The Deer Isle Koster (KDI) is a 14' double-ender that we kitted and have available for sale. The KDI was originally designed by Bruce Elfstrom, a friend and fellow boat nerd who lives and does business in Lyme, CT. He runs a very cool company doing off-road vehicle training and teambuilding all over the world (www.overlandexperts.com). A couple years ago he approached about having his KDI kitted so it would be accessible to more people new to boatbuilding. He knew he had a winner of a design and we have proven that true. The first two built, hull #1 and 2, built for his daughters, live and sail in Maine. Hull #3 is being built by another Father/daughter team in Portland, Maine, Steven and Celie Bauer.

Portland, Maine team building hull #3!

You can read about their story on their WoodenBoat Forum thread.

Hull #5 was just launched off in Washington state outside Seattle. The boat turned out great and sea trials have gone well for her builder.

KDI in Washington state

The photo below shows one of the changes made to the interior. The main bulkhead under the foredeck is open so gear can be stowed or small children! As you can see there is space under the deck for things like anchor, pumps and other equipment, leaving the cockpit free of clutter. Being a double-ender, it is critical that the boat trims on the water line for best performance. This boat is rigged with a standing lug + jib. The other option is a balance lugsail without jib. The boat will sail quite well without a jib, perhaps with slightly less windward ability. However, the balance lug will be simpler and more efficient off the wind that the lug and jib option. This is because the single big sail will provide more power than the jib, because the jib will be blanketed when sailing downwind (plus the standing lug twists more when sheeted out and the balance lug boom stays more level when sheeted out). Therefore, you will sometimes you hear of the balance lug as a "self-vanging" rig.

KDI sailing with standing lug and jib rig.

See my ad in the Small Boats 2012 annual issue in the advertising section under 'plans and kits'. The KDI kit is available and ready to cut. I'd love to help you get into one of these great boats.

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Making of the ultimate sail-and-oar boat: The Deblois Street Dory

For the past few years, I have been working on a dory design, the Deblois Street Dory. Hull #1 was built and launched in 2010. The builder/owner sails and rows often during the season in Casco Bay, Muscongus Bay, and Penobscot Bays on the Maine Coast. Here is one of my favorite shots:

The idea was to draw a dory that was somewhat updated in the style of todays recreational sail-and-oar boat. She has a little more stability initially than a typical Swampscott. She'll be solid or plywood planked, with flotation chambers under fore and aft (below sheer) decks, and will come in kit form or be built from scratch with a plans set. There will be half-a-dozen rig choices as well as a inboard engine well. The Maine Island Trail was a consideration in designing the boat: I wanted to be able to camp cruise the trail in a purpose built boat that rowed and sailed well. This first hull was the huge success I needed to be ready to put in the huge commitment necessary for the next phase: drawing the boat in CAD. I started with the hull and getting the lines just right. This takes awhile for me because I have a very clear vision of what I want and won't settle for anything less. 

I am now finishing the computer modeling phase of the interior and strongback. The original hand drawn plans were reproduced in a CAD program called Rhino. The boat hull, interior, hydrostatics, sail rigs, and strongback are all modeled in 3D. This will be used to make the layout drawings for the plans and the 2D CAD drawings needed to cut the parts on a CNC machine. Here is a screenshot of the interior model:

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I am still active designing and building boat kits. The currrent project is still the Deblois Street Dory.

I post often on my Facebook page

www.facebook.com/clintchaseboats

You can see up-to-date progress on my projects there.

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Deblois Street Dory

Now that Deer Isle Koster kits are shipping and and I have moved shop back to the home based-shop, I am enjoying some new found time to carry on with the newest, refined version of the Deblois Street Dory.

The changes are mainly in the lining off of the hull and the fact that the hull is now modeled in 3D CAD allowing for precut parts to be made and a lot of tweaking to get the lines "eye sweet".

The DSD was featured in the latest Maine Island Trail newsletter and there may be a follow up article this winter after I get started on this build.

I am very pleased with how she is coming out! What do you think?

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Deer Isle Koster "KDI" Kit Version

Hull #3 of the KDI will soon be cut on the CNC machine and built. The computer model is a refined version of the first two built out west for designer Bruce Elfstrom. The modeling was done in collaboration with 3D CAD extraordinaire, Dan Clarke.

We will keep folks posted as the first kit version is cut, built, and released to the market sometime this Fall.

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A trip to sail the Deer Isle Koster aka, "KDI"

The Deer Isle Koster is a new kit that will hit the market by November. We are very excited about

this addition to the catalog. I finally had a chance to sail with the designer, Bruce Elfstrom, at his summer camp on Deer Isle in Maine. Bruce designed these boats for his daughters to sail. It is always wonderful to visit the provenance of a great design and to sail with the designer!

I was most struck by how high the KDI pointed sailing upwind. The foils and jib headed lug rig are very effective. I was also struck by how nicely the helm balanced and, overall, how easily she sailed. I was most satisfied about this last point because this little boat will make a great boat for introducing children to sailing small boats.

Both well over 6' and 200 pounds (I will not go into specifics!), Bruce and I had plenty of room in the cockpit with room for kids and under deck places to stow snacks and other gear.

We are currently finishing the 3D model work which will be used to make the 2D parts that are cut on a CNC routing machine and become the basis for the complete kits. To learn a ton more about how this works please read a PDF about boat kitting.

Also feel free to visit the WoodenBoat Forum thread on the KDI.

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New Stitch and Glue Dinghy

Congrats to Barbara Simon, the new owner of the Willard Beach Dory (WBD), a new stitch-and-glue dory skiff drawn by Roger Long who has retired and is off cruising. Roger left behind a few gorgeous designs for me to 'kit' and market as new boats, the (WBD) being one of them. The others are the YawlDory and a 16' Herreshoff-like double paddle canoe, which is a thing of beauty and may be the only paddle boat I end up putting in the catalog.

The WBD is out of 6mm plywood and will be rowed in and around Casco Bay. She'd be an ideal tender being light, maneuverable and a good load carrier. The oars are our custom spoon blade oars with high quality 14" leathers by Swanson Boat Company.

Stitch and Glue is a quick way to get a boat, but this project was a reminder that this type of construction can take longer than one thinks if you try to get a yachty finish: hiding the fiberglass tape and fillets takes some fairing. With lapstrake, there is a clean plank line to follow. However, the S and G structure is light and strong and relatively inexpensive as kits go.

What other S and G designs do people like that are not available as kits and should be?

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