Building Gavin Atkin's 'Mouse' boat

23rd March 2003

During a discussion on the OPENBOAT yahoo group about taking children sailing, during which I told of how I regularly have to SELL to the children the idea of a trip out on the boat by engaging the children's enthusiasm with tales of treasure and adventure, it was suggested to me by Gavin Atkin that I might want to engage their interest in sailing for its own sake by building them a small boat of their own, something stable and easy to handle, beginning with forward-facing paddling, then on into sailing.

I took a look at Gavin's MOUSE design (available at http://home.claranet.com/gmatkin/design.htm) and decided to give it a go. I'd never build a boat of any kind before. In fact, I'd done little woodwork before, except at school, and the odd bit of DIY at home. I decided to take the bull by the horns suggested it to the kids (thus forcing a point of no return), who where greatly enthusiastic about the idea. I then went out and bought some exterior ply and started marking out the design. I am fortunate that the recommended source of epoxy (at http://www.epoxy-resins.co.uk/) is close to where I live, so I ordered and collected the required epoxy materials. I cut out the marked panels using a cheap jigsaw I got from B&Q a while ago, stitched the panels together and set with epoxy (see http://www.bateau.com/tutorials/vprimer.htm for a full description of stitch & glue boat construction). The boat takes shape very quickly, but a lot of subsequent time is taken with lots of smaller jobs afterwards. I could have done more quickly, but the bug had bit and I was doing extra bits I didn't need to do, but wanted to, such as adding gunwales and inwales.

The kids have helped with bits, but much of the work either messy (lots of epoxy work) or involves power tools. They have helped with little things like holding the batten in place while I drew curves, and holding other bits in place while I did other things. Declan also helped with binding the hull panels together with cable ties and has learned a thing or two about planing wood, as he help in planing down the laminated inwales/gunwales afterwards.

All the way through they've been looking forward to painting it. In fact, as the time approached, they were beside themselves with excitement. I took them out to choose the colours, and then we prepared them for the inevitable mess. In the end, they were surprisingly free of paint, but I think the precaution of using plastic food bags for gloves was essential. I let them paint the bottom of the boat. Doing the inside would have been more awkward for them and would inevitably result in more mess. They worked hard on it and I only intervened to smooth bits out and patch bits up. They did a good job and I was proud of them.

The kids have loved paddling in the Mouse. Declan's even had a play in the surf, standing up and surfing like a goodun!

The panels marked out on the ply.	The panels cut and laid out	The frames, ends and sides in place.	The frames, ends and sides in place.
The frames, ends and sides in place.	One floor in place, with Declan proudly overseeing the work.	Another view of the first floor in place.	Both floors in place.
Declan and Becky proudly posing, now that it at least looks like a boat.	Posing again	The mouse turned over ready for adding the epoxy fillets.	Another view of the upright mouse.
The hull with all the internal epoxy fillets completed, ready for glassing.	Close-up of the epoxy fillets.	The hull with the bottom seams glassed after cutting the ties and smoothing the seams	Close-up of glassed seam
Close-up of corner seam	Another shot of the fully taped bottom	Close-up of taped seam	Fitting the skeg: the frame keeping the skeg in place is covered with cling-film to stop the frame sticking to the boat.
The kids display the boat - almost compete now, but there are a few fiddly bit to do yet.	The skeg in place	Adding the supports that will help carry the decks. Note the variety of clamps used. Anything goes...	Another view with clamps in place.