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.
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Adam Birtwistle of Swan River in Perth, Australia, recently finished building a Melanesia Outrigger sailing canoe, designed by James Wharram. He spent a year on the contruction.
Builder Byron Marks writes that this canoe, launched Sept 3, 2002, roughly follows the lines of the Freedom 17 designed by Steve Killing (found in "Canoecraft" by Ted Moores). For the hull, he used white cedar with walnut accents.
Ed Vickery helped to build and repair boats for quite a while before he built his first wooden surfboard. He built it from several woods including bamboo, black walnut, fir, aframosa, and paulownia; then covered everyting with a layer of 4-oz fiberglass.
Bedard Yacht Design F1430 Sit On Top Stitch and Glue.
Taken on a weeklong river trip in Montana.
Captain Yo of Southwest Harbor, Maine, designed, built, and launched this sailing model of the SANTA MARIA in Blue Hill Bay in October, 2011. He writes that the carved cedar hull is 33″ long and weighs 25 lbs.
Despite choosing a career as an auto mechanic, Joseph LaBella's lifelong dream was to build a boat as a dedication to his father, who introduced Joe to boating when Joe was just 3 years old. Joe used no plans in the construction, just a scale drawing of his desired outcome.
Doyle Herman started restoration of this 15' Wagemaker in September of 2001. He launched it in May 2002. He stripped the boat to a bare hull, replaced the deck plywood and part of the transom. Wolverine Boats of Grand Rapids, MI built the boat in 1957.
Rick Culliton and his son, Tom, in a 16' kayak designed by Rick for use in the lakes and rivers near his home in Germantown, MD.
Plans and plywood bought in 2000, then life got in the way. Retirement in 2018 removed all excuses and slow progress began in 2019. The covid lockdown provided the dedicated time needed for completion.
Michael Schefers uses this Eastport pram as tender for his sloop, HARMONY. He built her in two months in a friend's garage, using okoume and cypress wood with LapStitch construction. Launched on Thanksgiving Day, 2002, she has a length just under 8' and a beam of 4'.
Located in Mystic, Connecticut - 3 staterooms and salon with A/C units, sleeps 8 - well maintaine
Wood hull built with meticulous and painstaking detail from a kit using a "stich-and-glue" method
