A complete "Building guide" with suggested steps Is available in printed or digital format. Additionally, there are several boats beginning construction and documenting progress at the Small Craft Advisor message board and elsewhere online.

LOA - 11 ft 11 in Beam - 5 ft 4 in Draft (board up) - 7 in Water Balast - 173 lbs. Weight (including rig) - 420 lb s.

Related Products

S.C.A.M.P. Plans Instant Download

Kalostyn Plans

Kastri plans

Tread Lightly Printed Plans

SmallCraftAdvisor.com

Small-Boat Related Message Board

Skip to content

• Subscriptions
• Back Issues
• Instant Downloads
• Boat Plans & Kits
• Message Board
• Classifieds
• Quick links
• Home Board index SCAMP
• It is currently Tue Sep 10, 2024 9:10 am
• All times are UTC

Moderator: Moderator

• Jump to page:
• Announcements Replies Views Last post
• SCAMP Hardware and Rigging Kits @ Duckworks by Editors » Thu Sep 28, 2017 8:11 pm 0 Replies 42997 Views Last post by Editors Thu Sep 28, 2017 8:11 pm
• Scamp Kit Purchasing Information by Editors » Wed Nov 21, 2012 5:46 pm 5 Replies 65705 Views Last post by Editors Wed Apr 19, 2017 3:59 pm
• Topics Replies Views Last post
• SCAMP for Great Loop (Inland Portion) by codefoster » Thu Aug 08, 2024 10:47 pm 2 Replies 74 Views Last post by codefoster Sun Aug 11, 2024 3:09 am
• Lug sail by steve71 » Wed Jul 10, 2024 5:21 am 2 Replies 127 Views Last post by codefoster Wed Aug 07, 2024 3:49 pm
• 10 SCAMP Questions Pt1 of 4 by ctbren » Mon Jan 08, 2024 12:01 am 3 Replies 1247 Views Last post by wdscobie Fri Jul 05, 2024 12:36 pm
• Scamp 256 in SoCal by Jonathan » Sun Jun 23, 2024 6:16 pm 2 Replies 117 Views Last post by Rob Hazard Wed Jun 26, 2024 1:21 pm
• SCAMP Owner's Registery Map Updated by wdscobie » Thu Jun 06, 2024 1:28 am 0 Replies 112 Views Last post by wdscobie Thu Jun 06, 2024 1:28 am
• New SCAMP Website by Editors » Fri May 24, 2024 3:44 pm 1 Replies 509 Views Last post by Slowmotion Tue May 28, 2024 4:21 am
• Stainless Steel centerboard. by Jonathan » Mon Apr 08, 2024 2:02 am 5 Replies 888 Views Last post by Editors Wed May 01, 2024 5:51 pm
• 10 SCAMP Questions Pt 2 of 4 by ctbren » Mon Jan 08, 2024 12:03 am 3 Replies 1527 Views Last post by Rob Hazard Sat Apr 20, 2024 1:03 pm
• Where to place cleats for fenders? by max » Fri Feb 09, 2024 1:48 am 2 Replies 645 Views Last post by dsimonson Mon Mar 11, 2024 9:18 pm
• 10 SCAMP Questions Pt 4 of 4 by ctbren » Mon Jan 08, 2024 12:09 am 2 Replies 1379 Views Last post by dsimonson Sun Mar 10, 2024 9:18 pm
• 10 SCAMP Questions Pt 3 of 4 by ctbren » Mon Jan 08, 2024 12:06 am 2 Replies 1186 Views Last post by dsimonson Sun Mar 10, 2024 9:02 pm
• Scallywag: What do you think? by jmc » Mon Oct 30, 2023 2:33 am 3 Replies 2529 Views Last post by Brent65 Sun Dec 31, 2023 6:59 pm
• Leak under starboard bench by Nemchono » Sun Aug 20, 2023 7:11 am 3 Replies 2283 Views Last post by DavidSW Tue Dec 19, 2023 5:18 pm
• Scamp needs a new wooden mast by Shackleton#268 » Sun Sep 03, 2023 12:14 am 2 Replies 2240 Views Last post by alienbogey Thu Nov 30, 2023 2:02 am
• Scamp for sale, Tennessee by Flyinb » Sat Jan 21, 2023 1:19 pm 2 Replies 3183 Views Last post by jmc Thu Nov 16, 2023 8:05 pm
• Gig Harbor Boatworks hull #1 for sale by Watermark » Tue Feb 11, 2020 5:26 pm 4 Replies 6361 Views Last post by Watermark Sat Nov 04, 2023 4:25 am
• Greetings to Scamp enthusiasts in New Zealand by CantabRob » Sun Jan 02, 2022 10:20 pm 2 Replies 2990 Views Last post by Scooby Wed Nov 01, 2023 8:30 am

