This wasn't the method I was expecting, though it certainly works. A line drawing of each part with dimensions would have been my preference, along with at least one drawing or picture that provided more detail about how 45 or more pieces fit together.

PUTTING THE PUZZLE TOGETHER

Once the pieces are cut, it's painting time.

BRUCE DILLAHUNTY

The finish was of a caliber to match the materials. Not a lot of sanding was done – I should have really done more – and the paint was good quality porch and floor paint that we had on hand. It had held up well for other outdoor uses, so I figured it would do well here.

The assembly method did not seem like it would work, but the designer assures you that it will. And guess what? He's right. You fit the frame together upside down, as if you erected the boat, then tack some narrow strips of PVC cloth across the assembly at the stem, stern and amidships. After that, the width of the craft is set and you can drape the main section of cloth over the boat and fasten it. At that point, you have a boat. The rest is just trim and cosmetics.

I just couldn't see the problem with letting the cloth extend farther up the sides. Why not let that nice, waterproof fabric protect that cheap, not-so-great plywood? So I extended the PVC cloth about 6 inches farther up the sides than was called for in the plans. I decided to not to trim the cloth, and instead let it extend above the waterline. I figured this would make the cloth-to-wood seal less critical. The downside is that this adds more weight, and an 8-foot wooden boat covered with heavy cloth can be a handful.

I did run a line of glue along the edge of the side panels as specified, and then another at the edge of the cloth. I opted for PL Premium glue, a waterproof, polyurethane-based construction adhesive, rather than silicon. I had it on hand and wanted to use it throughout, even though silicone could be obtained easily. I corresponded with another builder, who said that PL Premium, if dampened with a slight mist of water (lay a bead, then spritz it), stuck very well to the PVC. I set my son to work with a spray bottle wetting the glue as I laid a bead and we put all of the cloth on in about an hour.

DO AS I SAY

But we boat-builder types are independent and always have a thought on how to do things "better." Not surprisingly, my version had some glitches.WOODENWIDGETThe dinghy takes a 3.3 HP outboard.

The cloth has a few rough spots where it was hard to get things around the curve. Had I followed the design, this would not be the case. At one point, the floorboards hung down because the bolts I used to fasten them to the rear floor supports were too short. It meant an extra trip to Home Depot for the right-sized bolts.

Some trim pieces along the edges of the cloth, as recommended in the instructions, would look nice. We left them off, although may get around to adding them later.

We tested the craft in our swimming pool. It proved to float quite high on its lines and was surprisingly stable. A friend dressed for the experiment did a good job trying to rock it over, and the dingy wasn't interested. The flexibility of the cloth helps here; you may rock the keel, but the cloth flexes and helps keep things level.

There was a little water inside, but as near as I could tell that was from my intrepid testing crews' bathing suits. They were already wet from swimming prior to launch.

It's also heavier than I expected. Of course I did run the extra cloth up the sides and well above waterline. My version weighs about 60 pounds. The manufacturer says the 6-foot version should weigh in at about 26 pounds, but that seems light to me. Another builder say his 6-footer weighed 38 pounds. The extra couple of feet on the 8-foot version will itself add some weight.

NICE LITTLE BOAT

WOODENWIDGETA sailing kit is available.Due to outside events, our project stretched way out on the calendar, but I probably spent 20 to 30 hours on the boat. A fair amount of that done with a 6-year-old helper, so you can add or subtract time as you see fit.

We're slated to go to the lake this summer and I hope to take the dinghy and play more with it. This will give it some time in "real water" and we can see how it performs. Until then, the folding feature makes it great for storage. It stands on end neatly in the corner of my garage, out of the way and taking very little space.

I don't know that it is "finished," but it may be as finished as it gets. It works for me. All-in-all, it is a nice little boat and it was a great father-son project. Having a working dinghy for the "big boat" at the end was just icing on the cake.