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boatbuildlog

Polliwog 8 · new build

Launched

Polliwog Row Boat

by Matt · Texas · Message Matt

My very first boatbuild was the Polliwog, an 8' rowing boat made from just a couple sheets of marine grade plywood.

This boat was sold through the site in August 2026. The listing is still up.
Make a book Feed The whole log, 1 entry and every photo, laid out as a book to print, bind and keep.
6
Entries
50
Hours
145
Days elapsed
27
Photos
Spent
Sep 2019
Started
Fillets & Taping 10 h Link

Fillet and Fiberglass

Phase 2: Transom, Fillets, and Fiberglass

In this next step, I fit the transom, again using the stitch and glue method, running wires through to secure the transom to the hull.

Next, I added the fillets. Small fillets go in between all of the copper wiring first. Once those cure, you can remove the copper wiring and lay down a much longer, thicker fillet in the grooves left behind.

There are two reasons for this. First, it smooths everything out for fiberglassing, since fiberglass doesn't adhere well to abrupt angles. Second, it adds strength to the boat so it doesn't break while you're moving it around and prepping for fiberglass.

The last photo here shows the actual fiberglass work. I fiberglassed the interior, the bulkheads, and the seat to the main panels.

What it cost

$393.77
$274.77
Into the boat
$119.00
Tools & gear
ItemQtySupplierCost
4x8 Sheet of Marine plywood 2 n/a $200.00
Epoxy Glue Kit - Gallon 1 Total Boat $119.00
White Oak 1 Plywood company $74.77