Boat Fitting 1 – (1st Stages)

Who is this course for?

This is part one of two boat fitting courses we offer. They are very much a series. This particular course is aimed at those people who are keen to complete a fit-out of a sail-away project. It offers a practical introduction to all the skills necessary to achieve a fully lined-out boat from a bare shell.

What does the course involve?

You’ll join in some practical discussion about the project you’re likely to undertake, how to plan it, and various challenges to consider. But overall, and where possible, a high proportion of the course will be spent ‘on the tools’, giving you a chance to experience a wide range of equipment and how best to use them. It will give you a fundamental understanding of techniques and tools that you’ll also use in the second of our boat fitting courses.

The course will cover the following topics:

• Ballasting including types and installation
• Floor bearers and battening cabin sides and deck head i.e.
  • materials,
  • setup
  • fixing
• Lining windows and portholes including hand routing linings
• Insulation i.e.
  • types
  • preparation
  • installation
  • clean up
• Cabin Side Lining i.e.
  • material selection and preparation,
  • tools for cutting sheets, shapes and cutouts
  • fixing (multi tools, hand routing etc)
• Flooring i.e.
  • subfloors
  • preparation
  • laying,
  • access panels
• Deckhead options i.e.
  • material selection
  • preparation and installation
• Bulkheads i.e.
  • materials
  • measuring up and cutting
  • installation including pocket hole joinery

As well as these subjects, and if time permits, other subjects can be covered by request.

Why take this course with us?

We’d like to think that we’ve worked out ‘real’ courses that are genuinely of help to anyone considering such an undertaking. We don’t just run an arbitrary syllabus! We’re constantly ‘tweaking’ the content to make sure it’s the best it can be. Your instructor (and mentor) has had first-hand experience of boat building, so plenty of real-life experience to pass on.

But mainly, because we know that a course like this is only the beginning of a self-build, we encourage students to keep in-touch with their instructor afterwards. If any questions arise during a build stage, your instructor is still available to give advice. It’s an ongoing thing!

Our Boat Fit Workshop

The first things to note is that this course takes place at Steve’s workshop in Kettering and not at our Debdale Marina classroom.

For the practical aspects of the course our workshop is fully fitted out with an array of machinery and equipment to let you practise on a wide range of tools. It also has audio-visual and training aids for the more theoretical parts covered over the two days. Basically, it has everything you’ll need!

When do the courses run?

We schedule a few of these courses throughout the year. You can view the full list of dates on our booking calendar. If demand is high enough, we can add extra course dates. Please just get in touch.

What’s provided (& included)

• A PDF copy of all teaching materials used
• All materials
• All tools
• Endless teas and coffees!

What you need to provide

• Your lunches
• Comfortable and protective clothing
• Suitable footwear

Here’s a few common questions

• Do I need any previous technical knowledge? No. This course is suited to all levels of experience.
• Do I need to bring any tools? No. Our workshop is equipped with everything you’ll need.

What Next?

This is the first in our Boat Building suite of courses and most students then undertake our Boat Fitting (second Stage) course. Please see the Our Courses link to view the full range of boat fitting courses. Each course can be booked individually, however if you book two or more courses at the same time, we offer some significant savings.