looking at the time estimates based on a kit, I can see how that works.  Also, I believe (please correct me if i'm wrong), but at the end of the week, although you have a "finished" boat, you still have to finish her aka varnish.

Do not under estimate the time it takes for us "newbies" to stand around, plans/instruction manual in hand and scratch our heads.  With expert direction and a setup shop things go WAY faster.  I built a SOF, coached two nephews through the first half of their's, that took about a year.  Then nephew #3 arrives Sunday night and leaves Wednesday with the frame complete and ready for varnish. - I think I spent more time on my first boat setting up the shop, figuring and thinking than nephew #3 did so far on the entire boat.  besides it is about the journey, not the destination.

I'm on month 2 of my WD12, one step ahead of you, deck tack welded to hull.  Enjoy the journey!

No doubt.

My WD10 I spent more nights looking at the boat and thinking about what to do! 2hours, no action.

I am thinking in 5.5 days I could have glass/epoxy on the WD12.

Truth be told, i did sneak in a little golf this week also! But I was waiting for epoxy to cure!!

It has been great regardless of the amount done. I like doing it a little at a time as with the Wd10, and am enjoying a "fulltime" approach to the boat building as with the WD12.

Great way to spend time!

David

It's pretty much what everyone has said - puzzle joints pre-done for the students, all parts, supplies and tools already collected, clean, dedicated workspace already setup before the students show up, class limited to hull assembly only and very well qualified instructors/coaches/drill sargeants who don't let anyone stand still still for a single non-productive moment.

In addition, the techniques are designed for fast mass-production - endpours instead of stem/stern pieces, fat fillets with the wires staying in (instead of tacks, pulled stitches and thin fillets), coamings built directly and permanently on the hull, etc. No onlays or rice paper grahics under the fiberglass, no ideas or inspirations or variations from the plans. It's build the designer's vision with no changes or customization, exactly like everyone else.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not picking on the class-built boats or the process used to build them. They need that kind of extreme focus and discipline to meet the goal of a completed hull in 5 1/2 days. Just pointing out that the slower at-home builds are a different animal. They're more a hobbyist exercise instead of a factory floor experience, and builders shouldn't worry if it takes more than 5 days to complete their hull.

Very careful choreography. 

When Eric Schade teaches Wood Ducks, they actually go paddling on the last day.  All that's left to do at home is varnish.  

You can see a time-lapse of a Wood Duck class here.

One of Eric's classes from last Summer:

I feel compelled to correct false assumptions on this post.

Last July I spent a week at the Wooden Boat school building a s&g night heron with Nick Schade.  Nick is the furthest thing from a Drill instructor that I ever met.  When we arrived the kits were still in the shipping packages fromCLC. 

 We spent the first day seperating all the parts, choosing a color scheme (encouraged by Nick to do our own thing), dying individual parts, and glue up the rear hatches.  The initial glue up was Nick's way of introducing all of us to the mix and use of epoxy.

Jigsaw joints were glued up by the students using super glue and an accelerant spray.  After parts were stitched togeather they were also tacked with super glue and the stitches pulled before the fillets were done.  The fillets were far from fat.

While overall it was an intense week, most days were calm but procuctive.

We were able to complete all glass work and even managed a fill coat on the hull.

Our class produced boats that were far from a factory floor experience.  I must say that it is probably the best way to be introduced to boat building. The students all. drew from each others experience and knowledge, helped each other when necessary, and still produced very unique boats.

I would also like to commend Nick dealing so well with so many personalities.  He is a rare teacher.

I bet it is a great experience.

Super glue sounds like a neat trick!

Some day I would like to do one of the classes, just to experience it.

But as I am finishing up my second Wood Duck, I think my wife might make me wait awhile before I build another Boat! 

Based on my experience with CLC so far, there was never a doubt in my mind the classes would be well done, but still amazing that so much can be done in that time period.

Glad you enjoyed the experience, I am sure you are enjoying your Kayak!!

David

I'm sorry that I didn't get my meanings across as I intended.  When I mentioned drill instructors, I meant it as a reference to the person who was able to push you far beyond your ideas of what your limits were, someone who could get you to do something that you might have even been afraid of doing before.

By factory floor experiences, I did not mean Blake's dark satanic mills. I was referring to the need to produce on a fixed schedule using a fixed selection and quanity of materials for a specified cost. That is definitely part of these classes, not so much for the home-builders.

While some instructors may encourage some expressions of individuality, the fact of the matter is that anything that would add a couple of days to a 5-day class probably won't fly. So the amount and type of expression is limited compared to a home build.

That's all I was really trying to say - that class builds and home builds are different beasts. Either way, you get a nice boat and learn new stuff. I was not putting anyone down, nor was I trying to discourage anyone from taking a class.

Laszlo