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The Stillwater Boats plans and boat kits were developed to allow people within a wide range of skill levels to produce a finished boat they can be proud of. With a few small power and hand tools the complete wood boat kit is assembled in a step-by-step manner. Each step is explained with photos or sketches where possible. The main tools needed are a clear mind and patience. Patience is perhaps the most important tool. Not because of the time involved, but because it lets you step back when you are about to make a mistake. Yes! With a little wood working skill, patience, and the willingness to read and follow directions, you can build a Stillwater Boat. The Stillwater Boats are designed for flatwater recreational use. They are not recommended for whitewater or rough conditions. They are, however recommended for misty morning paddles, picnics under a warm springtime sun, exploring quiet backwaters, and contemplating a fiery sunset as you gently glide back to camp.
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One of the first boats I built was a wooden Folbot. It was, and still is,
a very stable, reliable boat. It went with me on many camping trips,
loaded down with gear, through fair weather and foul, and always brought
me safely home. It became known as the "Tank" because of its weight (80+lbs.) as well as for its seeming indestructibility. Before very long I
realized that the "Tank" was entirely too heavy for one person to be
lifting up and down off racks on top of a pickup truck. This realization led me to build an ultralite canoe with a wooden skeleton and fabric covering. Although this boat was a pleasure to lift and easy to paddle, I hit a submerged stump the second time out. This resulted in a tear, a quick paddle to shore, and a lack of trust in the boat. After repairs, I never used it again. The next boat was a Wee-Lassie type, built glued lapstrake, out of 4mm mahogany plywood, as per Tom Hill's book. This boat had it all: reasonable weight, good strength and durability; and was a joy to behold. Simple beauty at its best. But there were two drawbacks: the number of pieces and sanding. On a lapstrake boat there are quite a few pieces involved in just putting the hull together. Each piece takes time to make. Sanding all of those individual strakes was time-consuming, to say the least. Sanding is an important issue with me. You see, I have been a cabinetmaker (fine furniture) most of my life, and in my mind, a beautiful finish is the only way to complete any work I do. One of the necessary steps to achieving this is sanding and then sanding some more. Not my favorite thing to do, so I try to make it as easy as possible. A broad flat surface is the easiest. The more edges or corners you have to sand, the more trouble it is. With these boats and their various lessons learned, I began to search my mind for a method that would allow me to build a wooden boat that could be affordable for the average person, yet have the beauty and grace of higher-priced boats. The result of this search are the Stillwater Boats. True canoe-shaped hulls, built using 4 pieces of wood! |
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The Stillwater Boats are built using a unique new method of cutting and bending plywood that results in a finely shaped hull with no ribs to
sand around, no strakes to bevel, and minimal fairing. Stillwater Boats
are built on a very simple jig of just two station forms that can be set
up on sawhorses, bench top, or the kitchen table, if you're so inclined.
Using a simple stitch-and-glue technique, you create a true rounded
bilge canoe or kayak that is beautiful, lightweight, functional, and
easy to sand and finish.The advantages of this construction method are many:
So. Is this the ideal way to build? No. All methods have their advantages and disadvantages. What Stillwater Boats offer is a quick, lightweight, and simple method that results in a nicely shaped hull. Stillwater Boats are built by cutting four panels out of 3mm marine plywood, folding them together, and fiberglassing the joints. What makes this work are vertical cuts that allow the panels to take their shape. A simple idea, a simple boat. As far as I know, no other method of bending plywood will allow this to happen!
 The Stillwater Boats, although simple, when completed with a little care are beautiful, as attested to by the winning of first-place ribbons at the 1996 Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival XIV, held at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, MD as well as first place for "Elegance and Simplicity in a bent plywood design at the 1997 WoodenBoat Show held in Mystic, CT.
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We offer both PLANS and KITS for the Stillwater Boats.
The boat plans package consists of a three-page boat plan set that includes full-size patterns for the forms, and a detailed builders manual with photos and sketches. BOAT KITS |
Tel: 301-774-5737
E-mail: stillboats@earthlink.net
