The West Coast KDI launched in 2012

Update May 2015: The latest KDI is being built on Bainbridge Island, WA by renowned author Lawrence Cheek (May, 2015) and the last launched was in NJ last year. I am hoping to develop a mkII version not that a handful have been built. Ideally, I can take some advance orders to fund the work.

New Jersey KDI launched in 2014

A second west coast KDI. This one is being built on Whitbey Island, WA.

CNC Plywood Kit w/ plans and manual $2,800

KDI Specifications

LOA 14'

LWL 13' 4"

Beam 5' 3"

Depth amidships 1' 7"

draft board up 5 1/4"

draft board down 36"

sail area 102 sq. ft. max

Hull weight ~175lbs

The KDI was originally designed by Bruce Elfstrom of Lyme, CT, a talented, amateur boat designer who has a penchant for Swedish and Norwegian styled boats. He wanted his popular KDI to be available as a kit so we set to work in 2011. The KDI kit pictured here, hull #3 built in WA, is a huge success. Others are being built in the US and they are available in Australia, France, and the UK. Currently, only kits are available. A plans package may be created in the future that does not require the kit. But I feel the kit is the best for new builders. Explore the links to learn more about the KDI!

West Coast KDI on display at Port Townshend's Wooden Boat Festival

Thanks to the East and West Coast "Stevens"

Thanks to Steven Borgstrom and the Bauer's, Celie and her dad Steven, this kit really got going. Every kit needs prototyping before wide release. This process reveals major and minor issues that need fixing and helps clarify the plans details. The sea trials of the west coast KDI have gone well and we are excited to have a final KDI kit ready to go. At some point in the future, I will get to drawing some plans that don't require the kit. For now, the boat requires the kit to be built. Enjoy this video of the KDI sailing on Puget Sound.

Watercraft (UK) article download

KDI Links

WoodenBoat Forum on East Coast KDI kit build

WoodenBoat Forum on West Coast KDI kit build

Jewell: trailerable cabin classic yawl

Update May 2015: I was involved in the design of this wonderful boat and will continue to offer kits for it even though the other Vivier kits are no longer sold through me.

Study Plans for Jewell $10

Jewell CNC Plywood Kit $6,681.00

Jewell Specs

LOA 19' 8"

LWL 17' 9"

Beam 7' 3"

Draft 1' 3" board up/4' board down

Weight 1367 lbs

Ballast 265 lbs in keel/66 lbs in c.b.

Sail Area 237 sq. ft

Jewell is the result of a cross-Atlantic collaboration between Clint Chase Boatbuilder and Francois Vivier Naval Architecte. I desired for years a daysailor like Jewell and it was not until I began working with Mr. Vivier as his US kit agent that a conversation started around a boat for the North American market. Two years int he making, Jewell is everything I want in a sailboat. The following is excerpted from the 2011 Professional Boatbuilder design contest in which Jewell received an honorable mention.

"In January 2010, I got in touch with Clint Chase, a young boat-builder in the state of Maine, USA. I was looking for somebody able to market boat kits in North America and Clint was looking for designers to develop his boatbuilding and kit business. We had a very fruitful discussion by e-mail and phone and he expressed the need for a new day boat for his family. Jewell was born. A first draft project was drawn in 2010 and the final project was designed in April 2011. As a family friendly day boat, Jewell has to meet the following main requirements:To be trailerable by an ordinary car, and therefore light, and be able to beach temporarily for loading/unloading. To have a large, wide and deep cockpit, comfortable, allowing for fishing and a place where children could be safe.To have a stable hull for family sailing but give excellent performance for raids and weekend sails “with the guys”.To have a cuddy cabin, with a toilet for women and children, a small galley to heat some meals and two berths to spend a night or two on board, or for napping.We also made the choice of a yawl rig, firstly because it is beautiful, and also because Americans are fond of yawls. I was happy to make something different than the gaff sloop I generally prefer on such a day-boat (Stir-Ven, Beniguet, Lilou...). The yawl rig is very versatile, allowing one to sail under main only, or under mizzen and jib. The mizzen also allows the boat to safely point into the wind, tending itself while the skipper starts the motor, puts in a reef, or entertains the kids. In Jewell, the main mast is shorter and lighter, so easier to step. The jib has overlap in order to improve pointing ability. The luff is short in order to have it well tight. It is always a mania for me to design fast boats, especially to windward, as it is also the best for safety. The jib is small and fitted with a roller furling system to avoid the need to come on the fore deck at sea. The mizzen is a leg-of-mutton sprit sail which stow simply rolled around the mast. On a trailerable boat, the centerboard case is generally cumbersome, either in the cockpit and/or in the cabin. On Jewell, the case is almost invisible. The centerboard rotates under the cockpit allowing the skipper or crew (even a 6’6” person) to sleep athwartship on the cockpit floorboard! I usually give to my designs name of rivers (Aber, Elorn, Laita, Aulne...), islands (Ilur, Ebihen, Béniguet, Méaban...) or capes (Pen-Hir, Toulinguet, Beg-Meil...) in Brittany. This time, Jewell is an island, but in the state of Maine, where Clint use to sail, on the other side of the pond!"

The CNC cut building jig for Jewell

Jewell modeled in 3D CAD

Trailer is easy with Jewell's hull shape and a customized trailer

The first kit cut was in France for a German client. The first boat built was actually in Maine. I cut the kit for a commissioned boat built by French and Webb in Belfast Maine. As of this writing the boat is receiving final coats of paint. Here is a building sequence.

Chris cleaning up epoxy squeeze out along the garboard/bottom seam

After turnover, the first task is removing bulkhead supports

Boatbuilder Peter Webb and Chris Gardei with owner working out the interior construction

Stainless steel rudder-tiller housing.

NACA shaped rudder and Torqueedo

Reefing comb glued to boom

Setting up mast on tabernacle

Getting close

Watercraft UK article by F. Viver and C. Chase download

Jewell Links

Jewell on VivierBoats.com

Photo Album of First Jewell built by French & Webb

Other Vivier Boats though CCBB

I can sell a number of F. Vivier's boats as plans and kits as his US & Canada agent. See the Vivierboats.com website and look for the models with my logo. Prices are roughly as follows and may change:
MORBIC $2,855
ILUR $3,555
BEG-MEIL $3,560
EBIHEN 16 $5,050