the Argobuilder; Craftsmanship, Adventure, Enjoying Life!
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    • Sailing from Door County to the UP Michigan
    • Sailing Northern Door County
    • Sailing Lake Superior Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
    • Sailing Lake Huron: St.Ignace, Mackinac Island, Les Cheneaux Islands, St Martin Islands
    • From Manitowoc to Algoma and back on a small boat, 2017

Building the SCAMP Sailboat "Argo"

January 2016 - April 2018
Groetjes,

On these pages, I documented progress while building a SCAMP sailboat. My SCAMP sail# is 349, and she is called "ARGO". SCAMP is an acronym for Small Craft Advisor Magazine Project, and was conceived-of by the folks at that publication. It was designed by New Zealander John Welsford, and a photo of the finished boat along with a video of the first time I sailed her, may be found here on this page.
Picture
SCAMP Sailboat Argo ready for her first launch.
The "Argo" of Greek history was built by Argus, consecrated to Poseidon, captained by Jason, and crewed by the Argonauts on a voyage from Greece through the Bosphorus, around the Black Sea where they won the Golden Fleece, up the Donau, into the Adriatic, up the Po, through the mountains, France, back into the western Med, and back to Greece, on an epic voyage with many high adventures, as detailed in Apollonius of Rhodes' "Argonautika". Jason died when later in life he was sleeping under the Argo and it fell on him.

Specifications of the SCAMP that I built:
Rig: Balanced Lug Rig (Lugger)
LOA: 11 ft 11 in (3.63 m)
Beam: 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
Draft: 7 in (180 mm) with centerboard and rudder up
Hull weight: 420 lb (190 kg) (including rig)
Mainsail area: 100 sq ft (9.3 m2)

Materials: Joubert Marine plywood, epoxy, fiberglass, Sitka Spruce mast, boom and gaff.
I hope you find this SCAMP Build Blog useful. Note that the plans come with excellent instructions, including photo's, from Small Craft Advisor, and I will follow those instructions for this build. Enjoy!
Scamp Sailboat Argo
Scamp Sailboat Argo sailing on Lac la Belle, Wisconsin
Links to the journal of the construction of the SCAMP Sailboat "ARGO":  These are generally in the sequence in which work occurred, but in many cases, work progressed simultaneously in many of the categories below.  For a true day-to-day sequence of work, you may look at the build-log-by-hour which is the first link below.
Hours To Build SCAMP ARGO, COMPLETE Boat finished on May 27, 2018
Tools Used To Build The SCAMP Sailboat Argo
Blank Coloring Pages for Contemplating Your SCAMP Color Scheme
Materials and Suppliers
OARS - Complete
CENTERBOARD, Tiller AND RUDDER - Complete
Making Wooden Cleats - Complete
boom, and yard - Complete
Building the birdsmouth mast - Complete
SCAMP Build jig - Complete
Making Wooden Deadlights (PortholeS) - Complete
Building SCAMP hull (Bottom, Bulkheads, Planking) - Complete
SCAMP Cabin, Carlins, Gunwhales, Deck and Roof - Complete
SCAMP Cockpit, Footwell and Ballast - Complete
Painting And Varnishing The SCAMP Sailboat Argo - Complete
Wooden Boarding Ladder for SCAMP, Complete
Mounting SCAMP Argo's Cleats, Blocks, and Other Hardware - COMPLETE
Applying Boat Lettering and Name to SCAMP Argo - Complete
SCAMP Sailboat ARGO Navigational Lights - Complete
Rigging SCAMP Sailboat ARGO - Complete
SCAMP Sailboat "ARGO" Anchor System - Complete
Customized SCAMP Sailboat Trailer - Complete
Titling and Registering a Homemade Boat - COMPLETE
Outboard Motor for the SCAMP Sailboat Argo - COMPLETE
Sailing Scamp Sailboat Argo
Copyright 2016 - 2022 www.argobuilder.com ALL photos and writing are by the Argo Builder and his crew, unless noted otherwise. Contact jason@argobuilder.com to request permission to use any writing or images from this site. Thanks. Use the information at your own risk, please ​make safety your first priority, the author does not claim responsibility for the accuracy ​or inaccuracy of any information on this site
  • Home
  • The Shipyard
    • Building SCAMP "ARGO"
    • Compac 16 Pilothouse
    • Building a Kaholo SUP
    • Making a SUP Paddle
    • Ships' Provisions
    • True Seafaring Tales: Book Reviews
    • Nautical Fiction: Book Reviews
    • Seafaring and Boat Building Reference Books
  • The Woods of Arcady
    • Wisconsin Mushroom Hunting
    • Wisconsin Wildflower Photo Gallery
    • Making Apple Cider
    • Making Maple Syrup
    • Building a Stone Arch
    • Making Traditional Wooden Skis
  • The Homestead
    • The Warp and Weft >
      • Making a Large Tapestry Loom
      • Making a Small Hand Loom
      • Weaving Projects for Small Hand Loom
      • Beautiful Handmade Tapestry Beaters
    • The Merry Blacksmith
    • Making Cheese
    • Wooden Cheese Boxes
    • How to Make Pickled Pike
    • Wisconsin Bluegill Fry
    • Making Wooden Spoons by Hand
    • Handmade Wooden Dustpans
    • Making Broom-Corn Brooms
    • Making Horsehair Brushes and Brooms
  • The Muse
    • Poetry
    • Antique Typewriters >
      • Underwood Standard Portable 3 Bank Typewriter
      • Corona 3 Folder Typewriter Refurbishment
      • Typewriter Platen Replacement
      • Design of Rubber Parts for Antique Typewriters
    • Making an Alphorn
    • Alphorn Gallery
    • Making an Alphorn Bag
    • Viking Lur
  • The Model Maker
    • Making a booknook
    • Krick Alexandra Steam Launch >
      • Assembling Miniature Steam Model Clyde Oscillating Steam Engine
    • Ship Model FD 10 Arnanes Fishing Smack Johanna
    • Artesania Latina, Cargo Ship "Capri"
    • Building a Ship in a Bottle
    • Model of a Disney Water Taxi
    • BlueJacket Optimist Sailboat Model
    • Oseberg Viking Ship Model
    • Making a Cuckoo Clock
    • 3D Print Workshop
    • 3D Printed Object Gallery
  • Tales of Adventure
    • Sailing from Door County to the UP Michigan
    • Sailing Northern Door County
    • Sailing Lake Superior Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
    • Sailing Lake Huron: St.Ignace, Mackinac Island, Les Cheneaux Islands, St Martin Islands
    • From Manitowoc to Algoma and back on a small boat, 2017