Building the PT11 Nesting Dinghy

The directions say to cut the boat in half.

Yes, you read that right! I’m about 50 hours into this year’s winter project—building a new dinghy to replace our aging inflatable, which had some issues last year.

This dinghy is a kit designed by Russell Brown at PT Watercraft in Port Townsend, Washington, and distributed by Chesapeake Light Craft. You can check it out here: PT Watercraft.

The kit is incredibly well-designed, and the pieces are going together smoothly. I’m now approaching the much-anticipated “cutting in half” step. The forward part of the dinghy is designed to fit into the aft part for transport and storage. It’s both a rowing and sailing dinghy—versatile and perfect for our needs. We even had a little celebration on February 1st for this big milestone. Cutting a new boat in half isn't quite in the normal vernacular for boat building.

Julie and I had 16 people over to the house, both neighbors and yacht club members, to witness the event. We had two types of chili, southern pot roast, lots of conversation, and questions. Promptly at 4 PM, the saw came out.

I thought it might be fun to share this project. If you have a winter project you’d like to share, please send it along! These projects are great for keeping the mind active during Maine’s cold winter days. As I sand and shape, my thoughts are already drifting to rowing across the next anchorage this summer.

Looking to hear about your projects!