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Passagemaker Dinghy Take Apart, taken apart.
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Passagemaker Dinghy Take Apart built by Mike and Jess S, seen during the Small Reach Regatta, Brookin, ME
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Passagemaker Take-Apart
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Passagemaker Take-Apart
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Passagemaker Take-Apart
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Passagemaker Take-Apart
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Passagemaker Take-Apart
Passagemaker Dinghy Take Apart, taken apart. Thumbnail
Passagemaker Dinghy Take Apart built by Mike and Jess S, seen during the Small Reach Regatta, Brookin, ME Thumbnail
Passagemaker Take-Apart Thumbnail
Passagemaker Take-Apart Thumbnail
Passagemaker Take-Apart Thumbnail
Passagemaker Take-Apart Thumbnail
Passagemaker Take-Apart Thumbnail

Passagemaker Take-Apart

Builder Testimonials

The Passagemaker Take-Apart Dinghy has all of the features of our Standard Passagemaker, but it stows in a smaller space.

  • Skill Level Beginner
  • Estimated Build Time 120 hours

Build this boat if...

  • You are looking for a fast, fun, and versatile daysailer.
  • You want a dinghy with traditional looks to adorn your yacht, not disgrace it.
  • You seek an attractive tender with a large payload that will fit on the foredeck of your larger craft.
  • Easy to Build

    Your first boatbuilding project!

  • Sophisticated Design

    Nothing else like it to buy or build

  • In-Depth Manual

    Meticulous, fully-illustrated instructions

  • Quality Materials

    Only the best professional-grade materials

Build Your Kit

Take One of our Boatbuilding Classes

We offer classes for many of the boats we sell. Teaching sites stretch from Maryland to Washington State and from Maine to California. Click here to find out more.

Specifications

Length
11'7"
Beam
56"
Rowing Draft
6"
Sailing Draft
30"
Sail Area (gunter)
78 sq ft.
Sail Area (lug)
62 sq ft.
Hull Weight
94 lbs.
Max Payload
650 lbs.

Performance

Stability

5 out of 5
Very Tippy
Very Stable

Speed

2 out of 5
Cruiser
Racer

Cockpit Room

5 out of 5
Close Fit
Huge Cockpit

Payload

5 out of 5
Day Tripper
Freight Hauler

Ease of Construction

4 out of 5
Requires Patience
Very Easy
Passagemaker Dinghy Take Apart built by Vince W.
Passagemaker Dinghy Take Apart built by Vince W.

Overview

Buying Options

Choose Your Boatbuilding Experience

Building your boat starts with selecting the appropriate components for your build.

  1. Select Your Configuration

    Build From a Kit:
    Most builders will start with the Base Kit. If you plan to sail your new boat, you will also need to order the Sailing Component Kit.
    Build From Scratch:
    Source your own materials and hardware, and work from full-sized patterns.
    Build From a Wood Parts Only Kit:
    "Wood Parts Only" kit buyers have their own supply of epoxy, fiberglass, and hardware.
    Order Study Plans or Manuals:
    Like to study up a bit first? Download study plans or a copy of the assembly manual.

  2. Choose Options and Add-Ons

    Additional Components:
    If this is a rowing/sailing boat, you’ll need the Sailing Component Kit. You can also choose different sail colors, order a Line & Cordage Package, add nonskid decking, storage covers, and more.

  3. Get Building!

    Computer-cut kits feature all of the latest tweaks to ease assembly, including slot-together frames, pre-drilled holes for stitching-and-gluing, puzzle joints, and precision in the fitting of parts.

Standard Configuration

Nearly every builder will start with the Base Kit. If you plan to sail your new boat you will also need to order the Sailing Component Kit.

Sale
$1,955.00 $1,564.00

This Passagemaker Take-Apart kit includes extensively illustr...

$1,698.00

This Passagemaker Sailing kit (Lug Rig) includes the sail, a...

$1,998.00

This Passagemaker Sailing kit includes sails, aluminum mast, ...

