Launchings

After 20 + years RYE 'N SKYE was finished and launched (receipt for the rough cut cedar was dated July 1999).

Here floats RED RYDER in a swimming pool with her builder, Rip Graham of St. Simons Island, Georgia, aboard.  His wife Charlotte took the pictures and shared Rip’s project with us. Rip built modified version of Tom Yost’s Nikumi design for a 17′ x 22″ Aluetian Baidarka touring kayak.

JULES was launched on the island of Kauai this spring and Rob paddles her in the ocean waters behind reefs — primarily for fishing. with the outrigger, she is “stand up safe” and wonderful to fish from.

Kenny Cooper built his Glen-L 14 daysailer with oak frames and marine plywood sheathed by 6oz fiberglass cloth and epoxy. He used red gum that had been salvaged by his father for the brighwork, while the sails and rigging were salvaged from a Capri 14.2.

Pete Schell and Paul Smith, of David Beaton & Sons, Barnegat Bay, NJ, were the craftsmen behind this Joel White-designed Flatfish owned by Gregory Bauer of New York City. SERENA carries 268 sq ft of sail and displaces over 3000 lbs.

Today I launched my winter 2013 project, a hybrid 17′ Chesapeake kayak by CLC boats. Learned so much building her and she paddles like a dream. The hull is made from mahogany plywood, while the deck is bead & cove cedar strip.

Merv Shaw bought the plans for this Weekender Pocket Yacht more than 25 years ago. He started building the boat 10 years ago, and finally finished in late 2010. SPIRIT OF BIG ISLAND is 19′6″ gaff-rigged sloop designed by Stevenson Projects.

Manasek was traditional construction - in old times used by Scouts in Czech republic. It was easy to build — just from three wide boards. It was paddled by double blade paddle.

Modified Doug Hylan Beach Pea, built from Meranti plywood as a tender for our Gartside/Jespersen yawl, “La Vie en Rose”. Storage/flotation compartments have been installed under the stern sheets using the water-tight hatch kits from Port Townsend Watercraft.

David Blake built MOLLY, a 16′ x 6′ Stevenson Weekender sloop from okoume plywood and mahogany, then covered the hull with fiberglass and epoxy. He made the mast from Sitka spruce and the boom and gaff from Douglas-fir.