Launchings

A scaled version of the Guepard. The hull shape is original but the rigging is from Selway Fisher “Surf8”.

Taking plans and instructions from Dynamite Payson's plans and book, Build The New Instant Boats, Brendan Shea built this Diablo skiff, DY-NO-MITE, and launched her in July, 2011. The hull is 15′ LOA with a 5′ Beam, and is constructed from marine plywood with ash rails.

Skeena is a 20 foot cat ketch rigged trailer sailor. She weighs about 700 pounds and draws 9″ board up and 42″ with the board down. Water ballast adds another 400+ pounds. We sail her on the finger lakes, 1000 Islands and Chesapeake bay with plans for plenty of other spots by trailer.

Peter Yudkoff and his kids, 16 and 11, built their Mill Creek kayak from a Chesapeake Light Craft kit. "This was our first boatbuilding project and it took us about 16 months," writes Peter.

I’m a fishing guide in Patagonia Argentina. A while ago I decided I wanted to build a drift boat. I got in touch with designer Jeff Spira and gave him a detailed account of how I was planning on using the boat and he came up with the Rawson.

Rooster Class #748, CAMILLE, completed July 10, 2017, in Conroe, TX. Launched July 16, 2017 at Potter’s Cove (Narragannsett Bay), Jamestown, R.I.

LAURIE-ANN, a 20' cat-ketch is shown here at her launching in June 2002 on St. John's River in Palatka, FL. Pat Kelly built her from a Graham Byrnes design. He used stictch and glue construction on okoume plywood. Her shallow draft, only 8" with the board up, makes her fun and fast.

Herb Friese built this 16' x 35" cedar strip canoe, Abenaki model, from plans and materials supplied by Newfound Woodworks, Bristol, NH. Herb said it took about eight months of part-time work in his garage. The canoe will be used in the waters around Catskill, NY, by owner Kathleen Farrell.

Fred Shell of Shell Boats in St. Albans, VT designed this Swifty 14, which Mort Stant built. He painted the hull blue, the cockpit white, and varnished the deck and seats. Mort writes that it was fun to build and sails great.

Bob Linton of Rainbow Canoes designed and built this 20' x 37" asymmetrical flat-bottomed canoe with extreme tumblehome, caned seat backs, and a fan-shaped down wind sail.