Blog
Notes from the workshop
How boats actually get built: methods, materials and the steps of a build, written from the logs people keep here. Stitch and glue and plywood, epoxy and fairing, choosing a design, fitting out and everything between the first panel and the launch.
Your boat build log ends as a book you can hold
Every build log here prints as a book with chapters, photos, hours and costs. Here is what one summer of logging a dory came out as, and how to make yours.
Framing a hard-chine plywood hull, step by step
Frames, chines, sheer clamps and battens: how a hard-chine plywood hull is framed and faired before planking, from two real Glen-L build logs.
Sail or power for your first wooden boat build?
A sailboat is a hull plus a rig. A powerboat is a hull plus an engine. Here is which second project suits a first build, using real hours from real logs.
Selling a Glen-L you built, and finding the right buyer
Selling a homebuilt Glen-L is hard in the usual places. Here is why, and how the for-sale page here puts it in front of people who get it.
Glen-L vs CLC: which is easier for a first boat?
CLC ships CNC-cut parts and a 143-page manual. Glen-L sells plans for far more designs. Which suits your first build, from someone who built both.
How to build your first boat: plywood and stitch and glue
Most people who want to build a boat never start one. Build it from plywood, glue it rather than fasten it, and pick something you can carry.