Alternative Configurations

We also offer the Wood Parts Kit as a stand alone option. Typical wood parts only kit buyers have an existing or ready supply of their own epoxy, fiberglass, and hardware.

$1,355.00

This Passagemaker kit includes instructions, pre-cut parts, e...

$159.00

For builders starting from scratch.  Plans comprise the instr...

$69.00

This Passagemaker kit includes instructions.  NOTE: CLC instr...

$59.00

This option comprises the latest version of the illustrated a...

$2.99

You can get printable study plans for most of your favorite ...

$70.00

The Sail Package includes all of the line and sail lacing req...

$113.00

The Sail Package includes all of the line and sail lacing req...

Additional Options

The Sail Upgrade or our Line and Cordage Package are popular choices for many of our builders.

$349.00

Spacered inwales are an elegant touch.  They are a bit invo...

$145.00

Add this option to a Sailing Component Kit to get Egyptian Cr...

$145.00

Add this option to a Sailing Component Kit to get Tanbark sai...

$125.00

Add this option to the Lug Rig sailing kit to receive an Egy...

$125.00

Add this option to the Lug Rig sailing kit to get a Tanbark ...

$13.99

These 1/8" neoprene rubber gaskets are CNC-cut to fit our two...

What builders are saying

I bought the Passagemaker Take-Apart because of a romantic notion of building a boat and teaching myself to sail it. Took delivery in November and got to work, sort of.  Typical of a long-term project, many interruptions upset the rhythm, but just as well; it's warm enough to sail now!  The CLC forum and the PMD forum were the difference between success and failure at several points. 

She's so light on the water; rowing ease is startling, and it's amazing how much distance you can cover.  So now begins the vertical learning curve.  Yes, I really did row out into the middle of the lake to hoist the main and give it a go.  Before I deployed the rudder.  And before I dropped in the dagger board.  With the mainsail bridle underneath the tiller. And the mainsail sheet wrapped around the end of the boom.  Completely out of control, nearly capsized several times.  Finally got it all squared away and actually tacked and gybed, but then came the realization that sailing on a desert lake is challenging, to say the least, because thermals are coming in and changing wind speed and direction.  For a few seconds you think you're settled into a nice broad reach and then you're becalmed, then the wind comes in from the opposite direction.  I'm going to Ventura Marina next time!

So the kit was great, although I gave you guys some grief about the sailing kit bill of materials and some of the hull plans.  But I'm really glad I bought the kit and would recommend it to anyone interested.  I posted seven photo albums over the build period, right up to the launch.

Tom C. | CA
Verified Builder

Here my son Eric mans the oars aboard "Winkle," our Passagemaker Dinghy (take-apart version), on a fine, breezy October day at Alum Creek Reservoir, getting set up to use her as a photo boat from which to take pictures of the mother ship (a Menger 19 catboat) under sail. It looks as if he really was paying attention when I taught him how to row as a boy! "Winkle" proved well up to the task, despite the choppy water, and the day yielded many fine photographs.

Michael S. | OH
Verified Builder

The Passagemaker was a fun project.  My granddaughters loved the boat and everyone says it is beautiful.  I guess I'm the only one who sees the mistakes. 

Steve H. | ND
Verified Builder

About 20 yrs ago, after buying the T/A Passagemaker kit, I stopped by your shop and you spent plenty of time showing me around and giving advice. Since then, every interaction I've had with CLC has been 5 stars! My most recent boat is the Chester Yawl. Obviously, you're doing a great job, and with help from solid good employees. Not so common these days, Thank you!

Dennis W. | FL
Verified Builder

Here's the latest Passagemaker Dinghy Take-Apart to be completed and hit the water. Instructions were easy to follow, tech support via phone and in the shop was informative and collaborative. On the 40-minute drive from home to the marina for sea trials, 3 random strangers in traffic commented on the sweet boat in the back of my truck. She's a dream to row. My GPS said 5 kts when I was really pulling, and 4 kts was relatively easy to keep up. She'll be our reliable "truck" to get us ashore and back to the mother ship.

