Mods

Here we're gluing on the third and final seat front stringer. We've angled the seat front for a more sporty feel - eight degrees to match the coaming. We're having a rounded off seat front instead of the normal over hang on the Nav. Thats's the reason for the three stringers.

At the stern we've done away with the aft deck and changed to a scooped out transom.

And some more framing goes in.

Bulking Up

Going 3D

The IT Department

There's a hole in my boat.

S for Sports

This is the 'sports' version, because we've taken John's option of the racing sloop rig. We've also made a few internal changes to the seating, transom and centre board.

Building started at the beginning of May.

Here's the bottom scarf joint cut.











And some of the bulkheads gluing.













The building jig going together.















And the bottom panel cut out.

A Bigger Boat

Hi, I'm Luke Foster

Here I'm planning to post updates as we build and sail our Navigator dinghy.

By way of introduction, I'm 20, living at home and still studying, business particuarly direct marketing. I'm the oldest in a family of six kids.

I've been sailing since I was seven, starting with Optimists, then building a Firebug dinghy Pilgrim with Dad when I was 11.

For several years now I've owned a Starling dinghy, and the family also has a Frostply and another Firebug.

This has been great fun. These are peformance boats, which are set up to be raced. So we go out and have a blast, but its hard to cruise or explore. There's no way to take the whole family out. And rigging and unrigging takes an age.

Time for a bigger boat.

We've been long time fans of John Welsford's designs. So after hearing so many rave reviews we settled on building a Navigator. With a view, or perhaps hope, of building or buying another in the future.