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Introduction

2025 SCAMP CAMP
Logistics
Welcome, and congratulations on joining SCAMP Camp 2025. I hope the build we do together as a team will be a milestone in your life as it has been for so many others. If you haven’t built a boat before you are in for a treat. There is nothing quite like building and sailing your capable small boat. By building it yourself you can incorporate features that suit your likes and needs. As a team builder you will have the opportunity to work with others in a satisfying creative process. After SCAMP Camp you will be able to drive home with a highly accurate hull, remaining components, and the skills needed to finish your boat.

SCAMP Camp is in one sense a boat-building class but a class that aims to impart knowledge and develop skills through the hands-on process of building your boat as opposed to lecture and modular topic skill development. SCAMP Camp will be a fast-paced team effort designed to produce highly accurate hulls through teamwork. This means that we work together on all the boats in the build.

Your SCAMP CAMP Instructor
The instructor for the build is Howard Rice.
Howard has instructed all SCAMP Camp builds to date and has also built several custom SCAMP’s and other boats for owners in North America, Europe, and Japan.
To date, he has had a hand in the build of over 90 SCAMP’s and will continue to support you as you proceed after the initial build of your boat. Howard is a former college professor who has a life-long love of boats and boat building. He has taught boat building at the Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building, Chesapeake Light Craft, and at various maritime centers across North America.

Howard currently resides in Japan where he founded and manages a maritime center and boat-building school located in the Oki Island UNESCO Global Geopark. John is traveling in from New Zealand for this build.

Where Will the 2025 SCAMP Camps Be Located?
The Great Lakes SCAMP Camp is being held in a private shop facility in the small picturesque town of Eaton Rapids, Michigan. The shop is ideally suited to the build and is located on a beautiful 80-acre country site. Lodging is available on-site in a shared private home. There is lodging space available for three participants at no charge although a small voluntary donation is suggested to the homeowners Dave and Chris Mergener. During past group builds participants shared meals and on some days we went into town for restaurant meals. Camping is also available on-site for anyone who wishes to do so.

The address is- 9792 Kinneville Rd. Eaton Rapids, Michigan 48827.

Lodging
The build site is on an 80-acre private home site and our hosts offer their home for builders. There are three bedrooms available so please let us know if you would like one. There is also superb camping on site and both instructors plan to camp. If you wish to pitch a tent let us know. The bathroom, kitchen and shower facilities in the house are shared by everyone.

When
SCAMP Camp is scheduled to begin at 8am on Monday morning June 16th, and concludes mid-day on June 27th. Builders are welcome to move their tools into the shop on June 15th between 12 noon and 5pm. Lodging will be available starting June 15th.

Work Days
The build begins on day one with a short orientation session to help familiarize each builder with the build process and management of the shop space. Each work day will begin at 8am and end at 5pm unless we are having too much fun and decide to push on into the evening. Lunch is an hour at noon. Each lunch break will be an opportunity for the group to engage in a small boat chalk talk by the build instructor pertaining to the boats being built, small boat use or other related topics, that builders request.

** Birds Mouth Mast Option **
One of the elements of the SCAMP build that seems a bit daunting to builders is the construction of a hollow, tapered bird’s mouth mast. This option is being offered again in 2025 at a cost of $1,200. This cost covers the cost of materials including Sitka Spruce, epoxy, fillers, and the instructor’s time. By any measure, it is a bargain. Please select this option if interested as materials need to be sourced prior to the build.

Boat Trailer
You will need to bring a trailer for your new boat. It is suggested that a galvanized steel boat trailer is the most economical and actually perfectly suited for carrying your new boat. Any trailer with adjustable fore and aft bunks will work. A trailer with a long tongue makes it easy to back up while launching and retrieving.

The SCAMP Kit
Please contact Duckworks Boat Builders Supply to order your SCAMP kit.

Volunteers and Visitors
Volunteers and visitors to the build are always welcome. Typically we have a few folks who want to stop by as volunteers for a few hours or days. Please let us know by email so we can plan ahead. Visitors are of course welcome at any time.

SCAMP Camp Tuition and Materials Fee

$2,500 per builder.

This covers building jig preparation, and ten days of instruction.

Some builders come as a pair or a team and this means they also benefit from boat building instruction. There is a $500 fee for an additional builder.

Some participants wish to attend SCAMP Camp to learn and then build their own boat at a later date. The tuition for this type of builder is $2,500.

There is a $1,300 Materials fee.

Materials include epoxy, cleat material, fasteners and consumable build supplies.

My email
thepocketyacht@gmail.com

Payment
A $500 deposit will secure your place in the build. There are only four build slots open per build so securing your place is important. Please do so as soon as possible.

The balance for the build is due three months before the build start date and can be paid in full at any time up to that date.

Thank you for your deposit or payment in full.

Please send payment via Zelle Pay

My Zelle email is:

prof_rice@yahoo.com

Tuition-                          $2,500
Materials-                          $1,300
Birdsmouth Mast Build- $1,200
Additional Builder-           $500
Builder, w/o Boat $2,100

Deposit For each Builder is $500 (Non refundable)

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2025 SCAMP Camp Tool List

Here is a suggested tool list, which will enable you as a builder to make excellent progress. These are tools you will continue to use as you finish your boat.

*If you are flying in we will have tools on site for your use.

**Tape measure

Bevel (for determining angles)

Trim Router with a 1/4 round over bit (if you have one)

**Small Bubble Level

**Japanese hand-pull saw

**Small block plane

**Chisels (3/4 and 1”)

**Hammer

**Cordless drill with square and Phillips head bits

**Set of drill bits

**20 or more- F-clamps, and 6 to 10 small spring-clamps

**Vibrating sander- Model of your choice, random orbit is the best choice,

a 4”X4” pad sander is also handy.

Counter set bit set

**Pliers

**Ruler, Steel – 12” to 18” is ideal

**Small wood rasp or Japanese rasp.

Diagonal Wire cutter (Bull nose cutters best)

***Ten straight-edge utility knife razor blades

**Tyvek-type paper suit and/or multiple pairs of old pants and old shirts

(clothing you do not mind being ruined by epoxy)

**Ear plugs or ear Protectors

**Mask (Dust) - NIOSH/MSHA approved or mask (Respirator) - Filter,

organic fumes rated.

Large box of rags or clean cotton rags

**3 Plastic squeegee spreaders for epoxy work (these should be new).

We are very pleased to be doing this as we as your instructors know the joy the little boat has created in so many lives.

Feel free to contact Howard at any time with questions. thepocketyacht@gmail.com

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