March 2018

The Portable Buddy

Radiant heat for tents and cabins

It's easier to extend your small-boat cruising into the shoulder seasons when you have a way to stay warm when the weather turns chilly. The Portable Buddy from Mr. Heater uses standard 1-lb propane canisters to create radiant infrared heat to warm small cabins and tents.

March 2018

From the Channel to the Med

Rowing the canals and rivers of France

Polly and Mat Hilton left their home in Devon, England, rowing and sailing a lapstrake skiff that Mat had built. Fifty-six days and 870 miles later they had crossed France by river and canal and reached the Mediterranean Sea.

Small Boats Annual 2019March 2018

Ebb

Easy, efficient rowing

WINONA, a pulling boat built for a mountain lake in New York State's Adirondack Mountains, inspired Tom Regan, a boatbuilder living on the tidelands of Washington State, to create a version of his own. We take a look at the Ebb from Grapeview Point Boat Works.

March 2018

Tiki 21

A Wharram catamaran

James Wharram is well known for his catamarans. His Tiki 21, designed in 1981, it took advantage of stitch-and-glue construction and has proved itself in ocean crossings and has remained a popular trailerable gunkholer.

February 2018

Nova Scotian

A Grand Banks dory from Spira Boats

Kevin Power's grandfather was born in Nova Scotia and grew up using locally-built dories. The affection for the Banks-style dories was passed down to Kevin's father and to Kevin, so when he decided to build a boat it was fitting that he ordered plans for Jeff Spira's Nova Scotian.

Small Boats Annual 2019February 2018

Drascombe Lugger

In production for 50 years

The Drascombe Lugger turned 50 years old last year. John Watkinson designed it for his own use and built the first in plywood. The design caught on and in 1968, Luggers went into production in fiberglass and have since done everything from afternoon outings to ocean crossings.

February 2018

Uncertain Ground

Tide flats and sloughs

When you have a canal boat but no canals, sloughs will have to do. Our editor spent three days cruising the tidal waterways that surround Everett, Washington, and took his chances anchoring at night on falling tides in unfamiliar places.

February 2018

Power Carving

Working wood with an angle grinder

Angle grinders are standard tools for working metal, but they can be equipped with special wheels designed for working wood, and spinning at over 10,000 rpm, they can move wood very quickly.

February 2018

Helinox Chair One

Compact, comfortable seating

We all grow up with chairs and take them for granted until we have to do without. Helinox chairs bring to campsites the comfort and back support we've become accustomed to.

February 2018

Muck Boots

Warm and dry feet

You can buy a pair of rubber boots for $15, and they may keep your feet dry but be far from comfortable. We take a look at two pairs of Muck Boots—one for men and one for women—that will keep feet dry, warm, and happy.

February 2018

Jericho Bay Lobster Skiff LIZZY B

A Jericho Bay Lobster Skiff

Bob Burns was finishing the final year of a career in data management and his forward-thinking wife bought Jericho skiff plans for him for Christmas, expecting the project would keep Bob from growing idle in retirement. When he retired, the boatbuilding project did keep him busy, but not for long. In six months the skiff was ready to launch.

January 2018

A Boat for the Summer

A quick-and-dirty build for a British Columbia cruise

A father and his son took the summer off, built a boat in a month by forgoing the fine finish work, and sailed north with a plan to do little planning, leaving their adventure to chance.

Small Boats Annual 2019January 2018

Minahouët

A well balanced sail-and-oar dinghy

François Vivier’s Minahouët has two maststeps, so it can be rigged either as a sloop with the mast set in the aft position, or cat-rigged with the mast in the forward position. Either way, the boat is lug-rigged and there’s no need for stays, so rigging is simple and fast.

Small Boats Annual 2019January 2018

Penobscot 14

An Arch Davis Classic

The Penobscot 14 is a versatile sail, oar, and motor boat designed by Arch Davis in the early ’90s. His goal was to design a boat that was easy to build, had pleasing lines, and offered excellent sailing and rowing performance.

January 2018

Doughnut Fenders

Distinctive and easy to make

The basic principle of most rope fenders is to create a core and then wrap it prettily. The core of the doughnut fender is a coil and the wrap is a type of loop hitching. Using a darker line for the core has the pleasing effect of contrasting with a lighter-colored line on the outside.

January 2018

Mantus Headlamp

Submersible, rechargeable, durable

The Mantus Headlamp is built around a rugged, watertight aluminum-alloy case that houses a rechargeable and replaceable battery. The LED light mounted in the middle of the housing has a high output of 770 lumens, a low output of 150 lumens, an SOS signal, and a red light for preserving night vision.

January 2018

Sleeveless Sanding Drums

Ordinary sandpaper, softer contours

Sleeveless sanding drums are built around a cylinder padded with a layer of 1/8” neoprene and hold strips of common sandpaper. The sheet sandpaper isn’t as durable as sanding sleeves and requires a lighter touch, but the flexibility of the paper and the cushioning behind it allow the sandpaper to mold to the contours of the workpiece and round edges without making unsightly, unwanted facets.

January 2018

ATNA

An Adirondack Guideboat

Gary Strombo of Everett, Washington, told his friend John Leyde that he wanted to build a boat. As often happens, the moment you speak of your wishes to someone else, the momentum to carry them out begins to build.

Small Boats Annual 2019December 2017

Eel

A William Garden canoe yawl

The Eel is an 18’ 6” canoe yawl designed by William Garden as a slightly shorter and much lighter version of the original Eel designed by George Holmes in 1895. Holmes was one of the pioneers of the canoe yawls that became popular in England at the end of the 1800s, when recreational boating was then in its early stages.

December 2017

Pooduck Skiff

An able dinghy by Joel White

The Pooduck skiff provides a good feel for traditional boatbuilding. After it leaves the shop, it is easily trailered, well suited for rowing, and gorgeous under sail. It carries a lug-rigged mainsail that can be sailed with or without a jib. A cleverly designed mast partner allows the mast to be angled forward or backward to keep the rig balanced whether raising the main alone or the main and jib.

Small Boats Annual 2019December 2017

Wolf Rock Light

Eight miles out to sea in a dinghy

Will Stirling set a goal for himself to sail around every one of Britain’s 50-plus offshore lighthouses. Nic Compton joined him for an 8-mile passage from Land’s End to the Wolf Rock Light. They sailed a 15’ dinghy, anchored near the wave-washed rock, and swam to the lighthouse in dry suits.

December 2017

Sliding-Seat Conversion

A longer stroke without outriggers

Sliding seats are commonly associated with outriggers and long oars, but Ben Fuller found he could rig some of his boats with a sliding seat and add power to his rowing without changing oars or gunwale-mounted oarlocks.

December 2017

GoBag

A self-closing bag with a magnetic seal

Smart phones are as valuable afloat as they are ashore, but require reliable protection from the water. We take a look at two unusual waterproof cases. The GoBag is a transparent case with a magnetic closure that assures a tight seal every time.

December 2017

Ugo

A different kind of waterproof phone case

The Ugo holds a phone behind a window and keeps other essentials in partitioned space behind it. A waterproof zipper provides easy access when open, a reliable seal when closed.

December 2017

KRAKEN and THE G.O.A.T.

Harbor Master Skiffs

The Independence Seaport Museum is not only preserving artifacts of the past, but is also keeping traditional skills alive by passing them along to the youth of Philadelphia. This year the Workshop on the Water, the museum’s working boatshop, brought groups of high-school students together to build a pair of flat-bottomed skiffs.