Launchings

Launching Dancer, Rooster # 745, at the first annual Rooster Week, in 2014.

Robert Harper loves his FUGU Swift Solo that he built in 2004-2005. He remarks that she draws a lot of attention when he sails her on Great Salt Lake.

When Jim Underwood of Yorktown, Virginia, started working on the glued-lap York River 12 skiff WE THREE, she had been lying upside down on the ground for several years. Consequently, she had a lot of rot on the top of her transom and stem (see picture at bottom).

MARILYN D has a 26' hull of intact cold-molded spruce. She was originally called IMPULSE and owned by Cabot Lyman, who used it as a commuter boat for 10 years, and was the original 'Jet' boat out of Lyman Morse. Mike Perlis and Lyman Morse restored her over the winter of 2001-2002.

Bob Philips began building this Chesapeake Light Craft 17 kayak under guidance of Bill Thomas at a WoodenBoat School class held at CLC in Maryland in May 2002. After the week-long class, Bill needed another 40 hours to finish the boat, and launched her in July 2002.

15 ft skiff designed by Phil Bolger and taken from Dynamite Payson's Instant Boats book. It was an enjoyable first boat project. I added an center rear seat and a bow seat. I launched her into San Diego Bay.

Construction began in 2002 with a set of plans and a stack of wood and finally finished in 2018. Starting a business, raising three kids, selling a business all got in the way — excuses, excuses, I know. Lola was planked with okoume plywood with mahogany knees, inwales, skeg, and breasthook.

This is a Chesapeake Light Craft Petrel SG sea kayak. Construction is stitch and glue, fiberglass over stained Okuome ply. Custom changes to the kit included the soft pad eyes, dragonfly inlay, a carved skeg control housing and turned carrying toggles and paddle bead.

Tom Willess of Oakton, Virginia discovered Chesapeake Light Craft a few years ago and has fallen in love with building their kayaks. He has already built two 12′ Wood Duck Hybrids that are stitch-and-glue constructed from one of CLC’s kits.

Participants in the spring boatbuilding class at The Dory Shop in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, celebrate the launch of the as-yet-unnamed Banks dory they built under the tutelage of master dory builder Jay Langford May 7-18.