Designs, Powerboats,
Stephens plywood utility launch
Simple, able, and efficient, this competent outboard boat will carry a substantial payload through choppy waters. Working on the coast of Maine in 1985, Bob Stephens drew his Design No. 1 for the Williams College-Mystic Seaport Maritime Studies Program. The commission stipulated that the boat must carry seven adults, or fewer crew and considerable cargo, it should be propelled easily...
Adventures
Rowing and sailing the Sea of Cortez
...plans had spread, and many folks swung by to offer help and let us know we could come on over if we had any trouble. The only trouble was a rogue bed-wetting incident on our first night in the sleeping bag sack system. Aarghhhhh. That and the near heart attack I had when Joe stumbled in at 3:00 a.m., having...
Boat Profile
Daysailer and duckgunner
...it stability and the ability to carry sail. A shapely, and relatively broad, raked transom eases our concern about waves that might come down on us from astern. Photo by Benjamin Mendlowitz Although evolved from a Barnegat Bay duck-hunting boat, the melonseed skiff is well suited to recreation. There are several plans available for the type; the one shown here...
Designs, Daysailer,
A handsome daysailer based on the Herreshoff 12 1/2, but modified for a centerboard
...than amply rewarded—perhaps for generations to come. Pattern plan for stem, transom half-breadth, stern knee, tiller, centerboard and trunk. Spar, hardware, and bulkhead plan. Hardware and pattern plans are drawn to full scale. Completed Haven 12 1⁄2 Images CRACKER JACK, part of the WoodenBoat School fleet, is a cold-molded version of the Haven 12 1/2. CRACKER JACK swings to her...
Designs, Performance Rowing,
V-bottomed single shell with sliding seat, outriggers and light plywood construction.
...strongback, keel and patterns. WB Plan No. 51. $75.00. A complete construction kit for the Kingfisher is also available from King Boat Works, and the kit comes with everything you need to build your boat, except varnish and oars. For those who are building from plans, outriggers and hardware can be purchased separately from King Boat Works as well. Write...
Designs, House & Canal,
Phil Thiel's ESCARGOT is a canal boat designed for slow, enjoyable journeys in protected waters.
...of the 23 pieces of plywood, and the L’Ark supplement. Completed 18′ Escargot Images Photographs and video by the author The storage space on this Escargot was used to add a wood-burning stove to ward of the cold of off-0season boating. The catwalk added to the cabin roof proved to be a popular perch aboard this Escargot. The bow often...
Designs, Powerboats,
Design based on the Alton Wallace West Pointer workboats from the Maine coast.
...appearance in any company. Completed Ocean Pointer Images Matthew P. Murphy Owner-builder John Blatchford with his Ocean Pointer skiff near Bucksport, Maine. Using detailed instructions from designer David Stimson, Blatchford built the boat over the course of two years. Matthew P. Murphy Ocean Pointer uses a classic center-cockpit layout, with ample storage under the foredeck, in the console, and under...
Designs, Tenders,
Glued-lap plywood rowing or sailing tender with plenty of capacity.
The Nutshell Sailing Pram is, in our opinion, one of the best tenders ever designed. She’s a beauty in looks, easy to build, and does her job far, far better than most boats of her length. She rows very easily, and can carry three adults with a comfortable margin of free board. She tracks exceptionally well and, even in a...
Designs, Powerboats,
Fine boatyard skiff or small harbor ferry.
...entry-level lobstering or shellfish harvesting. Drawings Garveys originated as shallow-draft, burdensome, and easily built boats for working the shallow bays and estuaries of the Jersey Shore. The advent of the internal-combustion engine, and later, the outboard motor, ensured their survival since the hull form is actually better suited to mechanical power than to the sailing rigs of the early...
Designs, Sailing & Pulling,
...attract admiration at every turn, a unique blend of traditional design and modern wood construction. Construction Plans Plans for the Shellback Dinghy design come on six sheets and include lines, construction, building jig, plank layouts, and full-sized patterns for molds and other parts. WB Plan No. 109, $75.00. Completed 11’2″ Shellback Dinghy Images All photos by Delaney Brown The...
Canoes & Kayaks, Designs,
Light, elegant double-paddle canoe for glued-seam lapstrake construction
...a revival of double-paddle sailing canoes, as more people rediscover the versatility of these lovely craft. Traditional construction, though, of what is essentially a tiny yacht can be a challenging project-given light scantlings, solid lumber, tight spaces, and a complex round-bottomed shape. Wee Rob can certainly be built in the traditional manner, and Oughtred has specified information for that option....
Designs, Powerboats,
Straight out of the Bahamas, this design is ideal for strip-planking or cold-molding.
