Denman Marine Newsletter

Hi Denman Marine, and welcome to the latest Denman Marine newsletter.

In this month's newsletter we have:

• Swallow Yachts
• Sassafras Canoes
• $150 off Sassafras Canoe Kits
• Denman Marine Built Sassafras 16 For Sale
• Build Updates

If there is anything you would like to see in our future newsletters, discuss, query or order, please contact us via the contact form on our website.

Swallow Yachts are a range of elegant, trailerable sailing boats from Wales, UK, with modern performance hidden beneath traditional lines. Their designs are especially well suited to sailors who want a capable, good-looking boat that is still practical to launch, retrieve, tow and store.

Denman Marine has been the Australian agent for Swallow Yachts since 2009, and we are currently building the BayRaider 17 and 20 to order here in Tasmania using lightweight timber composite construction. Their most unique feature being a water ballast system - effectively giving the owner two boats for the price of one.

Please note these boats are not supplied as kits. If you are interested in a Swallow Yacht build, please get in touch to discuss the designs, options and current build availability.

Today we often think of wooden canoes as being strip-built in cedar, but lapstrake canoes have an even longer history. Traditional lapstrake canoes are beautiful, light and efficient, though historically they were also complex to build.

The Sassafras canoe range brings that classic lapstrake appearance into a modern kit-building format. CLC’s LapStitch™ construction method allows these elegant canoes to be built without strongbacks, moulds, frames or steam bending. The planks and parts are pre-cut, and the building process is based around carefully assembling and gluing the parts together with epoxy.

The Sassafras 12 is the smaller, lighter option in the range. It follows the tradition of the original “trapper” or “pack” canoe: light enough to carry down to a quiet lake or stream, but still practical on the water. It tracks well, turns easily, and is stable enough for relaxed paddling or fishing. For efficiency, the Sassafras 12 is generally paddled with a double-ended kayak paddle.

The Sassafras 12 is a particularly attractive project for builders looking for a compact solo canoe that is easy to build and can be handled, stored and transported without fuss.

The Sassafras 16 is the larger and more versatile canoe. Like many traditional canoes, it is symmetrical bow and stern, allowing a solo paddler to sit facing backwards on the forward seat for better trim. Her slightly rounded hull gives more speed and responsiveness than many plastic or fibreglass canoes, while the gentle rocker helps reduce wetted surface area and makes her feel smooth and easy to paddle.

Both designs are well suited to builders looking for a traditional-looking canoe without the complexity of traditional canoe construction. The finished boats are light, refined and rewarding to use, with the warmth and feel that makes a wooden canoe stand apart on the water.

$150 OFF Sassafras Canoe Kits

Snag a deal and grab $150 off Sassafras canoe kits until the end of the month. Whether you are after a light solo pack canoe or a larger canoe for relaxed paddling and exploring sheltered waterways, this is a good time to start planning your next build.

Use the coupon code 150OFFSASS during checkout until the end of July.

Head over to the Sassafras 12 or Sassafras 16 kit pages for further details and to place your order.

Don't have the time or space to build one yourself? Checkout the Denman Marine built Sassafras 16 canoe for sale, reduced to $4,500 ono.

Currently located at our workshop in Kettering, Tasmania. Get in touch - we can arrange Australia-wide shipping.

Denman Marine is Chesapeake Light Craft's Australian and New Zealand agent for their fantastic range of DIY kits. There is a huge selection of over sixty designs, including kayaks, canoes, rowing and sailing boats and even a teardrop camper. Be sure to head on over to our Chesapeake Light Craft page to grab a bargain on your next project. Below you can find a few recent examples of what our builders have been up to.

Contact Us

Please feel free to contact us at any time via our contact form to discuss your next boat or project.

Any prices listed are in Australian Dollars.

® Denman Marine 2026
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