We are pleased to announce that both our Stitch & Glue and Lapstrake boatbuilding kits are now available for purchase via this site. If you haven’t already, see how our templates make the difference!

» Indian Girl Stitch and Glue Kit
» Voyager Stitch and Glue Kit
» Kingfisher/Flyfisher Lapstrake Kit

We’re pleased to announce that signed copies of David’s second book, Lapstrake Canoes: Everything You Need to Know to Build a Light, Strong, Beautiful Boat, are now available for purchase via this website!

A lavishly illustrated guide to building a lapstrake canoe — with free plans for three canoes… Lapstrake boats are built by partially overlapping successive thin planks the length of the boat, to make a gorgeous shape that is lightweight, very strong, and stable. David Nichols makes “advanced” boatbuilding accessible to all ages and skill levels. He has written this book so that any highschooler with a bit of focus can build himself or herself a stunning canoe. Lapstrake Canoes is thoroughly illustrated with color photos and line drawings throughout, taking the reader step-by-step through every part of the process. The photos alone could teach you how to build a canoe. In addition, David Nichols’ written instructions are clear and deliberate, breaking down each job into a series of simple tasks, telling where to watch for common errors, imparting skills and good humor at every turn. He also includes free plans for three of his own canoe designs, ranging from 12 feet to 16 feet, plus plans for making your own paddle, and making a downwind sail. This book is an astonishing wealth of information and experience at your fingertips.

The Maritime Museum in Portsmouth is where Admiral Nelson’s Flagship, HMS Victory, is berthed. I took a picture of the deadeyes on HMS Victory because dead eyes are very useful on small boats as well…

They’re a great low tech way to deal with standing rigging. They can be complicated, like those on Victory or they can be simple like this system on a Standing Lug whaler also at the museum…

I liked the traveler on the whaler as well…

There were two other pieces of hardware that I also found I might want to duplicate at some point… The jib tack makes bending on the sail fast but what I liked best was the tiller arrangement… This clever system allows for the tiller to be removed quickly.

Next Bilge keels…

It would be hard, as a sailor, to come to London and not travel to Greenwich, home of the Prime Meridian… The National Maritime Museum at Greenwich covers a large area with a number of hands-on exhibits but I found the Observatory the most interesting… The exhibit on chronometers was fascinating… Really the main reason of this section of the trip was to stand with one foot in the Western Hemisphere and one foot in the Eastern Hemisphere… I only have a photo of the line as I was reluctant to hand my Nikon to a stranger to get a photo. On to Portsmouth!

The Prime Meridian in Greenwich, England

The Royal Observatory

Wind vane on top of the Royal Observatory

The view towards London from Greenwich.

Voyager Stitch & Glue Kit
Indian Girl Stitch & Glue Kit
(Other Kits Available Soon!)

Kits Include:

• Templates for correct plate shape — this makes assembly much easier
• Planks & Bottom with pre-cut step scarfs — planks and bottom have station lines marked — this makes assembly much easier
• Bulkheads with station numbers
• Mid-section
• Copper wire, screws, inwales and outwales, decks, hatches and hatch hardware, cleat material for sheer clamps & hatches, and fiberglass tape
• 70 plus page manual with photos

Voyager Stitch & Glue Kit: 969.00 USD
Indian Girl Stitch & Glue Kit: 940.00 USD