The directions say to cut the boat in half.

Yes, you read that right! I’m about 50 hours into this year’s winter project—building a new dinghy to replace our aging inflatable, which had some issues last year.

 

This dinghy is a kit designed by Russell Brown at PT Watercraft in Port Townsend, Washington, and distributed by Chesapeake Light Craft. You can check it out here: PT Watercraft.

 

The kit is incredibly well-designed, and the pieces are going together smoothly. I’m now approaching the much-anticipated “cutting in half” step. The forward part of the dinghy is designed to fit into the aft part for transport and storage. It’s both a rowing and sailing dinghy—versatile and perfect for our needs. We’re even planning a little celebration on February 1st for this big milestone.  Cutting a new boat in half isn't quite in the normal vernacular for boat building

 

I thought it might be fun to share this project in the newsletter. If you have a winter project you’d like to share, please send it along! These projects are great for keeping the mind active during Maine’s cold winter days. As I sand and shape, my thoughts are already drifting to rowing across the next anchorage this summer.

Looking to hear about your projects!