...construction, cold-molded construction, and details. Calculations for U.S. Coast Guard safe powering, load capacity, and flotation requirements are included. WB Plan No. 136, $90.00. Albury Runabout Top View Completed 19′ 7″ Albury Runabout Images Matthew P. Murphy Here’s a behind-the-scene’s look at how many a WoodenBoat cover and calendar have come to be. Maynard Bray (left) mans the helm of...
Designs, Daysailer,
A clean, frameless, glued-lapstrake plywood hull makes this a handsome double-ender.
...surfboats that have evolved to meet the rigors of working off exposed beaches. Oughtred gave her a run that is finer and shows more deadrise than might be ideal for extremely high speed under sail, but the resulting gains in helm balance and civilized behavior in waves make the compromise worthwhile. Caledonia’s builders can rig their boats with either balanced...
Designs, Sailing & Pulling,
A big little boat with a lot of excellent qualities.
...No. 102 Completed 12’10” Pooduck Skiff Images Thomas Guertin While this skiff has a single rowing station, the plans call for a second station at the thwart that serves as the mast partners. Pam Payson When taking the helm, sitting on the bottom is the most convenient position. Floorboards make that a more comfortable option when some water gets aboard....
Canoes & Kayaks, Designs,
An able double-paddle canoe.
...offsets, two sail plans, plus mold and stem patterns showing plank lands. Additional items include a comprehensive materials list and the 14-page illustrated text on building procedures (WB Plan No. 80). Completed 13′ 7″ MacGregor Sail-Paddle Canoe Image While larger than the Wee Rob, Iain Oughtred’s MacGregor canoe is still a bit smaller than many first-generation boats of this type....
Designs, Tenders,
An easy-towing, easy-rowing tender featuring simple plywood construction and good capacity.
...WB Nos. 45, 46, and 47, provides very complete and well-illustrated building instructions. By following them, you’ll be guided through each step of the process, and you’ll find it’s the next best thing to attending the WoodenBoat School. Martha’s Tender Plan of Half Breadths and Profile This V-bottomed plywood tender can be constructed from readily available materials. Her design was...
Designs, Powerboats,
A Maine Coast classic redesigned for strip-planking.
...of the bottom, just forward of the transom, serving as a built-in trim tab or “shingle” (as the old-timers used to call them), preventing the bow from rising abruptly as the boat comes on plane. Plan 145 DESCRIPTION Hull type: Round-bottomed, transom sterned Construction: Strip PERFORMANCE Suitable for somewhat protected waters Intended capacity: 13 Trailerable Propulsion: 15–20-hp outboard BUILDING DATA...
Designs, Daysailer,
Inspired daysailer with a centerboard conversion similar to the Haven 12 1/2.
...Average Cost per set: $150.00 WB Plan No. 129 *See page 96 for further information. Completed 20’3″ Flatfish Class Sloop Images Photo by Alison Langley An original Herreshoff Fish, SHARK, near Noank, Connnecticut. The Fish is narrower and deeper than the Flatfish; the greater beam of the Flatfish compensates for the reduced stability caused by the newer design’s shallower keel....
Adventures
A primer in pictures
...for more wine. It might also be compared with car-camping—though without the nocturnal door slamming in the campground. The range of suitable vessels is limited mostly by your imagination. With seaworthiness suitable to your chosen cruising area, the ability to carry a load of gear and companions, and a reliable rig, you are off. The necessary gear can be simple...
Boat Profile
A Danish four-sail double-ender
...yet this hull comes down to us from an everyday craftsman for a common fisherman. The original “jolle” was built in Frederikssund in 1900 for one Marcus Noer of Ejby, in Isefjord, Denmark. His catch, sole, and flounder, was kept alive in a wet well, essentially a box built into the hull, which had holes bored in the planking to...
Boat Profile
Glen-L’s Super Spartan makes a splash
...about the comfort of the driver, who must kneel on the cockpit sole when the boat is underway. “It’s important to put something down to absorb shock and stay dry,” he said. “At a local surplus store I found just the thing—the long black foam wrist rests used with computer keyboards. I bought 20 of them, and that’s what you...
Boat Profile
A sliding-seat skiff
...amidships supports a fixed thwart and, paired with a bulkhead at the forward edge of the thwart, it creates a compartment for foam flotation. A similar compartment in the stern supports a woven cane seat for a passenger. The rest of the hull is uncluttered except for a pair of drain plugs. To withstand the rigors of being stored uncovered...
Boat Profile
Sequel to a legend
...but instead passes freely into the bilge—and some cushions. For those fortunate to live in an area of shoal waters and sandy bottoms, the Beetle 14 should provide many years of satisfying ownership. The $35,500 price is certainly competitive for a professionally built boat of 1,250 lbs displacement. The buyer of the first boat, seeking something with more comfort than...