Return to Board Index

• Boat Building and Designs
• Small Boat Events and Gatherings
• Race to Alaska (R2AK)
• West Wight Potter
• Precision Sailboats
• ↳   News and Annoucements
• ↳   General Discussion
• Home Board index

Powered by phpBB ® Forum Software © phpBB Limited

Style by Arty - phpBB 3.3 by MrGaby

Privacy | Terms

Here's the instant download version of the print-ready SCAMP plans. Eight detailed sheets that print at  24 x 36". You also get a PDF of the SCAMP Builders Manual which we will email separately. Welcome aboard!

SCAMP Building Plans PDF DOWNLOAD

• My Boats & Boat Articles
• Boatbuilding Plans
• Free Stitch and Glue Boat Plans
• Info about Cedar

Steps in Building a SCAMP sailboat

Links to all my scamp building pages.

Seat Supports get glued

I coated the seat supports for the port side, with resin and glued them onto the bulkheads and the seat verticals. I'd sanded the glue area because I already had one coat of epoxy and wanted some roughness.

Wax paper keeps the clamps from sticking.

These supports help glue the seat cover which is alto the top of the side watertight compartments.

OH NO! Moment

I realized that I had glued them on crooked. I forgot to allow for the thickness of the seat and aligned the side strips too high. Doh!

I tried cutting with the Japanese saw but I figured my Dremel saw might work really well here and dug it up. I had not used it since cutting out some of the straighter parts of the boat. It worked really well and got to withing about an inch from the end. I chiseled out the piece which was still glued to the side. The glue seam held on for dear life. No fear of this joint coming apart because of glue failure. Epoxy is amazing.

Moving on... I coated the support planks for the starboard side. You can bet I'll be pretty careful lining them up.

Started gluing the starboard supports in. Check and check again, seems OK. I will have to shorten some of the cross pieces. I cut them too long because I forgot to include the thickness of the glue lines, no harm done.

After a quick trim I was able to install the rest of the supports. They are all in place now.

I'll have to do a quick sand because it got pretty gummy. Usually I work quite cleanly but this time everything got sticky and gooey.

Fitting Side Benches and Installing Hatches

I turned my attention to the side benches. They needed to be fitted and hatch openings and doublers cut.

After widening the slots that bulkheads go through and slightly shortening the benches I was able to slide them in and tweak the edges that touch the sides of the boat. Not a huge amount of fitting was needed but I did cut some bevels on the back end where the second strake is actually at quite an angle and was pushing the bench out of alignment.

The front and back corners also had to be rounded to allow for the fillets.

There is about a mm overhanging the sides and that will sand off very nicely after I glue the benches down.

I've decided to put 2 small round hatches at the very back. Since I had closed off the very last compartment to make separate air tight compartment I wanted to be able to access the inside. The port side also will have a motor mount so I need access so I can tighten the installation nuts and bolts.

I am also installing 2 small rectangular hatches in the centre of the benches so I can access the lockers.

I had considered making the hatches but when I looked at the plywood I had left, I found that I did not have enough to do all the required hatches. If I count the amount of time and the cost of the delivery It seems that making the hatches is of no advantage at all. So I will only make the front compartment hatches and use commercial ones for the rest.

