Launchings

Having made a 25lb canoe previously, I wanted to play with how light I could go for my next canoe. My research made me think I could get down to around 15 pounds for a 12' canoe so I decided to go for it.

Rob Caveney launched this glued-lapstrake plywood Annapolis Tandem Wherry in April this year following plans from Chesapeake Light Craft. The hull is 18′9″ long, Rob reports that,“As advertised, this boat is a real rocketship.

HIGH TIME, an original Alden Indian, was relaunched at Bittersweet Landing Boatyard at the Gut in South Bristol, Maine, on June 23, 2014. The boat, designed in 1921 for the John G.

In June 2011 Paul Kueffner launched a cedar-strip kayak that he built for his wife from plans by John Winters. The Caspian Sea design is 15′6″ long, andabout 50 pounds with gear. He built the hull from 1/4″ western red cedar strips, covered with epoxy and 8 oz fiberglass cloth.

I built this Clint Chase-designed 16′ Calendar Islands Yawl from a kit from Chase Small Craft. After a year and a half of weekends and nights building it, I got it launched in June 2018, just in time for the WoodenBoat Show in Mystic, CT.

Community School of Davidson is at it again, this time launching a Dave Gentry designed “Wee Lassie” built by 6th and 7th grade students at their middle school. Instructor Jim Dumser built it with eight students from the Friday “explore elective” over the fall and winter.

Solar powered electric launch using CLC Southwester Dory plans. She has a 3-hp Torqeedo motor mounted in a well as well as Torqeedo solar panels. Shaw and Tenney oars and a sprit rig provide towing and sailing options as well. A Norwegian tiller runs fore and aft.

Richard Albert built this 14' pulling boat SECOND SNAKE designed by Henry Rushton (Model 109 Pulling Boat of 1884), launch ing it on August 9, 2004. He uses it on the Delaware and Raritan Canal in New Jersey, and the Delaware River.

SHELBY is a 11'2" Shellback Dinghy built by Chris Ireland of Toronto, Canada. He built SHELBY over the winter of 2000-2001 and launched her into the Bay of Quinte at the eastern end of Lake Ontario in May 2001.

TWINKLE (yup, that’s her name) was conceived on April 15, 2017 and launched on July 30. Her home is Rocky Mount, NC. She is a Chesapeake 17 sea kayak from Chesapeake Light Craft. Made of Okoume marine plywood, epoxy, fiberglass, varnish and more than a little blood and sweat.