Peter M. | MD
Verified Builder

Videos

CLC Passagemaker Dinghy #1: Start A New Project! Unboxing!

Building a Passagemaker Dinghy, part 1 - Apalachicola

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Passagemaker Dinghy build #1 -- Michael Ballog

Frequently Asked Questions

How exactly does the Take-Apart Passagemaker Dinghy work?

The Take-Apart has two forward bulkheads, each the same thickness (9 mm) as the bulkhead in the Passagemaker Standard.  The upper pair of bolts are backed with washers. The lower pair is permanently epoxied into lumber reinforcements that are affixed to the forward side of the forward bulkhead (inside the air chamber). When all four bolts are snugged, the entire boat becomes a single monolithic hull, i.e. when you are using it, you won't even notice that it is made out of two separate parts.

How does the Take-Apart thing work?

We've made it as easy as possible. In a nutshell, builders who want a Passagemaker Take-Apart version will install two forward bulkheads right next to one another, where normally there'd be just one bulkhead. Aside from this, the entire boat is built in the normal fashion. When you're done except for paint and varnish, you will cut the Passagemaker apart with a handsaw, the blade following the gap between the two forward bulkheads. To reassemble the boat, thread wing nuts onto four 5/16" stainless steel bolts. The wing nuts have "ears" that are three inches across---easy to tighten even with cold hands. So they're hard to lose and no wrench is needed.

Won't the Take-Apart leak when you cut it apart?

Impossible. To begin with the bolts clamp the bulkheads together very tightly, with a flexible gasket as a seal. In addition, the top of the take-apart bulkhead is almost a foot above the waterline. Even if there was no gasket and someone was standing on the front seat the water wouldn't reach the top of the watertight bulkhead.

How durable is the Passagemaker?

While the Passagemaker is built like a wooden boat, it's useful to think of it as a plastic boat with a wood core. With every surface sealed in epoxy, there is none of the maintenance trouble you may associate with old-fashioned wooden boats. We expect the Passagemaker to live outdoors and be used hard for decades.

How do I order this kit?

Click on the Buying Options tab the top left of this page and follow the directions.

Will the Passagemaker really sail?

With more sail area than a Laser, she most certainly will. Performance is lively even in light air, and the Passagemaker will tack to windward with aplomb. With loads of stability and a deep hull that you sit inside---rather than on top of---the Passagemaker is a wonderfully comfortable daysailer for two adults, or for an adult and a bunch of kids. Also a perfect sail trainer.

What kind of rig does the Passagemaker have?

It's a sloop, with a "sliding gunter" mainsail. There is an 11-foot aluminum mast supported by stainless steel shrouds. (The shrouds simply clip on, and the rig is tensioned with the jib halyard.) The gunter rig gives you spars that are short enough to store inside the hull for storage, trailering, or towing, without sacrificing performance.

Where's the best place to sit while sailing the Passagemaker?

The correct answer to this has everything to do with trimming the boat. If you're alone, you need to sit as close to the center of the boat as possible; a boat that weighs only 90 pounds will trim down by the stern badly if a solo sailor sits back there. If you have two people aboard, you can sit on the aft seat under sail because the boat trims level with one person forward and one person aft. I find sitting on the bottom most comfortable in either case.

Is the Passagemaker Dinghy easy to row?

We've rowed the Passagemaker with one, two, or even three people aboard, the boat glides nicely and is easily driven. With two people aboard, use the optional second rowing position at the bow set, to balance the passenger sitting in the rear seat. Row from amidships when alone or with three people aboard. A foam plug for the daggerboard trunk is standard in the kit.

How well does the Passagemaker Dinghy tow behind a bigger boat?

We went to considerable effort to ensure that the Passagemaker tows straight by giving the boat a large, deep skeg. This helps tracking when the boat is towed or rowed. It also protects the bottom when you drag the boat up the beach.

