Stitch and Glue Construction

The 1/4" plywood hull of the Apple Pie is constructed using a method called stitch and glue. There are numerous books and websites on the subject so I won't go into detail here. Here is a link to Duckworks Magazine, they have extensive links and files for boat builders, designs (free and pay), and an entire webstore with everything you need to build your own boat.  Devlin Designing Boat Builders is a great resource for information on stitch and glue boat building. I purchased the book, "Boatbuilding For Beginners (and Beyond)" by Jim Michalak. I found it to be very helpful and quite interesting. It also comes with plans for six boats. The book can be purchased at Duckworks Store.

I will start by saying, that this method of boat building allows even a novice to build a strong yet light watercraft. Stich and glue uses wire or zip-ties to hold bowed wood panels together. Then, while all the parts of the boat are snugged in place each seam inside the hull is filled with epoxy and wood fiber. The seams are reinforced with more epoxy and fiberglass cloth. Once the seams dry the wire or zip-ties can be removed and then the builder repeats the same steps on the outside of the hull. After the seams have been sanded smooth the entire hull is covered with epoxy and fiberglass cloth. The finished product is surprisingly light and strong.