DIY Wood Sailboat Kits
3.6
5
13
14
Great for Kids events
Every year my company has an event to promote the recreational clubs. As president of the boating club for the past two years, I have purchased ten packages of the boats and painting kits. This has been the most popular event both years running. This does require some adult help to put the boats together. I use super glue to quickly affix everything including the boom and sail. Then the kids take over with the painting. The boats do float however some will tip onto their sides when the wind picks up. We hold a race after judging for the best decorated boats. We are headed in our third year with this event.
May 22, 2009
Not usuable as is
Bought numerous sets of these for our church's VBS this year. Saw the reviews mentioning minor issues with the product (holes needing to be drilled out, re-drilled, etc...). So, I was prepared to do some work. Worth it, I thought, to see the smiles on the kids' faces as they raced their finished boats.
The whole thing ended up being a much more involved process than I anticipated. First, tossed out a fourth of my order due to split wood, or unusuable/unrepairable pieces. Second, the kits that did assemble well (according to the directions) tipped over as soon as they were placed in the water, due to too much weight on the mast. We were able to make things work, but the bottom line is: Be prepared to put a lot of elbow grease into doing a complete OVERHAUL of the design, if you actually want a boat that's water-worthy. This is the first time I've been sorely disappointed by OT. But I won't be buying this again.
July 13, 2012
Okay quality but too costly
I bought these for Bible school. The pieces, as earlier comment suggest, don't fit as well as they should. Most of the sails had holes that were much too small and had to be cut to fit properly in place. Other pieces that don't fit well can easily be secured with glue, just be prepared to make those modifications. My main complaint with this item is that they are way overpriced. They are not worth the price that is asked for them.
July 26, 2011
Great Little Project
I like that there are directions in each individually wrapped boat. I tried one and didn't have to even glue it together, other than the mast. I think this will be a great craft for my 1st - 6th graders next week!
June 24, 2011
Not what I expected
Parts did not fit together well. Hard to assemble.
July 4, 2010
A Nice Outcome Requires Work
I bought these boats to use as table numbers for my wedding. This is definitely NOT a child-friendly project! I ended up modifying my boats with wood glue, paint, twine, and little toy life-saver rings. They've turned out great, but it took some work, as not all the pieces are straight nor were are all the holes bored correctly. Also, if you're planning to paint these, it'll take way more then you might expect, as the wood sucks up paint. Overall, I am very happy with these boats and would recommend them to a friend.
April 5, 2010
Hard
If you purchase this kit make sure either you do it for pre-teens are have adult help. The children loved to paint them but had a hard time putting them together.
August 3, 2009
Hard to assemble
I got these for my son's 6th birthday party, with mostly 6yo guests. The kids liked them but they really required adult assembly. Most of the holes and pegs did not line up making it nearly impossible for the kids to put together. My husband had to do most of them. Also, to get the mast, popsicle stick and sail to stick, we had to use hot glue, which my husband and I had to do. The kids loved painting them once they were together though.
June 8, 2009
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