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Micro-Wherry · new build

Stitch and glue 2: intentional design

by David Rogers · Message David Rogers

This is the second boat I have designed and built, with the first one still floating, but leaving me wanting more in the looks and performance department

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4
Entries
11
Hours
6
Days elapsed
19
Photos
Aug 2026
Started
All steps Plans & Lofting Hull Panels Stitch & Assembly
Oldest first
Plans & Lofting 5 h Link

Design Phase - Requirements and Desirements

This boat has a very limited purpose: to paddle ~50ft from a sandy canoe launch to a sailboat on a mooring in a protected harbor, tie off to the mooring for a couple hours while I go sailing, the do the same in reverse on the way back. It has 2 predecessors: a whitewater kayak whose major drawback is that it has no carrying capacity, and a micro-dinghy (stitch and glue 1) which has many drawbacks, mostly tracking, comfort, and fore/aft stability. But it is capable of being completely filled with gear stuffed around me, sail bags and life jackets and all my sailing stuff can ride with me in the boat to the mooring.

So the brief on the new one has a lot of requirements.

  1. Get to the mooring
  2. Carry gear
  3. Side to side stability as much as is reasonable, but principally fore/aft stability

As well as several desirements:

  1. Look more “boat-y”. Neither of the two previous boats were super pretty looking because I never put any thought or effort into it, but I want that now.
  2. Be super lightweight. I read a book recently which features a pack canoe, which weighs something like 15lbs. As of the time of writing this post, I am aiming for sub-20.
  3. Be as paddle-able as a folding kayak. Neither of the predecessors were particularly paddle-able, I want to change that with this one.