BILL'S THRILL
Bill Spring and his grandchildren got a thrill from BILL’S THRILL, his Swifty 12 catboat kit from Fred Shell in St. Albans, Vermont.
This section of our web site, an extension of the Launchings department of WoodenBoat magazine, is dedicated to sharing news of recently launched wooden boats built or restored by our readers.
If you’ve launched a boat within the past year, please email us at launchings@woodenboat.com, or post your news here.
(All posts are subject to approval and editing before being made live.)
To refine your search, add quote marks. If you search Wood Duck, you will get all the listings which include Wood and Duck. To refine, search “Wood Duck” and you’ll see just Wood Duck results.
Bill Spring and his grandchildren got a thrill from BILL’S THRILL, his Swifty 12 catboat kit from Fred Shell in St. Albans, Vermont.
Two weeks ago we launched a “périssoire” built with plans from François Sergent, a french naval architect, during la fête du nautisme at the lake of Eguzon.
Geoff and Jean Lee wanted a boat that they could row and sail with equal ease in the open waters of Biscayne Bay, Florida. They found the design for this 18' William Chamberlain Gunning Dory in John Gardner's book The Dory Book.
Inspired by Philip Rhodes’ Bantam and Uffa Fox’s Jolly Boat, Corsair has a Suicide sail plan with a wishbone boom. The current mainsail was donated from Suicide #8, Joker. The underbody of the boat has a fine, deep entry with a long flat run which should plane easily.
I designed this 17′ 6″ flat bottom row boat based on my experience and respect for the late Pete Culler. She is glued lap construction of 9mm Okume side planking and a 12mm bottom using west system epoxy. Frames, skeg and keel strip are lumber yard fir.
Jim Brossett has been busy. He launched two boats that he built in June 2011. He built this 14′ strip canoe from cypress with cherry accents.
Bruce Bowlen built this George Chaisson designed dory tender from information given in John Gardner's "The Dory Book." The bottom and planking are made from plywood, stem and skeg from oak, and transom and remaining parts from mahogany.
Tom Hardison spent 7-+ years building this 24' yawl, LITTLE WOODY. The hull is from a modified Glen-L plan. He added a bowsprit, keel, and made the hull thicker, using two layers of 1/4" laminated plywood. Everything other than the hull was of the builder's design.
I launched my boat July 27, 2015, I started the build on December 4, 2014. I have 814 hours in the build. The boat performs very Well. I installed a new 70 HP Yamaha 4 stroke outboard with the command link instrument package. The boat reached 29 MPH at 6200 RPM. Getting 5.4 MPG of fuel.
In June 2011, Richard Van Voris, the boatman for the Tabor Academy crew in Marion, Massachusetts, launched a 27′ x12″ single scull designed by Graeme King. Richard built the hull from 1/8″ red cedar strips , reinforced with carbon fiber, and covered with epoxy.
SOLD JANUARY 2026 NO MORE INQUIRIES
Historic 1929 Olin Stephens 6-metre racing sloop. Located near Lake Champlain.
Bright Star is looking for a new owner with a passion for wooden boats and a desire to own a clas
Arch Davis Jiffy V22 Skiff 2011. 8'-6 beam, meranti plywood, douglas fir framing, MAS expoxy.