Why did you decide on the Zip design?

This boat build was something I’ve been wanting to do since I was about 18 years old (I’m 67). My brother brought home a Glen-L catalog and I started looking through it. I always liked the look and style of the Zip. I like the 1950s dual cockpit design. Over the years I kept up with Glen-L and always wanted to build a boat. One of the hardest decisions was which one to build. My favorite was the Zip. Plus the ZipKit became available and that also influenced my decision.

Why build a boat versus just buying one?

I’ve always enjoyed working with wood. When I retired I started building woodworking projects—mostly furniture. The thing about building a boat , especially a Glen-L design, is you are building something unique. Where else are you going to be able to find a boat that has a beautiful African mahogany deck? I’ve owned several boats in my lifetime and always wanted to experience the satisfaction of building one.

How long did it take you from start to finish?

I started working on it September 1, 2023. I declared it complete on June 25, 2024. I worked on this boat every day I could. The only time off I took during the project was a week over Thanksgiving, two weeks between Christmas and New Year’s and that’s it. The rest of the time I was out here every day working on it in my shop. It helps to have a heated and insulated shop to work in during the cold winter months.

Did you customize or alter anything to your preference?

I pretty much stuck with the dual cockpit design per the plans. I did enclose the transom and added a transom well. I also added an African mahogany deck over the plywood deck that came with the ZipKit. I also added a floor to the boat versus having the hull bottom be the floor.

What was the trickiest part of the build?

I would say the trickiest or most difficult part was gluing the side plywood panels in place. I did them by myself. I could have used an extra set of hands. I would say that 99.8%of the build was done by me alone.

Any tips or tools you'd recommend to builders?

Get yourself a Frearson hand screwdriver and Frearson screwdriver bits. They're available through West Marine. Do not try to work those silicon bronze screws with a regular Phillips screwdriver. You will strip to head out. Also, by yourself at least, one good block plane if you don’t already own one, and buy yourself a good sharpening kit for your plane.

Have you had a chance to test the boat and are you pleased with overall performance?

I took it on its maiden voyage on Thursday, June 27. My brother went with me. The river where I live is almost in flood stage so I took it to the Fox chain of lakes in Fox Lake, Illinois where I grew up. We spent six hours on the water breaking in the new motor and just enjoying a good boat ride. I did one full throttle run for a short time and achieved 27 mph on my GPS speedometer. Not bad for a 30 hp four stroke Suzuki. 

I want to give a shout-out to the Glen-L forum. Tons of information available there for boat building.
I look forward to taking my granddaughters for the boat ride in Papa’s new boat. They have followed the whole build.

I'd like to add that when you take on a project like this, be prepared to become a problem solver. A lot of the work is very straightforward but sometimes it throws a curve ball and you've got to figure out the best way to solve the issue. But that's where the forum comes in real handy. Plus it helps if you have made friends at the Gathering and you have your own personal network. If someone is thinking about building one I would highly recommend attending a Gathering because you get to see the boats and talk face to face with people who have built them. And the boat building people are the nicest people you’ll ever meet.