May 2025 Archives – Small Boats Nation

In Small Boats this month we look at the Mini Auray, a kit-built pram dinghy designed by Hannu Vartiala but with early 1900s Breton heritage, and the Nottage Dinghy, a traditional lapstrake lugsail dinghy designed by Fabian Bush. A Seattle-based sailor takes his yawl for a rain-soaked, but ultimately successful, adventure off Vancouver Island. Christopher Cunningham reviews a stovetop oven and makes his first-ever yeast bread, and Greg Rössel reviews a modern take on the traditional spokeshave. Ben Fuller gets creative with some simple homemade tools for sanding the out-of-reach parts of a boat, and four generations of the Garlasco family come together to build a boat designed by great-grandfather Felix.

Featured on our front cover is MABEL, a Nottage Dinghy designed by Fabian Bush. Photograph by Joanna Wolstenholme.

From The Editor

A Brief Encounter

Remembering Carl Cramer

Carl Cramer was publisher at WoodenBoat Publications for 25 years; the editor recalls her first meeting with him.

Boat Profile

The Mini Auray

A simple pram from one and a half sheets of plywood

Hannu Vartiala based his 7′ 6″ Mini Auray on lines drawn by yachtsman Claud Worth in 1912. The Mini Auray, though small, has mighty carrying capacity.

Boat Profile

Nottage Dinghy

A traditional lugsail dinghy from England

Fabian Bush designed his lapstrake dinghy for boatbuilding students at the Nottage Institute in Essex, England. Its traditional construction is challenging for a new builder, but the sweet lines and good sail-and-oar performance make it worth the effort.

Adventures

Three Days in the Broughton Archipelago

A singlehanded adventure from Vancouver Island

Merlin Clark-Mahoney had looked forward to spending a couple of weeks sailing off the coast of Vancouver Island. But almost constant heavy rain caused him to lower his expectations and change his itinerary. He took off on a three-day voyage that included close encounters with whales and miles-long tacks on which his 18′ yawl sailed herself.

Technique

Sanding in Tight Spots

Simply made tools to reach the unreachable

When it comes to sanding, boats seem to have all manner of hard-to-reach spots. But, with some inexpensive materials, you can make tools that put you in touch with every inch of your boat.

Product Reviews

Omnia Oven

Baking in the backcountry

When you think camp-cruising, you probably don’t imagine fresh-baked bread. But with the compact and lightweight stovetop Omnia oven, bread, cookies, and even a well-stuffed calzone are all possible.

Product Reviews

Melbourne Tool Company Spokeshave

Quality design in an old favorite

Well-made traditional spokeshaves were once ubiquitous, but now are hard to find. The new spokeshaves from Melbourne Tool Company find a sweet spot, combining old-fashioned quality with modern upgrades.