Joshua Slocum

I trust Joshua Slocum's Sailing Alone Around the World needs no introduction here. I have three copies of it: the paperback volume I read in seventh grade, my father’s 1950 hardback, and a 1905 edition I received as a gift from my friend Paul Thomas. Every time I pick up that oldest book, I think of the hands that opened the cover over a century ago to sign it.

Profiles

Penguin

The comforts of home in a 21' trailer yacht

John Welsford designed this trailer-yacht to be a roomy and comfortable cruiser with aesthetic appeal and excellent seakeeping ability. The gaff rig elicits images from a bygone era, but there is nothing old-fashioned about the Penguin.

Calendar Islands Yawl

A boat that almost builds itself

Clint Chase’s new 15’ 6” daysailer, sized to get planks from pairs of scarfed-together sheets of plywood, is designed to make the most of its sailing capability without compromising the pleasure of rowing.

Rann backs the ELSIE MAE from the ramp with his mother, ELsie Mae, and Art Arpin aboard. Rann's daughter Heidi, aboard his ARCUS with her fiancé Sean, records the moment.

The Power Dory and the Pilot

Bringing history back to life

In a garage in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, an all-but-forgotten design and moment in history come back to life when an eccentric neighbor volunteers to help build a Hammond power dory.

This small fence of locust wood took about five minutes to make.

Planing Edges Square

Shop-made fences for planes and routers

When you give a plane a sharp edge and set it to make a fine cut, it’s easy to come neatly up to the pencil line you’re cutting to. It’s not so easy to keep the plane square to the work, especially if its sole is teetering on a narrow edge.

Reader Built Boat

From Aerodynamics to Aesthetics

Building Soap Box Derby Racers and Stand Up Paddleboards

A serial stand-up-paddleboard maker got his start doing strip-built construction in an unlikely place—soap-box derby cars—and three decades later shifted his focus to artistic expression in wood.

Reviews

The author's double ender has a short outrigger for a sculling. The lock needed to be slightly elevated to keep the handle from making contact with the outrigger.

The Scullmatix

Sculling's simple solution

If the technique for sculling has eluded you and your oars are too short for it anyway, there’s a stainless-steel solution for you.

Linseed-oil Paint

Better for your boat

Made as it was centuries ago, linseed-oil paint allows wood to breathe, preventing peeling and rot. It may just let you off the hook for regularly repainting your boat.

News and Curiosities

NOAA Releases New Version of Chart No. 1

The chart of charts has been updated. This article at NOAA's website details the revisions that appear in the new version.

Coast Guard Advises Labeling Paddlecraft, Free Labels Are Available

In the recent Atlantic Coastal Kayaker, they shared a couple of important advisories from the U.S. Coast Guard regarding free labels and what happens if they find a small boat unlabeled and unmanned.

The Only Commercial Ice Boat Builder in Maine

It's typical for an ice boater to build their own boat or to take careful care of a vintage one, but Buchholz has been responsible for making the sport more accessible to people who otherwise might have been daunted by building their own boat and rig.

Man Who Crossed Bering Strait in Dinghy Deported from Russia

This man planned to sail to China in his 8' dinghy, but ended up in Russia. He's now been deported about six months after his arrival.

Across the Bar: Dave Getchell, Sr., Founder of Maine Island Trail

David R. Getchell Sr., 89, author, editor and outdoorsman, died November 10, 2018. He was managing editor and editor of the Maine Coast Fisherman, National Fisherman, and founding editor of the Small Boat Journal and the Mariner's Catalog in Camden. Later, he co-founded the Maine Island Trail and created the Georges Highland Path, a 40-mile hiking trail system in the Midcoast, for Georges River Land Trust. In 1994, he edited and was lead author of The Outboard Boater's Handbook.

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