August 2025 Archives | Small Boats

In Small Boats this month we review Whitehall Spirit’s Tango 17, a two-person rowboat also well suited to solo camp-cruising; and Newfound Woodworks’ Otter, a kit-built solo canoe for single- or double-bladed paddle. A novice rower designs and builds a custom boat, which he and his son (pictured above) row from Tacoma to Port Townsend in the 2025 SEVENTY48 race. Michael Jones reviews the U.S.-made W.L. Fuller countersinks and tapered drill bits. Kent and Audrey Lewis consider NRS flotation bags, designed for canoes and kayaks but also at home in small sail-and-oar boats. Bill Jordan describes how he made a spar carrier for his Haven 12 1⁄2. And a new builder constructs his first strip-planked canoe with some help from a friend.

Featured on our front cover is Ben Fuller paddling the new Otter canoe from Newfound Woodworks (see Ben’s review). Photograph by Jenny Bennett.

From The Editor

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.

Boat Profile

The Tango 17

A durable two-person rowboat

Built of modern materials but with lines that hark back to the 19th century, Whitehall Spirit’s Tango 17 is equally suited to double performance rowing and solo camp-cruising.

Boat Profile

Newfound Woodworks’ Otter

A playful solo canoe

The sweet-lined Otter may be one of Newfound Woodworks’ smallest strip-planked boats, but this solo canoe has space enough for a paddler and a dog, a child, or overnight camping gear.

Adventures

Rowing the SEVENTY48

One boat, four oars, seventy miles

In 2019, when Basin Herbertson first heard about the SEVENTY48, he didn’t know how to row, nor did he have a boat in which to learn. He designed and built a performance boat for the event, and in June 2025 he and his son, Ben, completed the 70-mile race.

Technique

Making a Spar Carrier

Support for spars when trailering

When trailering a sailboat, it’s not always easy to support the spars and keep them stable. Bill Jordan solved the problem by building his own custom spar carrier.

Product Reviews

W.L. Fuller Countersinks

A popular tool approaches 100 years of longevity

Tapered drill bits with countersinks may not be the most glamorous tools in the workshop, but no boatbuilder would be without them. W.L. Fuller has been making countersinks and special-purpose drill bits of unbeatable quality and durability in Rhode Island since 1930.

Product Reviews

NRS Float Bags

Inflatable flotation for small boats

Not all small boats have built-in buoyancy, but flotation is important. NRS Float Bags are available in a range of sizes, made from tough, long-lasting materials, and come with a lifetime warranty.

Reader Built Boats

The CLC Nymph

Seven lessons in building a strip-planked canoe

Bill Griffin had helped his friend, Charlie Flanagan, to restore two small boats, but when he decided to build his own strip-planked canoe, their roles were reversed.

Past Issues

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