Mancraft 101: Building the Eastport Pram Sailing Dinghy

[@RonDebSmithHall]

I see this is an old posting, but I'm hoping you are still watching. Nice build, and with some very helpful tips on the process. I am thinking about scratch building the nesting version of this boat, because I would like to make it as light as possible. I keep a sailboat on my Puget Sound mooring in the summer and with the pretty cobbly beach and our up-to-15 foot tides, it's easier to walk a dinghy down to the water on my back than to use a dolly. I'm also planning to do the nesting version, so that it might fit on the deck of my Flicka. As I look at other builds, the boat seems very stout, maybe more than necessary, especially with the added laminated bulkheads for nesting. What do you think about reducing the plank thickness to 4mm instead of 6 mm? I think the bottom, transoms, and the bulkheads would be 6mm (doubled for nesting).

[@donwakefield6695]

Worth watching again - thanks for the idea to smooth the partially set fillet material. Concise and very useful -- THANKS!!

[@steveburg5273]

That was one of the most detailed build videos for a CLC kit that I’ve seen. You went into great detail about a lot of the process that I have been wondering about.

[@MidnightMaker]

BTW, it was built from plans, although a kit would only skip a few steps.

[@jamespowers9827]

Thank you very much for an informative and helpful guide. I've been struggling with this project and I think now I'll be able to continue. The photography, narration and instruction is first class. Thanks again. jim

[@MidnightMaker]

I'm glad it helped. Please feel free to contact me at [e-mail]. I'm also very active on CLC's forum as CaptainSkully. It's a great resource.

[@lars20th]

I really appreciate your suggestion to make small fillets for the transoms and then remove the copper stitches. The official manual asks us to fillet over the stitches, which to me sounds a bit lazy. Also starting with small fillets seems like a great opportunity to make a small batch of the thicker filleting mix and test it there.

[@MidnightMaker]

Yes, I call it the tack weld method. It also makes it easier to make the larger, long, smooth fillets later, after the boat is immobilized.

[@RobbsHomemadeLife]

I am very impressed by your boat- the fillets look flawless. You were very quick too.

[@MidnightMaker]

The cleaner you can make the fillets when they're gooey, the less sanding you have to do later. Believe me, it's worth the effort. Even using contoured sanding shapes, it's very difficult to smooth out ugly fillets.

[@martuni1539]

Absolutely excellent video. Liked and subscribed. Thanks for sharing your work, very insightful. And your boat is beautiful

[@sermft]

Beautiful! How I get the plans for it? Nice project

[@MidnightMaker]

All of the plans I've built so far are from CLCBoats.com. Search Eastport Pram and Passagemaker.

[@williamreymond2669]

9:05]. You know you can also make a little beach dolly that goes right up through your centerboard trunk like we used to have for our Sunfishes and Phantoms back in the day.

[@jamespowers9827]

Very helpful. Thank you so much.

[@buynsell365]

Great job !!! Looks great. I really need to build one of these. Thanks

[@jackrabbit5047]

Hello from Ottawa, Canada. I enjoyed watching your video and congratulate you on a fine job building your Eastport Pram. I'm thinking of ordering kit from CLC to build the nesting version. Can you tell me how well the boat performs carrying a load (e.g., supplies and two adults)? I'm a big polukah and would like to use it as a tender for the mothership, to carry supplies and explore anchorages. My current tender is an enlarged Bolger Nymph (widened by 6 inches), and though she works fine as a a rowing dinghy, I really like the looks of the EP and also think it would make a great winter project.

[@MidnightMaker]

Hey Jack, thanks and great question! With a published payload of 375 pounds, the EP is pretty much maxed out with two adults (especially if you're a big guy like me), so I would recommend it more for recreation in protected waters. The good news is that the EP has a big sister, the Passagemaker dinghy. While it's not a true nesting pram, the front third does detach from the back two thirds, making the 11'7" dinghy much easier to handle, store, transport, etc. The PM has a payload of 650 pounds which gives you much more flexibility, versatility and most importantly, more freeboard in a seaway as tender. Another benefit is that the take-apart version of the PM is almost identical to the solid version, while the nesting EP has rectangular, removable thwarts that take away a lot of the good looks of the solid EP. The two boats are so similar that the construction methods are almost identical with the main exception of having to scarf plywood together to form the 12' panels to cut out the sides from 8' sheets. Interestingly enough, I'm about 20 hours into the build of the PM and will be posting a video series on the build. Feel free to contact me via midnight-maker.com if you have any specific questions and of course CLC's forum is one of the best for getting any answers you may have prior to buying a kit or your build process.

[@jackrabbit5047]

Thanks very much for your frank advice. I'm a pretty big polukah myself, and might look somewhat like a circus bear on a trike in an EP. The Passagemaker sure is an attractive design. Then John Harris has to go and make matters even more difficult by introducing the Tenderly 10. Sure is a nice boat. I suppose any small boat could be sawn in half to make a take-apart (if not a nester), but I wonder if I could ever muster up the nerve to cut a finished hull in two!

[@MidnightMaker]

Hey Jack, the 10' tenderly is a beautiful boat and was very tempting for me. However, it's twice as difficult to build as the 8' EP and only gives you a few more pounds of payload for all that extra expense and effort. With that being said, I may still build one and they've even come out with a club version that has massive flotation tanks/seats. Not every boat can be cut in half and there are several, very specific steps required to do that (e.g. build a double bulkhead/cardboard sandwich). I'm actually almost to the point of bailing on my Passagemaker's take-apart option because of the concern over cutting the boat in half. Plus, the additional bulkhead means I'll have to buy another $80 sheet of plywood.

[@russellesimonetta3835]

Great idea to make templates.

[@chadhaugen-leathertech4848]

Hello Midnight maker. We met up sailing on green lake last Sunday. Let’s chat about the boat plans I have and how it worked out. Love to get you input.

[@MidnightMaker]

Hey Chad, it was great running into you. Feel free to contact me via [e-mail]. Hope to see you out there...

[@rioforforeigners]

Hi, how are u doing? I've noticed the hole for the mast on the forward seat is 52 x 52 mm while the mast itself is 48 x 48 mm. Is that right? Isn't there too much play? Thanks

[@MidnightMaker]

With epoxy and varnish on both parts, there's very little slop. Also, once the sail is loaded, it's not going to move around much. Some people also put some sort of chafe protection on the mast at the partners. That's really only 2mm on either side.

[@williamjcallahan1620]

Great job, and Wow only 1 K $

[@mayanmaster92]

Did you rig your dingy with 2 sails?

[@MidnightMaker]

The Eastport Pram is less than 8 feet long, so only room for one lug sail. My Passagemaker has a main and jib.

[@aidanhodgetalks6055]

What kind of plywood did you use?

[@MidnightMaker]

This boat was a prototype/experiment, so against everyone's recommendations I used 1/4" oak plywood from Home Depot. It did not hold up very well to water intrusion, so I highly recommend using marine grade plywood. Second boat build video coming soon...

[@williamreymond2669]

Question, has anyone ever tried using Kevlar cord instead of wire for the stitching and just leaving it in place when you fiberglass?

[@russellesimonetta3835]

I,d fibre glass the whole interior. But overkill?

[@MidnightMaker]

You could, but most of the strength is needed near and below the waterline. If you're expecting rough dock situations, it may be a good idea.