Launchings

SPIRIT is the first wooden kayak that Rod Chelberg has built. He started with an ocean kayak kit from Newfound Woodworks in Bristol, New Hampshire. Rod used red cedar strips with accent strips of white cedar on the 44 lb. hull.

This is a Phil Bolger designed catboat. I bought Dynamite Payson’s book, “Build the instant Catboat”. It only took 14 years....with the help of my daughter. I had an old Beetle cat rig that I modified for the boat. Good to finally get it wet.

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.

Ken Swan’s Nez Perce 19. Self bailing cockpit, 18 gallon hard tank in console.

Built Six years ago in Perth Western Australia. Relaunched after health issues prevented sailing for a while.
Higher Freeboard, Self Draining Cockpit Deck and Sail furling added to Gary Deirkings design.

Though he’s read WoodenBoat magazine for most his adult life, Andrew Noble of Basket Range, South Australia, finally built his first boat. MOLLIE is a 7′10″ Auk design by Iain Oughtred, and carries 42 sq ft of sail. Andrew bought the plans from Duck Flat Wooden Boats.

Bruce Johnson built this Steve Killing designed Endeavour 17 sea kayak in 2002. ANONA is strip-planked with western red cedar, maple, and "Louisville slugger" ash. ANONA is a native American word meaning 'laughing water'.

Pícara, my Hazardous Zero-9 Merlin Rocket build, was successfully launched and sailed on Friday morning, April 15, 2016. She touched water for the first time on Lake Travis, near Austin, Texas, USA. Pícara gracefully sailed in light winds and quickly responded to mild gusts.

Here’s my recently completed Herreshoff Biscayne Bay 14 built from a WoodenBoat plan. I read the construction article in WB issues 96-98 back in 1990-91 and loved the look of this boat. Made a few minor changes to the plan and outfitted the boat using all antique or replica hardware.

Haven 12 1/2