I cut the round hatch openings using a circle cutter I bought a million years ago, on sale. I'm amazed on how much use it's actually gotten.

The hole cutter must be used on a drill press. I set up the bench tops on the drill press and cut the holes, I then cut the holes for the 3 doublers. 2 for the benches and one for the fill hole in the water ballast tank. I'll cut the floor hole when I start work on that area.

I used the scratch gauge I had made in the winter to draw the outer circle. It was quick to cut that out on the band saw.

After a bit of sanding and rounding of the outer edge the doublers were ready for installation.

They will be glued under the hatch openings to re-enforce the bench and the floor openings.

Rectangular hatches

I also have 2 rectangular hatches which will give access to the side lockers.

I positioned the hatch so that it would open and not be blocked by the side coaming and also in a spot where I could reach the 2 adjoining sections of the locker. I would have to reach as far as I can but I can reach if I have to. The alternative would be to add more hatches.

Once I had the position I marked it on the seat top.

I used my jig saw to cut the opening. Drilled a pilot hole first. The cut was quite smooth and I only had to touch it up a bit with a file then sandpaper.

The opening is good and accurate. I can use it as a pattern now to cut the rest of the openings. 2 for the doublers and one more on the second seat.

The little rectangular notches are for the hinges.

I set up the flush trim bit in the router and marked and rough cut the opening in the doubler. It saves time to remove most of the material with the saw rather than have the router cut it.

I used a few screws to position the doubler and cut the opening following the good opening I had made in the bench top. The extra wood pieces are to provide a steadier area for the router base.

The pattern is under the rough cut opening so it does not really show. The bearing on the router bit is at the bottom of the bit so the pattern needs to be at the bottom. It worked well and the only part I had to touch up were the sharp inner corners of the hinge recess.

I rounded the 2 back corners using the band saw, and sanded and smoothed the edges. The front edge will be glued against the edge of the seat support at the front so are better not rounded. I measured very carefully to make sure the doubler would fit against the edge with just enough space for a nice thick glue line.

I now have my 2 hatch openings done and the doublers ready to glue. The actual hatches will not go on until the boat is painted and the other hardware gets installed.

The exact positioning of the Starboard side hatch is trickier because of the centreboard case which has a small inspection hatch. I will position this first.

I have sanded the inside of the lockers and am ready to put a final coat of epoxy and paint the inside before I glue on the seat.

I measured and measured again. I used the Dremel saw to plunge in then cut the centreboard inspection hatch. The corners were easy to cut with a little hand saw. I ended up taking just a touch under an eight of an inch off. I think that will mostly be re gained with the epoxy and the paint layers.

The inspection hatch is cut and fits well. I could then go on and finalize the large hatch and smaller round hatch at the back of the starboard seat.

After cutting the hatch openings I glued on the doublers and cleaned up the area. After a quick sand the back of the seats are ready for paint.

I don't need to paint because everything is well coated with epoxy and waterproof but white paint makes the locker brighter.

The seat covers have been painted. I taped off the gluing areas. I will rough up the epoxy before gluing the seats in place.

The port lockers are painted. The starboard lockers will be next. I needed to install the centreboard pivot cap. It covers the spot where the pivot comes through the centreboard case. In theory it can be taken apart if I need to access it but in practice it's quite well gooped and screwed in and would be a real chore to take apart. I'm using 3M 4200 as a sealant and adhesive. I've used it on the Tanzer and really liked it.

While sanding the inside of the starboard lockers I noticed that the joint between 2 pieces of the sheer plank was not as well taped as I would like and I added another layer of glass and a couple coats of epoxy. Once that's set I will be able to finish sanding and paint it also.

After roughing up the glue lines and dusting everything very well I mixed up a lot of glue and squeezed it on the bench supports.

All I had to do was to drop the seat without smearing the glue and that went well. After that the stress went down.

I added a few screws along the inside edge, and put weights on the rest of the joints.

