December 2024 Archives - Small Boats Magazine

In our profiles this month, we look at Paul Gartside’s Spitfire, Design #177, a lug-rigged pram of traditional lapstrake construction, and the Newfound Woodworks Sea Wolf, a strip-planked kayak with excellent stability, good speed, and generous carrying capacity. Regular contributors Kent and Audrey Lewis reveal how to get the best results when rolling and tipping paint. We review two cleaning products for getting stains out of sails, and an affordable pair of binoculars with compass and rangefinder reticle. A San Francisco Bay–area father tackles a stretch of the Sacramento River with his young son, and a new boatbuilder fulfills a 50-year-old promise and builds a traditional Adirondack Guideboat.

From The Editor

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.

Boat Profile

Gartside’s Spitfire

A 10′ pram for sail and oar

Paul Gartside’s 10′ pram was drawn with children in mind but is also appealing to adults looking for a sail-and-oar boat of traditional construction and sweet lines.

Boat Profile

Sea Wolf

A fast and stable kayak from Newfound Woodworks

The Sea Wolf kayak can be built from plans or a kit, has good stability for novice paddlers, and displays impressive performance that suits multi-day cruising.

Adventures

A Sacramento River Adventure

A father and son head downstream for an overnight voyage

A father and his 7-year-old son set sail downriver on the Sacramento for an overnight adventure in their home-built 18′ Vivier Seil.

Technique

Using the Roll-and-Tip Method

Achieving a smooth paint finish with roller and brush

Good tools, good preparation, good materials, and plenty of practice lead to top-quality paint finishes using rollers and brushes.

Product Reviews

Hooway 7×50 Marine Binoculars

Affordable binoculars that float

These affordable binoculars come with a compass and rangefinder, and they’re waterproof and float—a clear advantage for use on a small boat.

Product Reviews

Cleaning Sails

Nature’s Miracle and Folex tackle tough stains

When mice invade sail bags, the damage caused is extraordinary. Nature’s Miracle Urine Destroyer Plus and Folex Instant Carpet Spot Remover work on the stains with impressive results.

Reader Built Boats

Building an Adirondack Guideboat

A first-time boatbuilder tackles a classic

In 1969, Gary Carbocci promised to build an Adirondack guideboat so he could take his friend, Rich, fishing. Fifty-five years later, with no previous boatbuilding experience, he had built and launched a 16′ guideboat.

Past Issues

From The Archives

View All

Subscribe Today!

Become a subscriber today and you’ll recieve a new issue every month plus unlimited access to our full archive of backlogged issues.

Already a subscriber? Sign In