WhiteSpotPirates · video

What this video covers

Nike and Flo built a 9-foot nesting dinghy from plywood in one week inside a garage in Africa after their original dinghy was stolen on a small island off the west coast of Africa, with no replacement available locally.0:32 The build used the stitch-and-glue technique with polyester resin and fiberglass — not epoxy — under difficult conditions: working on a dirt floor, limited clamps, and improvised materials including a rub rail sourced from a local store.0:43 Total cost was approximately 500 euros. The dinghy floated on first launch and held up through weeks of real-world cruising use: daily rowing and motoring, beach landings, heavier loads, and transport of two dogs.0:49 The nesting joints held well, and the boat fits on deck both assembled and disassembled.2:56 One confirmed flaw: at speed, just before planing, water pours in through the nesting joint where the two halves meet.4:27 Flo's post-build assessment identifies three changes for a rebuild — use epoxy instead of polyester, raise the freeboard 10–15 cm, and fair the nesting joint smooth.5:11 He also notes the bow section cracked during the 2D-to-3D fold because he skipped the recommended three-hour pre-wetting step from the Spindrift plans.7:49 Worrying less about precision at the joints and getting the hull off the ground during construction would also improve the process.6:19

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