Blog

Get 10% off storewide* -- and a FREE Duckworks Rubber Ducky on supply orders of $50 or more! OK folks, here's the deal! We're super stoked to be offering 10% off on PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING in the store, with a couple of notable exceptions: boat plans and sails. (Why are we leaving those out? In a nutshell, we have agreements with our plan designers and sailmakers to sell their wares at set prices.) But guess what IS included in that 10% off? CNC BOAT KITS! That's right, you cou …

There's a well-known folk adage out in the world, 'The proof of the pudding is in the eating.' But I was once told a variation of it this that has stuck with me, ‘The proof is in the winning.’  While it applies in some situations, it isn’t necessarily a universal truth across the board: Sometimes, the most skilled team or passionate competitor doesn’t win.  Sometimes, the sailor with the longest waterline doesn’t cross the line first.  Sometimes, even the best-lai …

Some of you may not know that long before I came onboard at Duckworks, I worked for the Northwest Maritime Center (NWMC) as their boatshop manager for about a decade–working on fleet boats, teaching in and supporting our programs, working with kids and those more “experienced” in life too. I was also lucky enough to have a major role in building SCAMP #1 during my time there. The campus was young and growing, it was an exciting time and it seemed like every month some new program was be …

A lot of potential would-be boat builders ask us, "What’s the best boat for a beginner to build?” There are a lot of ways to answer that, and I’d argue that the #1 factor is, “What boat would you get the most enjoyment out of owning?” But setting that key consideration aside for a moment, a skin-on-frame boat is a good first project for the aspiring boat builder who wants a relatively quick, attainable project. These boats come together pretty quickly, so you can get out on the water and star …

If you’ve done much reading about stitch-and-glue boat building, it’s likely that at some point you have come across someone stating that they used a “blind fillet” for some situation or another. Assuming you’re already acquainted with stitch and glue boatbuilding methods, you likely already know that a fillet is a key structural transition between two parts of a boat that blends them seamlessly together. A pronunciation note here for those who hear words in your head when you read: in b …

If you’ve been tuned in to Duckworks for the last few months, you’ve probably gathered that we are quite fond, and quite proud, of our Scout CNC Kit. Scout was front and center in our space at the Seattle Boat Show, drawing in curious and aspiring boat builders from all over the Pacific Northwest, and for good reason. Her light weight, clean lines, simple construction, intuitive and simple sail rig, and spacious design make Scout an appealing dinghy; sporting both function and style …

Duckworks is thrilled to be making our first appearance at the 2023 Seattle Boat Show, February 3-11! As the largest boat show on the West Coast, the Seattle Boat Show is a huge event that speaks to a wide variety of boaters, and we’ll be there helping to introduce a whole new audience to the unique joys of building your own boat. We have some exciting things planned for our time in the Emerald City! Stop by our booth in the East Hall at Lumen Field Exhibition Hall to get an up c …

A dose of inspiration for all of you aspiring boat builders out there! It’s hard to believe that we are saying goodbye to 2022 and wrapping up another year here at Duckworks! We want to wish you and your family a very happy new year. In closing out 2022, we are thrilled to share a beautiful build by James Frederick Bland of Austin, Texas, who after eighteen months and 1000 hours of construction has launched a gorgeous 12’ San Francisco Pelican! You may have seen the announcement of Jam …

What's that foggy, cloudy stuff appearing on your freshly cured epoxy? Learn what it is . . . and how to fix it. If you’ve worked with epoxy, read articles on working with it, or watched videos of folks working on their boats using epoxy, chances are that you have heard of amine blush. Even if you’re not familiar with the term, you might recognize that cloudy looking stuff that can appear on a freshly-epoxied piece of wood. What the heck is it, why is it important to familiarize yourself …

Hi everyone - I guess since I’ve been working behind the scenes on the business end of things here at Duckworks since the beginning of the year, it’s about time for me to introduce myself! My name is Katie Malik, I’m the General Manager of Gig Harbor Boat Works, and by extension also now of Duckworks since we were lucky enough to acquire Duckworks as a sister company at the beginning of the year. I grew up around small boats – my parents Dave and Janet Robertson are the original founders …