Thursday 5 March 2020

An Optimist builders kit from CKD Boats

We were asked by the Knysna Yacht Club to prepare and cut five Optimist dinghy kits, before we had finished that order became three more kits.


The KYC had the building of eight Optimists featured in Sailing magazine news section.

Five of the builds entered the SA Nationals in the Novice class and four came in placed in the top five positions.



One of our Optimist kits completed and sailing.


The supply of the first eight boats proved to be many more but those first boats came from the experience of having to build the first hull some five times ( adjustements ) as the official hand book for then and from the Optimist Asso, gave measurements which were wrong, simply put it was too large when measured!


We did of course build more than the one and it was from those builds that we developed our detailed builders guide, its twelve pages long in an A4 folder and has lots of pictures along the way.



Nigel who built this one is checking to see that the tub is straight, note the builders jig, which is our own design, it can be used more than once. Nigel cuts all of our CNC kits on his large format CNC machines.


The MDF or chipboard jig is simple but effective, it is also reasonably priced.


Jean lending a hand to cut the dagger board slot clear.


A dry assembled Optimist tub, it will then be measured to ensure that it is correct to the Optimist Wood / Epoxy rules which we supply extra to the printed build instructions we supply with each kit we sell.

Our Optimist kits have now shipped as far as California, New York, Switzerland, Zimbabwe, and a whole lot of other places.


We also offer a North Sail and a Harken deck package as an extra.


We are expert at shipping and in a purpose made crate.


This one was built near Johannesburg in South Africa.


One of our test builds and finished in pure white.



We can also supply a North Sail, with colour corner patches to your choice if required.



A Harken deck package is an extra choice you can make.


We only produce the Optimist kits using ockome marine plywood, the outer hull skins are a five ply construction which is the strongest, French suppliers are used , the brand may change with the imports?

Our kit includes the hull skins, sides, bow, transom, dagger board case, thwart, dagger board and rudder.



Please contact me for pricing.

Roy


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