Cradle Boat

Product Description

After we observed several clever builders making half-scale Eastport Prams to use as ‘cradle boats’ for babies, we decided to make up a proper kit. What a great gift for new mums and dads!

The CLC Cradle Boat is a half-size replica of the Eastport Pram, 47 inches long. The hulls are identical in nearly every way, especially the hull shape, and construction is similar. We've tweaked the interior to better suit the little ones, who won't need a rowing seat and daggerboard trunk just yet.

The Cradle Boat is probably the easiest kit in our range to build. We've gone to great pains to limit the number of hours and the skill required. All the parts are computer-cut and fit perfectly, with pre-drilled holes where temporary stitches of copper wire will hold the boat's handsome shape while you epoxy the planks. Bulkheads drop into slots, so no measuring. No need for fibreglass, so you're spared that step during construction, though the Cradle Boat is sturdy enough to get banged around the way things do in houses with children. We estimate about 30 hours to do a first-class job of construction. Plenty of time before Christmas.

The rockers have a gentle slope for an easy motion with pint-sized sailors snoozing aboard. Recognising that little sailors soon become bigger sailors, the Cradle Boat's rockers can be turned around in moments to create a solid non-rocking base. Now your Cradle Boat is a lovely place to store pillows or stuffed animals or toys. It would be a perfect bed for a pet weighing less than 30 pounds.

Likewise, longitudinal rockers and a straddle seat could be retrofitted for toddlers. Prefer to design and fabricate davits for a swinging cradle boat? Just trim off the legs that engage the rockers.

A very popular option is a conversion to a coffee table. This add-on kit includes a computer-cut top in premium marine-grade clear acrylic, ready to drop into place, plus a sturdy and attractive base that bolts on in place of the rockers. You can easily switch between cradle boat and coffee table if desired.

Besides being a perfect gift for the family's newest little boatbuilder and a unique piece of furniture, the Cradle Boat is an ideal first stitch-and-glue project, whether you're planning to move up to the Eastport Pram or any other boat kit. The Cradle Boat is made with the same marine-grade okoume plywood as the rest of our boat kits. It's fastened together and coated with epoxy for toughness, so it will float, but please don't set any children or pets adrift in it.

The kit includes:

• Pre-cut wooden panels with pre-cut joints and pre-drilled tie holes
• Epoxy resin and activator
• Epoxy fillers
• Copper ties
• Comprehensive building manual
• Free technical support from a competent builder

What else do I need?

Plans and Manual

The manual is the one that accompanies the kit. It describes all of the techniques that will be used during the build and also a step by step guide to construction. Scale drawings are used throughout as well as photographs of critical jobs.

These plans and manual contain sufficient information on the cutting of the panels to make it possible to build the boat from scratch. The plans include full size drawings for every part.

Study manual

This is intended for pre-build study or to help with the decision to purchase. Reading this manual will help you decide whether or not you can build the boat. It is the manual that accompanies the kits. It describes all of the techniques that will be used during the building and also a step by step guide to construction. Scale drawings are used throughout as well as photographs of critical jobs.

If, later, you decide to purchase the kit the cost of this printed manual will be deducted from the kit price.

This does not contain the plans of the panels with the cutting instructions so it is not possible to build the boat from scratch using only this.

PDF study plans

These study plans are intended to give you an overview of the construction of the boat. They are in PDF format that can be viewed using Adobe Reader. There are two pages and they measure 279 × 216 mm (11″ × 8½″). They can be printed for carrying around.

After credit card authorisation the plans will be sent to the email address put on the order form.