Can the Passagemaker be kept in davits?

It certainly ride in davits. There are a dozen hard points in the interior where one can install eyebolts for a lifting sling. The Passagemaker is strong enough that if the eyebolts are properly installed, it could survive being filled with rainwater while hanging in the davits.

What size of outboard will the Passagemaker Dinghy take?

The maximum size is a 4-hp outboard. The Passagemaker is not meant to plane, so a larger outboard than that would be unnecessary. With a 2HP gas outboard the Passagemaker will break the 6MPH speed limit in most anchorages. The Passagemaker is also ideal for fishing with an electric motor.

How is the Passagemaker built?

The sides and bottom are 6mm okoume marine plywood. The bottom panels are sheathed in 6oz fiberglass fabric for durability. Rubrails are mahogany. Frames and seats are 9mm okoume for rigidity. Every wooden part is sealed with multiple coats of epoxy for protection from the elements.

What is LapStitch Construction?

CLC'S LapStitch™ Construction

Patent No. 6,142,093 

Our system combines the unquestioned grace of lapstrake hulls with the proven ease of stitch-and-glue construction. The strength of the LapStitch™ joint is such that the designs require comparatively little fiberglass or fillet work, making them especially easy to build.

Lapstrake hull shapes evolved over millennia. Many would suggest that the type reached a high-water mark with the Viking longboats, but the actual building method was little changed right up into the 20th century. Planks were riveted together, and the technique required prodigious skill on the part of boatbuilders.

Over the last few decades, the advent of modern adhesives and high-quality marine plywood brought about the first major innovation in lapstrake building methods: "glued plywood" lapstrake hulls. This method of planking produces very strong, stiff, and beautiful hulls that never leak. This is progress, to be sure, but glued lapstrake boats still require molds and arcane joinery skills. It isn't a process suited to amateurs.

In 1997, Chesapeake Light Craft developed a way to build lapstrake boats without molds or complex "rolling bevels" on the lapstrake planking. Using sophisticated computer design software, we are now able to devise hull shapes that will assume a round-bottomed shape without a jig or "torturing" of the wood. A special "rabbet," or groove, is machined into each strake so that they are self-aligning. They are wired together just like a stitch-and-glue kayak. When these joints are filled with epoxy, the result is a remarkably stiff and strong hull that is visually indistinguishable from traditional lapstrake planking.

LapStitch construction is featured in these CLC boats:

After more than 15 years of development, the evolution of LapStitch™ has reached the stage where we can render complex lapstrake hull shapes in complete confidence without "strongback" molds.  Chesapeake Light Craft can design and build for you LapStitch™ hulls of any shape or size.  

Why does the Passagemaker Dinghy have a "pram" bow?

Why can't it be pointy in front? The Passagemaker Dinghy is a pram, a boat with transoms at both bow and stern. You'd need a boat several feet longer to combine the same stability and capacity with a pointed bow. This is why you see so many prams used as tenders. Most importantly, the full bow allows passengers to step into the bow from a beach or a dock without the need to bring the boat alongside. If you've ever been at a crowded dinghy dock, you'll know how useful this is. The bow transom never touches the water while the boat is in motion and thus causes no drag.

Can you send me the plans digitally?

Sorry, but until digital rights management technology for marine architectural work catches up to that used for books and music, we are unable to transmit digital plans. Currently, only study plans and manuals can be sent digitally.

Can the Passagemaker Take-Apart be assembled while it is in the water?

Not easily. You would assemble the boat on deck and slide it into the water first. If you could stand on a swim platform or in shallow water, you could assemble the Passagemaker while it was floating. Both sections will float separately.

Classes

Take One of our Boatbuilding Classes

We offer classes for many of the boats we sell. Teaching sites stretch from Maryland to Washington State and from Maine to California. Click here to find out more.

View Classes

Need Help Building it?

We’re here to help with any questions you might have during the build process.

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