Building Midwest’s Chesapeake Bay Flattie Ship Model Kit

Follow along as we build Midwest Model Products’

Apprentice Level 1 Model Ship Kit

The Chesapeake Bay Flattie!

Because of their shallow draft, flat-bottomed work boats called “flatties,” were popular around the turn of the century along the Chesapeake Bay from Virginia to North Carolina.

Midwest, Chesapeake Bay, Flattie, ship, vessel, craft, model, wood, die-cut, easy assembly, entry level, apprentice
Midwest Products Chesapeake Bay Flattie kit features easy curves ideal for a first time ship modeler.

These boats could carry cargo such as fresh produce down shallow creeks, and easily sail over the shallow sandbars common in the bay, so they could be used to transport oysters from the dredgers to market. A retractable centerboard made them more stable when sailing in deeper waters under stronger winds.

Flatties were often built without plans, just from a set of proportions each builder kept in his head. They usually ranged from about 20 to 30 feet, and the Midwest kit is a representation of a 28-footer, not a specific boat from history.

The simple lines of these boats that made them ideal for locals to build from locally-available lumber also make this an ideal ship model kit or a person with no prior wood ship model building experience. The kit comes with die-cut and pre-cut parts, as well as fittings, rigging line, sail material, and a well-done set of instructions and building plans.

Click on the links below to visit each stage of construction:

Midwest Chesapeake Bay Flattie plank-on-bulkhead ship model kit wood
Kit contents of Midwest’s Chesapeake Bay Flattie.

Chapter 1: Assembling the Keel and Bulkheads
Chapter 2: The Deck
Chapter 3: The Mast Step and Bow Stiffeners
Chapter 4: Keel and Chine Strips
Chapter 5: Installing the Cabin
Chapter 6: Planking the Hull

UPDATE: Well, unfortunately Midwest Products ceased producing its kits. It’s a shame, since they were such a great place to start if you wanted to get into the hobby of model ship building. But, they are often still listed on Amazon:






9 comments

  1. […] The simple lines of these boats that made them ideal for locals to build from locally-available lumber also make this an ideal ship model kit or a person with no prior wood ship model building experience. The kit comes with die-cut and pre-cut parts, as well as fittings, rigging line, sail material, and a well-done set of instructions and building plans. While solid-hull ship model kits are generally considered easier than plank-on-bulkhead kits, the flat sides and square corners of this kit make planking a breeze, and simpler than the sanding and shaping required for most wood solid hull kits. Follow along as we post updates to our Chesapeake Bay Flattie Ship Model Kit Building Project. […]

  2. Do you know of anyone who might share the rigging instructions for the cheasapeake bay flattie. I cant find the copy I had and some of the rigging has broken and Im not sure how it goes back together. I built mine in 2014.

    • I plan to scan my instructions and make a PDF, but with all the other projects on my plate, it will be a while before I can get to it. Hopefully someone on the site will see this and respond. Otherwise, you can find Flattie kits in various states of construction on eBay, often going for $20-$30. Sometimes you can find just the instructions for sale. I set up a search that emails me new listings so I don’t have to go to the site every day. Best of luck, Jim

Leave a Reply