Built & Launched Registry
KATE
Candu E-Z · Mini Tug
- Registry No.
- BL-000005
- Hailing Port
- Middletown, NJ, United States
- Status
- Under Construction
Under Construction
- Builder
- Mike D
- Design
- Candu E-Z
- Length
- 15′ 9″4.8 m
- Status
- Under Construction
- Hailing Port
- Middletown, NJ, United States
They say when you retire you need 3 and 1/2 things to keep you busy, well this is one of them that I can do with my grandson alongside.
The Story
In the builder’s words
Semi-retired and as a hobby I like to work with wood, fiberglass, electronics and engines so the CANDU-EZ is perfect. I figure this project will take about 18 months and will bring years of fun with my grandson and granddaughter (who the boat is named after). The build is a WIP right now.
Builder Knowledge
Practical lessons from this build
- What I Would Do Differently
I would cut and position the hulls a bit differently in order to flare the top of the bow about 1-2 inches wider than the bottom shape.
- Most Difficult Part of the Build
I disliked cutting the longer thinner parts like the chine logs, rub rails and gunwales.
- Most Useful Tool
Rubber gloves! That fiberglass is itchy weather it be cutting it or sanding ;-)
- Biggest Unexpected Expense
So far nothing unexpected, but I am surprised at how ,many chip brushes, mixing cups, rubber gloves I have used since I need to mix epoxy resin in relatively small batches.
- Best Modification
I added a 12in deep box keel to mount the diesel engine low enough to have the shaft almost flat.
- Would I Build This Design Again?
I think one time will be enough
Build Progress
6 of 16 stages complete
38% 6 of 16 stages (2 not applicable to this boat)
Next Tab and Reinforce Inside of Hull
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Complete 30 May 2026
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Complete 6 June 2026
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Complete 27 June 2026
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Complete 12 July 2026
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Complete 19 July 2026
Completed glassing of bottom and added stainless guard on bottom of keel.
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Complete 6 September 2026
Includes bow stem, rub rail, hull panels, gunwales
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Still to do
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Still to do
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Still to do
Coach roof, cockpit, hatches and anything standing above deck.
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Still to do
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Still to do
Filled, faired, primed and finished — inside and out.
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Still to do
Sole, berths, lockers, joinery and the fit-out.
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Still to do
Beams, sheathing and covering boards down.
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Still to do
Throttle / Gear Selector, Dashboard, switch panel, etc.
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Still to do
Spars, standing and running rigging, sails, oars or the outboard.
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Still to do
The day she went in.
The Build
19 milestones, in order
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MAY 2026
The Build Begins
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JUNE 2026
The start of the build
Prior to the start i had been collecting miscellaneous parts and reviewing the plans on Berkley Engineering which i ultimately purchased (CANDU E-Z). I also purchased laminating epoxy, 6oz cloth, biaxial tape, cloth tape and ACX plywood for most of the build. All fasteners that I used were stainless steel.
Before the build I also purchased a used Yanmar 1GM diesel engine, transmission, shaft, stuffing box and prop. I needed this to properly dimension out the box keel and engine placement
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JUNE 2026
The bottom & box keel
Bottom and Box keel sized to accept engine and shaft length I had. From the start I decided to stretch the plans of the boat length by 18 inches (I will also add 2 or 3 inches to the cabin height). The depth is 12 inches and the sides of the keel are canted inward 15 deg to make it more streamlined. The keel’s displacement is a bit greater than the almost 200 lbs the engine, transmission, shaft and prop are. There are 3 bulkheads to separate the compartments in the keel. At this point in the build i simply had a leveled 10’ x 6’ 2x4 frame on the floor of my garage to ensure flat build.
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JUNE 2026
Finished box keel and added longitudinal logs
Closed in box keel and added longitudinal logs. Already routed in the box keel are conduits for wire and cables. I also fitted the engine mounts.
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JULY 2026
Completed glassing of bottom and added stainless guard on bottom of keel.
Completed glassing of bottom and added stainless guard on bottom of keel. There are 4 layers of 6oz cloth minimum on the bottom with 6 to 8 layers on all inside and outside corners (including 1 layer of biaxial/mat).
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JULY 2026
Open Access to keel
Cut access to engine compartment and keel compartments.
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AUGUST 2026
The hull takes shape
The bow stem was installed, hull sections measured, cut and butt joined. Then the hull sections were fitted. This was a major milestone for me because now visitors checking on what I was doing believed it was really a boat!
