November 2025 Archives | Small Boats

In this month’s Small Boats, Ben Fuller reports on a new replica of the Whitmore peapod (above), a working boat first built in Maine in the 1920s; and we review Sam Devlin’s Guppy 9, an all-around boat that performs well, looks good, and is suitable for first-time builders. A solo sailor, setting off for a month-long cruise in his 17’ Swampscott dory, gets caught in worsening weather, strengthening winds, and fading light on the exposed waters of Washington’s Strait of Juan de Fuca. Christopher Cunningham reviews a bag for carrying his much-loved oars, while Kent and Audrey Lewis discover a sponge that quickly picks up both water and dirt. We hear about a daggerboard that not only pivots but also lifts automatically if it strikes an underwater obstruction; and a teenager in Poland develops his woodworking skills to build his first boat.

Featured on our front cover is Colin Schehl’s Swampscott Dory SOLSTICE anchored in a quiet cove at Wallace Island, British Columbia; photograph by Colin Schehl.

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From The Editor

Joy of a Free Boat, Part II

It might be free, but where will it lead?

If we knew what free boats would ultimately cost, would we go on accepting them?

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Boat Profile

Guppy 9

An all-around dinghy for a first-time builder

An all-around small boat that looks good, performs well, and can be sailed, rowed, and motored, the Guppy 9 is also a fine introduction to the technique of stitch-and-glue plywood boatbuilding.

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Boat Profile

Whitmore Peapod

A classic working boat built the traditional way

Originally conceived as working boats for the lobstermen of Maine, peapods are appreciated for their maneuverability, load-carrying capacity, and good looks. A new replica build of a 1920s original proves the type’s long-lasting appeal.

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Adventures

The Crossing

Wind and tide wait for no man in the Strait of Juan de Fuca

When Colin Schehl left Port Townsend, Washington, at the beginning of his month-long cruise through the San Juan and Gulf islands, he had no idea that the first 36 hours of the voyage would test him and his boat to their limits.

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Technique

Pivoting Daggerboard

Combining the best elements of a centerboard and a daggerboard

Sailing in shoal waters can be problematic for a boat with a daggerboard—an unseen submerged obstacle can stop the boat in its tracks, and even break the board. One solution is a board that both pivots and lifts when struck.

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Product Reviews

NRS Deluxe Boat Sponge

A boat sponge with a difference

A sponge within a terry-cloth cover, the NRS Deluxe Boat Sponge is good at picking up water, grit, and bits of debris.

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Product Reviews

Canvas Oar Bag

A protective carrier for well-loved oars

Carrying oars is often awkward and keeping them safe from damage when on land is never easy, but the Canvas Oar Bag solves both problems at once, creating a well-balanced load within a durable cover.

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Reader Built Boats

Building a Piranha

A young Polish woodworker tackles his first boatbuilding project

Stanislaw Klupś was 13 when his parents gave him a set of boat plans and some plywood for Christmas. The ensuing building project came together in the family’s backyard, and after many hours of hard work Stan had built a 10’ sail-and-oar boat that he could enjoy alone or with his younger sister.

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