Boats and kids go together like toes and sand. Building a boat with your kid(s) is a great way to start them off on a lifetime of maritime adventures. Kids learn patience, stick-to-itiveness, and specific hand–eye–mind skills. When my 10-year-old daughter, Ana, and I built the Salt Bay Skiff, I realized that parents could learn a lot from their kids, too.
The Salt Bay Skiff has a graceful shape and a few fancy touches that set her apart from the crowd. Varnished thwarts give her a touch of class. The boat weighs less than 100 lbs and is small enough for cartop transport. All that, and she still is stalwart enough to comfortably carry 300 lbs of people and gear. Easy to build and fun to sail, she’s a quick-and-dirty boat in swan’s clothing.
This design is a fine choice for the first-time builder. All major pieces can be gotten out of three sheets of marine plywood and one sheet of household grade. Since the boat is built on its own frames, there is no need to build a strongback. While it is possible to build the Salt Bay Skiff with minimal tools, this will greatly slow the process and introduce error along the way. I encourage builders to try and gain access to a full shop, as we did. You’ll find that neighbors with tools like to get involved. Also, many community colleges offer shop access. All this makes life easier and exposes your child to the real workings of boatbuilding.
The Salt Bay Skiff shouldn’t be attempted in a single weekend, especially if you’re building with kids. Ana and I took several weekends to pick away at it. Also, I recommend revisiting earlier editions of this “Getting Started” series, especially the articles on building the Peace Canoe (WB Nos. 195 and 196) as it is a good primer for building the Salt Bay Skiff, with many construction similarities and tips that can be applied. One major difference, however, is that we used epoxy instead of marine-grade polyurethane adhesive. I prefer it because its stiffness is more like that of plywood.
Materials Needed to Build the Salt Bay Skiff