June 2025 Archives - Small Boats Magazine

In Small Boats this month we feature the Selway-Fisher Heron 15, a pocket cruiser for two, and Paul Gartside’s Design 206, a pram dinghy of classic proportions and traditional construction. An intrepid canoeist takes on the Susquehanna River from Cooperstown, New York, to Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, 444 miles downstream. Michael Jones, past president of the Traditional Small Craft Association, builds an electric-motor mounting board that makes use of his boat’s existing rudder hardware. Bill Thomas reviews an all-around white light specifically for rowboats, canoes, and kayaks; Jenny Bennett reviews a two-part fairing compound; and Ken Briggs teams up with his 11-year-old grandson to build a Mayfly 14 for use on local lakes in the Yukon Territory.

Featured on our front cover is Cecil Rhodes’s photograph of his recently constructed 8′ pram dinghy, a Gartside Design 206.

From The Editor

Mornings on the Water

Making the most of the peace and quiet

As the days warm up, the editor takes to the water before going to the office.

Boat Profile

Selway-Fisher Heron 15

A pocket cruiser for two

It’s only 15′ 4″ long, but the Selway-Fisher Heron 15 provides a comfortable cockpit and a generous cabin for two—a compact but capable pocket cruiser for home-building.

Boat Profile

Gartside’s Design 206

A traditional pram dinghy

The 8′ pram from Paul Gartside is traditional in appearance and construction. Suitable for more experienced builders, it is an ideal tender, towing and rowing well, and with space for one rower with cargo or passenger.

Adventures

Paddling the Susquehanna River

A two-and-a-half week trip by canoe

Hugh Rand takes two and a half weeks to paddle his canoe from Cooperstown, New York, to Chesapeake Bay, Maryland. Along the way he encounters otters, beavers, and bears; submerged boulders, fallen trees, and fast-running rapids.

Technique

Mounting an Electric Outboard on Rudder Fittings

A simple solution for boats that can’t easily take an outboard

Weighing less than their gas counterparts, electric outboard motors lend themselves to creative mounting options, making them useful for small boats with removable rudders.

Product Reviews

Kayalite Kayak Light

A practical all-around light for small boats

Even the smallest of boats need lights if they are to be operated between sunset and sunrise. The Kayalite from Kayalu is waterproof, floats, and can be quickly set up and removed as needed.

Product Reviews

QuikFair from System Three Resins

An easily applied epoxy fairing putty

Some blemishes can’t be covered up with a seasonal coat of paint but don’t warrant an entire repaint. QuikFair is a two-part epoxy compound that adheres to old finishes, is easy to apply, and can be sanded within hours of application.

Reader Built Boats

EMMA

Building a Mayfly 14

When a grandson asks for help building a boat, what grandfather can resist? Kippen and his grandfather Ken work together to build a Jim Michalak–designed Mayfly 14 that Kippen can call his own and will sail with his friends.

Past Issues

From The Archives

January 2015

March 2018

January 2023

Small Boats Annual 2020

View All

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