Sailing Canoe Building Courses

Build Your Own Fulmar Sailing Canoe at Overwater Boats

We are delighted to have teamed up with Sailing Canoe experts Solway Dory to offer Sailing Canoe Building Courses using their proven Fulmar/Curlew hull.

Sailing Canoe Building Course - Fulmar Sailing CanoeSailing Canoe Building Course - Fulmar Sailing Canoe on the WaterSailing Canoe Building Course - Fulmar Sailing Canoe Rigged for Sailing

We've worked hard to optimise the design of the Fulmar to come up with an ideal sailing canoe that is a delight to sail and build!

Key features of the design include:

a shallow V hull design optimised for low drag and stability

light weight ~ 85lbs bare/stripped for loading/unloading, ~ 110lbs fully rigged to sail

large front, rear, and side tanks for buoyancy and safety

6 foot + cockpit length to allow sleep-on-board

seating positions for sailing solo and 2-up

flat deck for safe, secure and stable car-topping upside-down

wave deflector mounted on the removable lee-board thwart for ease of car-topping

proven Solway Dory designed rudder and lee-board

shear-line and free-board optimised for sea-keeping and capsize recovery

ballast tank to simplify re-entry after a capsize

design tested to Recreational Craft Directive Cat C for coastal sailing

outriggers available to enhance safety on open water and coastal sailing*

On the Sailing Canoe Building Course we will start with a bare GRP hull from Solway Dory and progress through the build: installing gunwales and deck beams; fitting bulkheads and side tanks; installing the decks; and locating all the fixtures and fittings. You will learn loads of skills along the way working with both timber and resins. At the end of the course you can be confident that you will take home a beautiful sailing canoe that you can be really proud of, and that will sail really well. 

All the building work will be done during the course - the only tasks to do after the course will be painting, varnishing & then installing fittings - you can do this yourself at home after the course - or by arrangement at Overwater Boats.

Sailing Canoe Building Course - Deck Beams & Bulkheads InstalledSailing Canoe Building Course - Fitting the Side DecksSailing Canoe Building Course - Decks Fitted

We are offering the Sailing Canoe Building Course at an introductory price of £2,300 - this includes everything needed to complete your sailing canoe: all materials, fixtures and fittings (except paint and varnish), sail, rudder, lee-board, and tuition and support throughout the course. Included are:

GRP hull from Solway Dory with bow and stern protection strips

light weight and rot resistant Western Red Cedar timber for deck beams, gunwales, etc

strong and flexible Ash timber in high load areas

top quality, lightweight, Robbins Elite Gaboon/Okume marine ply for tanks, bulkheads and deck

kick-up rudder complete with aerofoil ash blade, tiller & extension, and all fittings and controls

aerofoil ash lee-board, bracket with adjustable lever nut, and ash lee-board thwart

robust purpose designed portage/launching trolley - easily carried on-board in the cockpit or rear compartment

proven Solway Dory 44 sq foot Bermundan sailing rig including all spars and controls**

all hatches, fittings etc, including carry handles, deck lines & elastics

Our first Sailing Canoe Bulding Course in 2016 is scheduled for 23rd to 29th April 2016, and we plan to run more courses later in the year, so if these dates don't suit you please get in touch - we are happy to add extra dates for this course.

Our Fulmar sailing canoe demo boat is available to view, and to try out on the water. If you'd like to see the boat or go for a test sail please get in touch.

On the Facebook page you can view photos of the Fulmar being built and launched (you don't need to be signed up to Facebook to view these):

launch on Valentine's day 2016


fitting out the hull with deck beams and bulkheads

The Fulmar is also available from Solway Dory as a fully built boat at £3,200 - for more information visit their Fulmar web page.

There is also a great article about the Fulmar in Barnacle Bill Magazine.

For more information and course bookings please contact Mark Aplin:
    Telephone: 07966 631 335
    Or use the Contact Us form


*A pair of outriggers with a laminated beam is available for an additional £500 - we recommend these for beginner sailors, and to enhance safety when coastal and open water sailing, and when using the optional 54 sq foot rig. The deck includes all the mounting points for the outrigger beam so this can be added easily after the course.
**The Solway Dory 54 sq foot Bermundan rig is available as an option for experienced sailors