There was a satisfying amount of squeeze out from the edge. This means that there is enough glue on this critical surface. All the other seams will get fillets so I know they will be watertight. The seam on the seat upright is the only one that needs to be perfect. Unless I do something stupid with the fillets, or the hatches leak, I will have 2 watertight compartments, a tiny one at the very back, and a larger one.

After the epoxy sets, I will go and make careful, beautiful fillets.

It's funny crawling up in the boat. I use a stepladder. It's quite a cosy cockpit. It feels safe and comfortable even in its unfinished state.

Both port and starboard seats have been glued in position, trimmed flush using a router and filleted in place. This is an important fillet because it actually supports the seat at the back. It glues it to the top plank.

It always surprises me how long it takes to make tidy fillets. I guess if I made a lot of them I might be faster but as it is I am slow. At this point I went on to work on the under cockpit compartments and ballast tank. I will be fitting and gluing the floor, and making the openings hatches to the various compartments.

emails: Christine

If you decide to build a boat be careful. These tools can be dangerous. If you don't know how to safely handle something find out. There are lots of forums out there with people willing to help you.

This web site reflects my personal ideas and doesn't represent anyone else's point of view. I don't claim to be an expert in anything, just some little old lady muddling along.

Call Us: (253) 851-2126 Mon-Fri 9-5 Pacific Time

Fiberglass SCAMP review in 48 North

by GHBoats Webmaster | Apr 12, 2014 | Press Reviews , SCAMP

Our fiberglass SCAMP got a fantastic write-up in the April 2014 issue of 48 North !

It’s a pretty good sized article so we’re not going to reprint the whole thing here, but these are a few of our favorite parts:

  Gig Harbor Boat Works, known for their strong, esthetically pleasing rowing boats, has already shipped a number of the new SCAMPS all over the country and overseas. “The kit boat has a lot of intricate details that the home builder may not have the talent or tools to build,” says Dave Robertson, owner of GHB. “With the fiberglass version, they can enjoy using the boat right away.” The GHB boat is truly sail-away complete; from oars to sails.

There are many innovations designed into the SCAMP that make it truly a big little boat. One thing that usually takes up a lot of cockpit room of most small boats is the centerboard. The SCAMP’s centerboard, very heavy but swings up easily for trailer or grounding, is offset to starboard so that it doesn’t intrude into the cockpit. I’ll let you call Dave to explain the physics of the offset. Suffice it to say that we didn’t notice a difference on either tack. The result is it opens up the cockpit which feels more like that of a of a San Juan 24.

The boat was surprisingly quick and very stable. “This boat can’t be just 12’long,” I thought. I stood up and rocked it side to side with minimal affect. It felt like 20-footer.   Sailing the SCAMP made me a believer that it actually would be a safe and enjoyable way to explore the San Juans, as well as just knocking around the bay for a fun day of sailing. The SCAMP had lots of surprises, all good.   I have to say it’s the biggest little boat I’ve ever sailed.

You can download a PDF of the full review here:   48 North Scamp Review

Newest Posts

• Annapolis Sailboat Show Oct 10-14, 2024
• Small Boat Festival at Port Ludlow – July 27th
• Lobster Boat Update #3: Preorders Now Open!
• “Pale Valley” Salish Voyager Finishes Strong in Seventy48
• See You at Anacortes Boat & Yacht Show, May 16-18!
• Beach Dolly (1)
• Best of GHBoats (5)
• Customer Questions (8)
• Customization (1)
• Galleries (4)
• Maintenance and Repairs (3)
• Announcements (13)
• Boat Shows (15)
• Just for Fun (17)
• Mailbag (44)
• Newsletters (25)
• Ocean Rowing (13)
• Press Reviews (10)
• Now Hiring (1)
• Woodwork (3)
• Captain's Gig (2)
• Jersey Skiff (4)
• Lobster Boat (5)
• Melonseed (6)
• Navigator (4)
• Nisqually (2)
• Point Defiance (7)
• Salish Voyager (18)
• Swampscott Dory (1)
• Whitehall (7)
• Sea Stories (13)
• Site Guide (4)

Blog Archives

Site search.