January 2025 Archives - Small Boats Magazine

In our Profiles this month, we look at a traditional sprit-rigged yawl from Cornwall and a simple sprit-rigged pram dinghy that started life in Florida but went on to conquer the world. Christopher Cunningham explains why taking care of your trailer tires over the winter is important and describes ways to protect them. Kent and Audrey Lewis review a vacuum-insulated, spill-proof travel mug, and Ben Fuller discovers a hanger designed to dry neoprene wetsuits, gloves, and booties. Three friends take a 14′ power dory through the Skookumchuck Narrows in Sechelt Inlet to cruise some of British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast, and a 1960 copy of Mechanix Illustrated helps a California builder to recreate the paddleboat his grandfather built.

From The Editor

Utility, Beauty, and Longevity

Why some boats survive long after they've outlived their purpose

The care that designers and builders put into their work often assures their boats remain valued for decades, even centuries.

Boat Profile

The Gorran Haven Crabber

A traditional sprit-rigged yawl from Cornwall

Based on the traditional 19th-century crabbers of a small Cornish fishing village, the shallow-drafted Gorran Haven crabber is a sailboat well suited for coastal day-sailing and camp-cruising.

Boat Profile

The International Optimist Dinghy

How a simple pram dinghy changed the face of kids’ sailing

Under 8′ long, and with a single sprit-rigged sail, the Optimist was designed as an affordable boat for kids in Clearwater, Florida; it went on to become the most popular kids’ sailboat around the world.

Adventures

SCHERZO Does the Skookumchuck

A four-day adventure in Sechelt Inlet, British Columbia

Three friends explore Sechelt Inlet in a 14′ Pacific power dory and twice navigate Skookumchuck Narrows in the slack water between its fast-running tidal rapids.

Technique

Winterizing Trailer Tires

How to care for tires on an idle trailer

If a boat trailer is simply parked for the winter, its tires can degrade and even acquire flat spots, bulges, and dry rot. Having the means to raise and support the trailer quickly and safely makes it easy to protect tires, extending their longevity.

Product Reviews

The C-Monsta

A hanger for drying neoprene gear

Made of recycled, high-impact plastic, the C-Monsta is a purpose-built and highly practical hanger for drying neoprene gear.

Product Reviews

RTIC Road Trip Travel Mug

An old favorite gets a new upgrade

A new version of an old favorite, the RTIC travel mug is rugged, keeps drinks hot or cold, and has a ceramic lining so there’s no metallic taste.

Reader Built Boats

The Paddle Wheel Boat

Building a simple boat from “Mechanix Illustrated”

Inspired by childhood memories and the discovery of a 1960 copy of “Mechanix Illustrated,” Davi Rodrigues built a paddleboat just like the one he’d enjoyed with family and friends 60 years ago.

Past Issues

From The Archives

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