(Don’t mind the messy shop. Every week or so I do a cleanup…..most of the time).
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AUGUST 2026
Gunnel and lower shelf supports installed
Gunnel and lower shelf supports installed
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AUGUST 2026
Bow gunnels
Bow gunnels installed
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AUGUST 2026
Rear rubrail-lower and lower stern curved sections
Lower half of rear rubrail installed along with the lower curved stern sections. This took some time to trim and properly fasten, but it looks great!
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AUGUST 2026
Rear Rubrail - upper
Rear Rubrail - upper installer
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AUGUST 2026
Miscellaneous side projects
Along the way my attention gets drawn to some other related side projects. Here are a few;
Old truck air horn restoration
Shift / throttle controls
Name platesAfter restoring these air horns I come to find they work on vacuum , which a diesel engine does not have. I purchased an electric brake booster vacuum pump to run them.
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AUGUST 2026
Clean the garage day
Rolled the boat outside today in order to clean the dust and re-organize the tools, etc. Also 1/4 round routed the bottom edge of the hull.
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SEPTEMBER 2026
Aft gunwale support and stern curved panel
Getting close to another milestone ….. aft gunwale support and stern curved panel
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SEPTEMBER 2026
Engine basic maintenance and cleanup
Tore down parts of the engine so it could be cleaned and repainted. Also did all the basic maintenance. Soon I will move it into place in order to align the shaft and plan out position, muffler, fuel system, dash wiring, etc.
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SEPTEMBER 2026
Hull structure complete
Hull structure complete. Fitted the final curved stern panels. It looks great and happy with the symmetry and shape. There still a lot of tabbing, filets and fairing to be done, but it’s another milestone in my book.
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SEPTEMBER 2026
Tied the Hull with the bottom using 1708 biaxial glass on the outside corner
Tied the Hull with the bottom using 1708 biaxial glass on the outside corner. I want that outside corner to be strong to carry the loads.
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SEPTEMBER 2026
Forward Rubrail and Aft Bulkhead
Bad weather and other priorities have slowed me down a bit, but still progressing. I am using 6 x 1/4 plywood strips to build up the forward rub rail. While that is curing I am also working on the Aft bulkhead and box where the rudder through hull will be. Once the forward rub rail is complete I want to glass the outside of the hull with 1 10oz and 1 6oz layer, while also adding another 6oz layer of tape on that outside corner.
Build Gallery
93 photographs
Specifications
As entered in the registry
Design & Type
- Boat Type
- Mini Tug
- Design
- Candu E-Z
- Designer
- Berkeley Eastman
- Plans
- Built from plans
- Plans Source
- Berkley Engineering
Construction
- Construction Method
- Taped Seam
- Primary Material
- Plywood & Epoxy
- Method Notes
- Stretched 18in length and 3in height + box keel
- Builder
- Mike D
- Built At
- Two car garage in New Jersey
Dimensions
- Length Overall
- 15′ 9″4.8 m
- Beam
- 7′ 4″2.2 m
- Draft
- 1′ 6″0.5 m
Propulsion
- Propulsion
- Inboard
- Engine
- Yanmar 1GM
- Horsepower
- 10 hp
Dates & Waters
- Build Started
- May 2026
- Hailing Port
- Middletown, NJ, United States
- Home Waters
- Navasink and Shrewsbury rivers
The Design
Candu E-Z
A compact displacement mini tug designed around precisely dimensioned plywood components and common workshop tools.
Plans Berkeley Engineering
Sister Ships
4 in the registry
4 other Candu E-Z boats are registered with Built & Launched.
The Builder
In their own workshop
Mike D
Founder MemberBuild ChroniclerRecently, semi retired IT professional. Downsized to a home 15 minutes from Sandy Hook Bay in NJ. When looking for this house first priority was to be close to the water and second was to ensure a 2 car garage…but no room for cars in this garage (you will see why in the build photos). I am water lover and sailing…
Home Port
Middletown, NJ, United States
Home Waters Navasink and Shrewsbury rivers
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Built & Launched
The Registry of Home-Built Boats
Certificate of Registry
BL-000005
- Vessel
- KATE
- Builder
- Mike D
- Design
- Candu E-Z
- Build Started
- May 2026
- Launched
- —
- Hailing Port
- Middletown, NJ, United States
- Registry Date
- 19 August 2026
- Last Updated
- 4 October 2026
- Status
- Under Construction
EST. 2026
Every Boat Has a Build Story.
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