Technique
Lifting a boat with a winch and a cordless drill
...thus turns the winch. The installation is neither complicated nor costly—roughly $200 in 2014. The key component is the loop-drive Dutton-Lainson worm-gear winch with a split reel that has a capacity of 21′6″ of cable on each side of the centered divider. On a second board, also long enough to span three ceiling joists and mounted 12′ from the winch...
Boat Profile
More than fifty years old and as popular as ever
...comes over the bows because of the way they cut through the water, do not expect to stay dry because the trampoline does not offer protection from spray coming directly from underneath. Jan Anderson, Jan’s Marine Photography The Hobie 16 is designed for a crew of two. Even with both crew members on the trapezes, it’s possible to fly a...
Product Reviews
A life jacket with built-in harness
...is both comfortable and effective. After a good deal of research, I have found the Salus Coastal Vest with Safety Harness, which seems to meet all my requirements. With 15.5 lbs of flotation, it keeps me comfortably afloat and with the optional leg strap I can float high, in a vertical position, and the jacket does not ride up. It...
Product Reviews
Purpose-built straps for safe transport
...have recently come across an answer for all of our tie-down needs: purpose-made straps from CustomTieDowns. A well-designed strap for a small boat will secure the load without damaging the boat. We have come to prefer straps of 2″-wide webbing because they distribute loads evenly across the decks and gunwales of lightly-built small boats. A common ratchet strap with 1″...
Designs, Sailing & Pulling,
At just 63 lbs., Annabelle is well-suited for cartopping.
...tiller, and sheet for the 53 sq ft standing-lug sail are all that need to be attended to. The U-shaped seating arrangement is a mirror image of the usual stern sheets; they open not at the forward end, but at the aft end. To come about you won’t have to crawl across the boat and around the tiller; just slide...
Boat Profile
A proven performer for 61 years
...1990 by the O’Day Company in Fall River, Massachusetts. The DS I and modified versions of it were later built by Can-AM Sailcraft, Rebel, Spindrift, Precision, McLaughlin, Sunfish/Laser Inc. The current builder of the DS I+ is the Cape Cod Shipbuilding Company (CCSC) in Wareham, Massachusetts, holder of the exclusive license since 1994. The Day Sailer Class Association owns the...
Boat Profile
A stitch-and-glue pulling boat from Pygmy
...or near the water, ready to go at a moment’s notice. Likewise, I have fond memories of kayaking expeditions to Maine islands, with all of my essentials tucked away in dry bags and stowed neatly under decks. When paddling for over an hour, however, I invariably find myself craving more leg space, or shifting my weight to restore restricted blood...
Powerboats, Designs,
Deep-V bottomed, open runabout built of plywood over sawn frames.
...make an excellent ski boat. The boat has satisfied these critical design criteria: handsome appearance; economy and durability of construction; and a hull form that gives good performance underway, at all speeds and in a variety of sea conditions. In addition, the Downeaster 18 is burdensome in the best sense: this boat will carry six persons-safely and comfortably. Inboard profile...
Boat Profile
An easily built skiff for sail and oar
...in airtight or foam-filled flotation compartments. We considered adding rigid foam under the thwarts or lashing inflatable beach rollers to the seat risers, and if more ambitious expeditions were anticipated, those type of additions might be wise. In our protected sailing grounds, we have not felt that those extra measures are necessary. The plans provide drawings for a standing (balanced)...
Product Reviews
Shelter on board and ashore
...for propping or lashing the umbrella in place. The umbrellas come with a nylon-sleeve case, which has mesh sides to allow water to drain and air to circulate. It would be wise to use the sleeve case when the umbrella is not in use, especially in the marine environment. I didn’t, and found that the polyester canopy of my Handsfree...
From The Editor
...was browsing around the store while Joe was helping another customer come up with a fix for a leak between his boat’s keel and a garboard. Joe was well aware that Frank was within earshot, and when he had come to the end of his recommendation he turned to Frank and asked, “Does that sound about right, Frank?” I don’t...
Designs, Daysailer,
An Oughtred faering designed for sheet-plywood construction.
...$204 (Elf), $225 (Elfyn) Related Publications: Clinker Plywood Boatbuilding Manual How to Build Glued-Lapstrake Wooden Boats Completed Elfyn Images Rami Salle Under oars, the Elfyn slides effortlessly with proper longitudinal trim. Rowing alone, some ballast, about 20 to 30 lbs, put where it’s needed, whether in the bow or stern, will keep the keel level. Rami Salle The centerboard case...
Designs, House & Canal,
A house/canal boat designed for slow, enjoyable journeys in protected waters.
If you’d like to extend your cruising season, putting a roof over the your head to block the rain, and placing windows around you to divert the wind, can make manning the helm in inclement weather tolerable and perhaps even pleasant. Phil Thiel equipped his Friend-Ship canal cruiser with a shelter for the shoulder seasons; it comes apart in sections...
Designs, Cruising,
A heavily built smart sailer with accommodations for two.
...design. Joel White, who built the sloop version of this boat, aptly describes the hull, with its shallow draft and broad beam, as a cross between a catboat and a Muscongus Bay sloop. She has a very strong sheer, extended at the ends by her steeved bowsprit and boomkin; a big outboard rudder; a clipper bow; and a round-fronted cabin...
Designs, Canoes & Kayaks,
A general use wood-and-canvas canoe.
Designer/builder Rollin Thurlow took the lines shown here from a surviving 17′ B. N. Morris canoe (Model A-64, Type 3) that had been built in 1908. According to the builder’s catalog, the Morris Model A canoe combined “the most important features that are required in an all-round canoe … great stability, good speed, good paddling qualities, together with a remarkable...
Boat Profile
A Sparkman & Stephens classic
...and sweeps up nicely toward the stern. It is a very pretty little boat both under sail and at a mooring. While the design is now 60 years old, the Blue Jay’s appearance is still up-to-date. S&S forged its reputation with fast, deep-draft ocean-crossing yachts, but they designed smaller boats, too. Their Lightning-class sloop is a 19′ centerboarder designed in...
...just a few image samples. Should we decide to pursue your idea, we’ll ask for a partial manuscript, especially for narratives. If, however, your manuscript is already complete, send it along. We’re friendly people, and will be happy to bend the rules for a good story prospect. Please send all queries, by e-mail only, to Jenny Bennett, Editor, at jenny@woodenboat.com....