To the Black Sea

6

August 2023

DIY Oarlock Sockets

Oilite bearings to reduce wear

There are several good reasons to forgo common cast oarlock sockets when you can make your own of higher quality without special metalworking tools.

14

August 2023

From Birchbark to Trucker’s Tarp

A traditional canoe with a contemporary twist

One man’s passion for birchbark canoes led him to make his own tools and to handcraft a canoe in a traditional manner but without the bark skin.

Small Boats Annual 2014

Sinne 610 Expedition Boat

For adventuresome rowing

For long-distance rowing trips on Finland’s many lakes, Jouko Koskinen had in mind a lightweight boat that would row very well but could also be fitted with bicycle wheels for portages and equipped for camp-cruising.

Small Boats Annual 2014

Thompson Thomboy

A speedy little runabout

The author’s THOMMY, a 1955 Thompson Thomboy, is in original condition, with nothing anachronistic or out of place.

Small Boats Annual 2014

Lit’l Petrel

A simple and admirable tender

The diminutive pram, less than 9’ long, has remarkable carrying capacity. A centerline seat allows the person rowing to choose from two stations, depending on the boat’s fore-and-aft trim.

Small Boats Annual 2014

The Simmons Sea Skiff

A seaworthy outboard fishing boat

The Simmons Sea Skiff was first developed as a beach-launched, oar-powered fishing boat for coastal North Carolina, and it eventually evolved into an outboard-powered range of sizes, from 18’ to 22’. The 18-footer above was built by its owner, for family fishing excursions on and near Narragansett Bay.

6

July 2023

The CLC Tool Box Kit

A plywood tool-tote kit from Chesapeake Light Craft that’s a snap to assemble

A well-organized tote for storing and carrying tools for building, repairing, and maintaining boats as well as doing household chores is easily assembled from Chesapeake Light Craft’s Tool Box Kit.

6

July 2023

Magnet Retrieval

The powerful pull of neodymium

It’s not unusual to drop things overboard at a dock or a launch ramp. A retrieval magnet can help get some of them back.

Small Boats Annual 2014

DragonFlyer 3.2

Brooks Boats’ lively sailing dinghy

ZIP is the prototype model of the DragonFlyer 3.2, a design intended as a versatile and dynamic sail trainer. She can be sailed with main alone, main and jib, or main and asymmetrical spinnaker.

Small Boats Annual 2014

The New Hampshire Snekke

A Norwegian motor launch descended from Viking ships

Low-powered, double-ended launches called snekker are ubiquitous along the coast of Norway, but rather exotic in New Hampshire, where Andrew Wallace’s Traditional Boatworks builds these boats.

16

July 2023

MUSTELID

An unconventional Alaskan camp-cruiser

A couple in Southeast Alaska built a 24’ sail-and-oar plywood cruiser to pursue a life among the islands and waterways that are their home.

Small Boats Annual 2014

The Sid Skiff

A boat to take personally

The classic transom-sterned skiff that became known as the Sid Skiff, here with cobuilder Zach Simonson-Bond at the oars, first came to Ray Speck’s attention while he was living on a houseboat in Sausalito, California. The boat is as much as joy to look at as it is to row.

Small Boats Annual 2014

The McIntosh Canvas Boat

An unusual and useful double-ended tender

Canvas sheathing over a wooden framework makes Ned McIntosh’s 9’ dinghy extraordinarily light, at only 35 lbs, yet it remains a versatile tender that is easy and quick to build.

3

July 2023

Seavolt LED Tail Lights

Trailer guidepost lights for improved visibility

The tail lights on small trailers are often obscured by the boat being carried. These LED lights solve the problem and fit most standard trailer posts.

12

July 2023

Sharing a Sense of Freedom

Building canoes to give away

John Lloyd was introduced to canoeing 65 years ago and his love of paddling has grown to the point that he is driven to build canoes to kindle that love in others.

8

July 2023

Cygnet 20

A trailer-sailer ideal for gunkholing

Designed and built in New South Wales, Australia, this versatile cruiser blends modern construction with traditional influences.

8

July 2023

Petrel Play SG

A kit-built kayak with range and versatility

The Petrel Play SG suits a wide range of paddling skills, can be used in calm waters and surf alike, and has sufficient cargo space for multi-day trips.

Small Boats Annual 2014

Thistle

A pedal boat with a fin drive

Harry Bryan’s 12’ Thistle is powered by a large rudder shaped like a fish’s tail and driven by foot pedals. With steady pedaling you can keep pace with about any rowboat of the same length.

Small Boats Annual 2014

Spindrift 12

A performance yacht tender

The Spindrift series of dinghies from B&B Yacht Designs promises a range of capable yacht tenders that offer plenty of sailing excitement. Here we see a 12’ model built by Meredithe Stuart-Smith of Castine, Maine.

Small Boats Annual 2014

Making a Boat a Home, Part 2

Four more small boat tents

In Southeast Alaska, rocky beaches, insects, and a large resident bear population often make tent-camping on the beach an unappealing option,” James Danner writes from Juneau. “Having a boat tent has really opened up the family’s beach-cruising options. It can be set or struck easily while at anchor and has seen regular summertime use since it was created. My wife,…

Small Boats Annual 2014

Making a Boat a Home, Part 1

Boatbuilding never ends with launching day

In small-boat cruising—particularly under sail—having an absolute destination and schedule can be hazardous. At times, getting into a sheltered cove can be a necessity, but you can’t always count on finding a legal or comfortable place to camp ashore. Being able to stay aboard the boat gives the small-craft sailor the same kind of cruising freedom a yachtsman has.

5

June 2023

Tape-Backed Sandpaper

Using duct tape to make sandpaper more durable

Sandpaper is prone to tearing, limiting its working life and the uses it can be put to. Adding duct tape to its backside will make it last longer.

6

June 2023

Colorado River Dory

Fit to row the Grand Canyon

With six watertight compartments, the Colorado River Dory has plenty of room to stow gear and an abundance of buoyancy for running rapids.

9

June 2023

A Peapod for a Schooner

Building the BILL D at the Maine Maritime Museum

Volunteers at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, Maine, built a 15’ Washington County peapod to be tender to MARY E, the museum’s 1906 schooner.

6

June 2023

Coleman’s Portable Camp Oven

Baking aboard or ashore

While fresh baked goods are a treat at home or a bakery, they’re even better when baked far from civilization.

Series

DIY Oarlock Sockets

From Birchbark to Trucker’s Tarp

Sinne 610 Expedition Boat

Thompson Thomboy

Lit’l Petrel

The Simmons Sea Skiff

The CLC Tool Box Kit

Magnet Retrieval

DragonFlyer 3.2

The New Hampshire Snekke

MUSTELID

The Sid Skiff

The McIntosh Canvas Boat

Seavolt LED Tail Lights

Sharing a Sense of Freedom

Cygnet 20

Petrel Play SG

Thistle

Spindrift 12

Making a Boat a Home, Part 2

Making a Boat a Home, Part 1

Tape-Backed Sandpaper

Colorado River Dory

A Peapod for a Schooner

Coleman’s Portable Camp Oven

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