Series

June 2016

Rowing the North Atlantic

Two friends, one old boat

When Australians Peter Fletcher and Tom Hudson decided to row across the North Atlantic, they chose an old wooden boat for the voyage. It had already made the crossing three times and the duo spent 15 months on repairs to make the boat seaworthy enough to get them from New York to England.

May 2016

SWEET PEA

An idea takes shape

Reader Sean Russell has been designing boats for a long time, at first drawing by hand and then using computer programs. Our Reader Built Boat is SWEET PEA, a peapod-like boat he designed and built to fit in his van.

May 2016

Cutting Corners

Tools for rounding edges

Make quick work of rounding corners without the noise of a router and the dust of a sander.

Small Boats Annual 2017May 2016

Chaisson Dory

More than a tender

The Chaisson dory was designed a century ago as a tender, but it still has a lot to offer even if you don’t have a yacht to attach to the other end of its painter.

Small Boats Annual 2017May 2016

The Isles of Finland

Solo cruising in a Herreshoff Coquina

The Finnish coast is speckled with small forested islands rimmed with glacier-worn granite. A modified Herreshoff Coquina is quite at home here, an ocean away from its native waters.

Small Boats Annual 2017May 2016

Arctic Tern

A modern yoal

Iain Oughtred’s Arctic Tern is in the middle of the range of his popular double-ended beach cruisers that were inspired by the workboats of the Shetland Islands.

May 2016

Living with Sprit Sails

Brailing, Reefing, and Furling

The sprit rig’s simplicity works well for boats that are frequently launched and recovered.

April 2016

MOJO

A PT Skiff kit

After 8 months abuilding, a Port Townsend outboard skiff built from a kit as a post-retirement project handles all the conditions she has encountered like she’s been there before.

April 2016

Quick Collars, Simple Buttons

Easy alternatives to leather collars

A kitchen cutting-board produced a simple collar and bits of hardwood led to a quick-shifting 3-speed oar.

Small Boats Annual 2017April 2016

Duckling 17

Fast solo rowing

Although Sam Devlin envisioned the Duckling 17 as a performance rowing craft, not as a load-carrying boat, with a designed working displacement of 350 lbs, it has the capacity to carry gear for fast and light weekend touring.

April 2016

Carbon-Fiber Ferrules for Oars

Better by halving

If you carry oars aboard your boat, you may have struggled to find a place to put them where they don’t get in the way. With carbon-fiber ferrules from Duckworks you can cut your oars down to a more convenient size.

April 2016

EcoPoxy

Putting plants into the mix

Epoxy is great stuff, but it can come at a cost to our health and the environment. EcoPoxy puts plant-based ingredients into the mix to make a safer product.

April 2016

Rogue River

Low water, high risk

With water levels on the Oregon’s Rogue River at record lows, rapids were more dangerous than ever and rocks that are normally under several feet of water were poised to take their toll on a wooden drift boat.

Small Boats Annual 2017April 2016

Abaco Dinghies

Built like little ships

Nobody knows for sure when the first Abaco dinghy was built, or who built it, but the type has been around as a small fishing boat since the late 1800s. During the middle decades of the 20th century Abaco boatbuilders on Man-O-War Cay and at Hope Town launched hundreds of dinghies for fishing, daysailing, and racing.

March 2016

ERGED ON II

A retired electrical engineer combines modern lithium batteries with a 90-year-old runabout design and becomes an electric-boat race champion.

March 2016

Oars with Elbows

A Forward-Facing Rowing System

Rowing takes on a different look when you’re using a forward-facing rowing system. We put articulated oars to the test.

March 2016

SOS Distress Light

A Coast-Guard approved Night Visual Distress Signal

You can now meet Coast Guard requirements without having to buy a new set of flares every few years.

March 2016

Foot Braces

Rowing's firm foundation

You can’t really pull on oars if your feet have nothing to push against. Ben Fuller offers a number of ways we can brace ourselves.

March 2016

Fliptail 7

Wooden Widget's compact folding dinghy

If you live on an island, owning a small boat is as sensible as owning a car, unless you live on Manhattan Island, where neither makes sense. One apartment dweller discovered the Fliptail 7, a folding sailing dinghy, fits in his closet and aboard public transit.

March 2016

Taking Refuge

Rowing among the Islands of the Columbia River Estuary

Winter brought the birds to the islands and with a break in the cold weather brought an opportunity to row along the edge of the Lewis & Clark National Wildlife Refuge.

Small Boats Annual 2017March 2016

Eco 5 Power Cat

A catamaran for cozy cruising

While it’s sometimes said that the moment you’ve stepped aboard boat you’ve arrived, there are times when you’d like to go somewhere. The Eco 5 Power Cat can take you places quickly, quietly, and economically.

February 2016

A Lapstrake Jericho Bay Lobster Skiff

Designed for Maine, Built for North Carolina

True to the shape of the original carvel-planked hull, this lapstrake version has an intentionally hogged bottom to get it up on plane quickly and keep the bow down.

February 2016

Milwaukee M12 Drill/Driver

Compact and Capable

The M12 lithium-ion battery provides plenty of power without bulk.

February 2016

Skwoosh Seat Pads

A Seat-of-the-Pants Assessment

Fluidized gel takes the takes the pressure off sitz bones.

February 2016

Profile Scrapers

Adding Accents to Edges

With a simple shop-made tool you can bring out the best of your boat’s curves with a decorative touch, a tradition that goes back a thousand years.