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12 Day Rd
Rockingham, WA, 6168
Australia

0423 284502

With over 20 years experience in wooden boat building and repair Tony O'Connor is pleased to discuss any aspect of Wooden boat construction mast and spar construction and repair as well as outfitting boats of all construction methods with boat owners in Perth Western Australia.

Tony is  also available to cut CNC parts to order for customers.

Tony is also delighted to be the Australian builder for Francois Viviers gaff yawl Jewell design and is the authorised  supplier of cnc kits for Jewell ,and will be happy to supply complete or partial  kits for other Vivier designs to  costumers requirements

 

Deer Isle Koster

Deer Isle Koster
FAST | LIGHT | BEAUTIFUL

 

SPECIFICATIONS
Overall Length 14' 0"
Waterline Length   12' 6"
Beam   5' 10"
Draft (board up/down)   5" to 36"
Depth amidships   19"  
Bare hull weight ~175 lbs

Bruce Elfstrom, a friend, father, and small boat nut, drew the original KDI for his daughters. He was quoted in Small Boat Magazine, "I wanted them to have a big deck to jump off of, climb up on, swim off of -- to go out and just Swallows and Amazons stuff". That sums up the spirit of what was behind Bruce's thinking when he drew the KDI in 2009, inspired by the double-enders of Scandinavia and wanting a modern take on these classic work boats.  
Many describe the KDI as a fusion of the Koster boat with Catboat. The boat is simply fast, with a powerful but not over-canvassed lug rig, and NACA-shaped foils for rudder and centerboard. The hull is very wide for its length which favors sailing speed. That said, the boat rows well because of its lightness and the ability of the aft part of the hull to act as a skeg, which helps the boat track. Two rigs have been drawn for the boat and proven equally effective: a lug only sail and a lug-with-jib rig

Construction is hybrid stitch-&-glue and glued lapstrake construction over precut strongback and bulkheads/molds. All plywood is BS1088 Okoume.

Construction is hybrid stitch-&-glue and glued lapstrake construction over precut strongback and bulkheads/molds. All plywood is BS1088 Okoume.

A generous fore-deck and side deck makes for extra security and comfort when sailing. Bags and gear can stow beneath the fore deck as well as in side tanks via fitted hatches. The ends of the boat are enclosed and sealed to provide flotation. A wonderful feature of the boat are the floorboards, which can double as a sleeping platform for camping on board with a tent formed over the boom. 

The KDI build is an advanced beginner to intermediate project. Most builders have built a boat before, but a motivated first-timer with some skills could build it from the kit. A strongback composed of precut chipboard is the building base for the boat. Bulkheads are part of the set up and planked over to form the shell of the boat. Upon turnover, the only structure left to build the boat are seats, deck, and trim. 
 
 

In winter, my dreams tend to go towards adventure.  I had a simple goal: I wanted to get my kids their own sail boats so they could have the fun and independence I had as a kid, but with some safety as well.