The beautiful 1950s-era runabouts are icons of style in the world of wooden boats. We wanted one for ourselves, so we designed this small runabout to echo the grace of the post-war Lyman and Chris Craft runabouts. Our 30 years of experience designing wood-epoxy composite boats allowed us to create a smooth-running powerboat that is light, durable, and fast. And you can build it in your garage!We chose the name "Rhode Runner" for this shapely and able boat, referencing the nearby Rhode River, site of decades of CLC prototype launches, photo shoots, and small boat symposia. This CNC-cut, stitch-and-glue design, requires no building mold, yet the hull has a striking, sculptural -- and fully functional -- shape. The Rhode Runner is part of our CLC ProKit fleet, a design suitable for confident builders with a couple of stitch-and-glue boats under their belts. The complete kit can be assembled in 250-300 hours. Full-size plans are also available for the scratch builder. In trials we saw 24 mph, just under 21 knots, with a 25-hp motor. The boat doesn't skid in turns, is well behaved in general, and is not much slowed by a crew of three adults. The deep sheer line in unusual in a retro runabout. She appears to have a Norwegian heritage at idle speed; her bow evoke the traditional snekke design. The kit includes CNC-milled grooves in the plywood deck, with dark cedar strips glued in, calling traditional runabout decking to mind. Builders can choose between fixed wooden seats, or social, adjustable seats. Read more in these featured articles about the CLC Rhode Runner in Small Boats Nation: CLC Rhode Runner
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