Designer Peter Hunt has created a wonderful little stitch and glue kayak well within the capabilities of the first time boat builder. I had a chance to see the Little Dubbers at the 2000 Wooden Boat Show in Mystic CT. Among the wonderful (and wonderfully expensive) stripper kayaks and finastkind wooden yachts, I was attracted to a small crowd of people who seemed to be enjoying themselves. In the middle of the crowd was Peter Hunt, and a gaggle of Little Dubbers.

Peter had his hands up in what I call the classic “lying fisherman” pose, and I supposed he was telling a whopper about fishing from the Little Dubber. Instead, he was explaining that the “whaleback” design of the Little Dubber made it easier to paddle, yet allowed the kayak to have enough beam to make her very stable indeed. “Even though its wide at the bottom, its narrow at the top.” That means you can use a double paddle easily. In person, Peter is too polite to apply that same description to his audience, but he had just described my shape as well and I wondered how a Little Dubber would fare with my 230 pounds in it.
A top view shows how narrow the boat is at the top, and wide at the bottom.

The plans actually detail how to build two sizes. Peter estimates that someone under 170 pounds could build either the 7′ 6″ original, or the larger 9′ long model. If you weigh over that, well:

If you are over about 160 – 170 pounds you should definitely consider building the Bigger Dubber; however, if you weigh up to 180 pounds and lightness and portability are overriding demands (and you are careful using it on protected water) you can go with the Little Dubber. For people over 180 pounds, I recommend the Bigger Dubber (or a diet).

Plans, page 9

The plans booklet, 76 pages and generously illustrated, is very readable. Peter’s wry humor is sprinkled thoughout, and every imaginable question a new builder might pose is anticipated and answered. He provides a list of the tools he uses when he builds a Little Dubber, which is full of items you don’t actually NEED (pencils are listed several times, because you always lose them). But the real tool requirements are basic hand tools and, in the power arena, a jig saw and drill. He recommends a table saw for ripping some trim to 1/2″ and 1/4″ square, but allows that for this one operation, you can probably impose on a friend who has a shop. If you have a woodworking shop already, you have the tools you need.

The Little Dubber is built using 1/8″ plywood and epoxy. That’s right, 1/8″ plywood. Because the Little Dubber doesn’t live on the water, and the plywood is lavishly slathered in epoxy, Peter recommends using plain old luan “doorskin” material available in Home Depot or Lowes. Two sheets are required for the Little Dubber, or three for the Bigger Dubber. “For this little boat, the cheap stuff is fine … my oldest Dubber is now over 4 years old and is still perfectly sound.” Marine plywood is wonderful too, of course, and if you have the money, go ahead and use it. But it isn’t absolutely necessary.

You’ll use about 18 yards of 4″ wide fiberglass tape (6 ounce weight is fine) and about 3 yards of 38″ wide fiberglass cloth. Peter recommends 6 ounce fiberglass cloth. For the Bigger Dubber, 22 yards of the tape and 4 yards of the cloth are required. The regular Little Dubber can be built with a gallon of epoxy easily, but its tough to stretch that gallon out for the Bigger Dubber. Plan on an additional 1/2 gallon for the Bigger Dubber (my estimate).

I estimate it would cost $300 – $400 to build a Little Dubber using 2000 prices. Less if you already have some of the materials lying around.

In July, 2009, Southport Island Marine commented that they build the Dubber to spec for customers, and are planning a lower-cost production version in fiberglass. We’ll feature the new fiberglass model in a story here on messing-about, as it promises to be an economical alternative to hand-built wooden versions.

Now, what about that name? Peter’s friend Sandy, upon seeing the first one, said “What a cute little Dubber!” His marketing research for a suitable name ended at that point, and the design was dubbed the Little Dubber.

I emailed Peter prior to writing this article, to let him know the Little Dubber plans would be reviewed on our new web site. At that time, he didn’t have a web site set up yet, but now he does: go to the Little Dubber Page at his KayakDesigns.com site to see more about purchasing the plans.

Somewhere out there folks are building and paddling Little Dubbers, and we’d like to talk to them. I will build my Little Dubber (well, the Bigger Dubber actually, because that “diet” thing is out) and report on it here when finished. But other builder’s experiences are also very much encouraged.

Quick Facts:

Little Dubber Kayak
• 7 1/2′ or 9′ LOA
• Weighs 25 – 30 lbs
• Stitch and Glue Construction
• 76 page Plans Book
• No specialized tools
• No jigs or strongbacks
• Easy to build

Available from:
Little Dubber Kayaks
The Shed for Sail Studio
PO Box 135
Norton, MA 02766
Website: http://www.kayakdesigns.com
Price: $18 plus $2 shipping/handling

Peter’s more philosophical side comes to the fore in the plans from time to time, such as when he is discussing why someone should build their own boat:

I fully believe every person, both man and woman, should build a boat sometime in their life. There is nothing so satisfying and esteem-building as building your own boat and then having this creation of your hands bear you out over God’s blue waters …. As the Water Rat said in Kenneth Graham’s classic story Wind in the Willows:

“There is nothing, absolute nothing, half so much worth doing as simply messing-about in boats!”

Plans, page 5

Messing-about in boats, huh? I knew I liked this guy.