Launchings

Uncle John’s General Store, (www.unclejohns.com), offers easy-to-build Cajun Pirogue kits. Peter Mallory of Amelia Island, Florida, built one of these kits making a 15′6″ model with a 31″ beam.

After two decades of intermittent work, Wesley Wenhardt, Executive Director of the Foss Waterway Seaport got to try his famous “J” stroke on his casually restored piece of canoeing history. Wes hopes to be seen paddling the byways of the Foss Waterway in Tacoma later this summer.

Jim Wharton built his Handy Billy launch singlehandedly over the course of seven years in an unheated barn, so the work was confined to warm weather months. Working part-time for most of the years, he reports that much progress was made in the first spring and summer after he retired.

Tom Karsnia designed and built the EDNA BELLE during the summer of 2004. He writes that the boat floats and rides like a dream. It seems as light as a feather in the water. It is easy to maneuver and turns on a dime. It is made of 3/8" marine plywood and western red cedar coated with epoxy.

Neal Goman of Minneapolis, Minnesota, built this 12′ Wood Duck Hybrid kayak from plans by by Chesapeake Light Craft.

After taking a class in the fundamentals of boatbuilding at WoodenBoat in 2001, Bob Gagnon built OLIVIA, using Richard Kolin's book "Traditional Boatbuilding Made Easy: Building Heidi, a 12-foot skiff for oar and sail." Bob Gagnon writes "OLIVIA spends her time at our camp on Lake Groton, VT Sh

SHIRLEY is a Redfish Kayaks Spring Run. She has been something of labour of love, having been in progress for 4 plus years. She is built of Western Red Cedar, Paulownia and Hoop Pine, and comes in at about 18Kg or 40lbs.

Found this on Vintage Boats and set about building it light and cheap. Total build boat about $300 nz ply and glass cloth with polyester. Ply was not treated and with a heavy scoring got a good bond.Could not believe how well it goes with me at 84 kg with a 5 hp OB.

NAMAKI II was first launched in New Hampshire in 1960 after Edgar Davis built her for C. A. Harrington. In 2008, Peter Knocke hired Rick Viera to repair a seeping chine log in 2008. Repairs involved replacement of several planks, the chine logs, gussets, and frames.