July 2026

The 2026 WoodenBoat Show

The big boats are special—but it’s the small ones that attract

The editor visits with the small-boat exhibitors at the 34th annual WoodenBoat Show.

June 2026

“Sumer is icumen in…”

…but not just yet

The editor is ready for summer but in Midcoast Maine it can be a long time coming.

May 2026

It Feels Like Home

A visit to The Carpenter’s Boat Shop in Pemaquid, Maine

The editor meets up with the newest apprentices at The Carpenter’s Boat Shop and discovers a bonded group of burgeoning boatbuilders.

April 2026

Staying Afloat Longer

Because sailing shouldn’t just be for the young

As we age things become harder, but that shouldn't mean we have to give up on our favorite pastimes.

March 2026

A Trip to Hog Island

Adventures don’t have to be long and arduous to bring satisfaction

For the editor, memories of an island voyage under sail and oar are still vivid after 30 years. 

February 2026

A Good Lot of Boat Stuff

An unplanned boatyard visit brings promise of days to come

Encounters in a boatyard fill a need for “boat stuff” in the depths of winter.

January 2026

It’s Not About Size

When is a small boat too big or a big boat small enough?

Sometimes small is less about dimensions and more about attitude.

December 2025

Small Boats, Big Adventures

Turning dreams into reality

Lack of experience and limited funds don’t have to stand in the way of dreams.

November 2025

Joy of a Free Boat, Part II

It might be free, but where will it lead?

If we knew what free boats would ultimately cost, would we go on accepting them?

October 2025

The Joy of a Free Boat

The long lives of small boats handed down from owner to owner

Why do small boats so often outlive their life expectancy and continue to bring happiness to multiple owners even when they have become financially worthless?

September 2025

Small-Boat Building and Ownership

For small-boat builders, advances in technology are expanding choices

The editor reflects on the advances in materials and technology that have made small-boat building for amateurs more accessible than ever.

August 2025

Big Days for Small Boats

A planned opening at Mystic Seaport Museum and a reopening at Duckworks.com

The editor hears news from a museum curator and an online seller of boat plans and sails.

July 2025

A Weekend with Boat People

The editor visits the 33rd WoodenBoat Show

Over the last weekend in June, Mystic Seaport welcomed thousands of boat enthusiasts to the annual WoodenBoat Show: the editor was among them.

June 2025

Mornings on the Water

Making the most of the peace and quiet

As the days warm up, the editor takes to the water before going to the office.

May 2025

A Brief Encounter

Remembering Carl Cramer

Carl Cramer was publisher at WoodenBoat Publications for 25 years; the editor recalls her first meeting with him.

April 2025

The Promise of Spring

A late snowfall sends the editor back to dreaming

When spring is a long time coming there's always dreaming and getting boats and trailers ready for the big day.

March 2025

Adventures in Retirement

Finding excitement in small boats after retiring

When many people would think about slowing down and staying home, some small-boat owners are taking to the water and finding new adventures.

February 2025

John Watkinson and the Elliott Brothers

Origins of the Drascombe designs

Most Drascombe boats are fiberglass but in the 1970s a small yard in Devon, England, custom-built Drascombes in wood.

January 2025

Utility, Beauty, and Longevity

Why some boats survive long after they’ve outlived their purpose

The care that designers and builders put into their work often assures their boats remain valued for decades, even centuries.

December 2024

You’re Never Too Old

Learning a new skill as an adult may not always be easy, but that's no reason not to give it a go.

November 2024

The Can-Do of Small Boaters

Why small boats challenge, unify, and enrich our lives.

October 2024

Living with Small Boats

The new editor reveals an inherited affinity with small boats.

September 2024

Our 10th Anniversary and a Change of Watch

From September 2014 to September 2024

Small Boats made its debut with the release of the September 2014 issue. We begin the second decade with a change of watch.

August 2024

Hand-Me-Down

A welcome diversion

A newly acquired Bolger pirogue, built in 1995, needed more work than anticipated, but it promised to be a welcome diversion.

July 2024

Maligiaq

Greenland’s longest-reigning kayak champion

Maligiaq Padilla, the grandson and great-grandson of Greenlanders who hunted from kayaks, started on his way to become the country’s longest-reigning kayak champion when he was just 16 and since then he has been preserving and promoting native skills at home and abroad.