Waterlust Construction Continues

Waterlust Construction Continues

Shavings cover the floor after a day of planing the masts and spars into shape.  That's the deck on the left.

The floor gets painted c less reflective cream color.  It is painted so that I can add non-skid to keep the seat from sliding while I pedal the boat.  The remainder of the interior is varnished to protect the epoxy from UV.

The outside gets two coats of primer and two coats of paint

Waterlust Construction

Waterlust Construction

After a two year hiatus. I need to update my posts.  I will later post two trip reports (Ontario's French River and Texas' Big Bend) that were published earlier in Small Craft Advisor.  But, first, a new boat construction project.

I have loved my Kruger Canoes (I have both a Sea Wind and a Dream Catcher).  They are excellent paddle craft and camping platforms.  Though the Dream Catcher is a better sailboat (All boat design is a compromise!), I was looking for a little more of a sailboat, but one that was still able to be paddled.


I have been in 11 WaterTribe Everglades Challenges and in several other WaterTribe events.  I have tried all sorts of boats in an attempt to find the ideal coastal sailing and camping craft (Though I have been married to the same woman for 49 years, I have been very promiscuous with boats!).

I have gone in solo and tandem Kruger Canoes (I won with Michael Collins in 2004 in a Kruger Cruiser tandem canoe with a schooner rig.), Graham Byrnes' Core Sound 20, Core Sound 20 Mark III, and a Gig Harbor Melonseed.

I have found that I don't like rowing (it is efficient and uses big muscle groups, but I like to see where I am going.).  I did pedal a Hobie Adventure Island in one Okoumefest (won the short course) and one North Carolina Challenge (4th and 1st in class).  I liked the drive but didn't like sitting down in the water and staying wet all the time.

This constant search led me to a new Chesapeake Lightcraft design by Dillon Majoros, the Waterlust sailing canoe.  It would be a better sailor than the Kruger and would be propelled by a Hobie pedal drive as well as a paddle.  When I got back from camp at the end of the summer, I began construction.  Here is that tale:

Unpacking the parts kit.  Letting the company use its CNC machine to cut the kit saves several months' work.  My goal was to have plenty of time to shake out all of the idiosyncracies of the boat before the 2018 Everglades Challenge, not the least of which is deciding whether I would need to build amas.  Having CLC cut the kit was a great help.