Launchings

Wayne Kaler built this 11′6″ Car Topper skiff designed by Phil Bolger, in an airplane hangar in Oakland, California. Fittingly, he called it FLYING ZUCCHINI.  He enjoyed sailing and rowing the boat on San Francisco Bay.

Rowland Hill completed this 15' x 4' York Delaware Ducker in November 2000. He got the plans from Mystic Seaport Museum. Planking is epoxied Sapeli marine plywood. Rowland used oak for the stem, rudder, dagger board, and cowling. He and his son sail the boat in Pleasant Bay, Cape Cod.

James Ford of the Madison School District in Madison, NY, wrote to announce two launchings by their high school technology class, an 8' pram and a 16' canoe. Clark Craft of Tonawanda, NY, designed the pram, while the canoe is a John Scalzo design.

Brian Emblin used several sources for help in the construction of his skin-on-frame kayak: "Wood and Canvas Kayak Building" by George Putz, "The Wood and Canvas Canoe" by Jerry Stelmok and Rollin Thurlow, and a video from North Bay Canoe Company in North Bay Ontario, Canada.

The Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building launched this 14′7″-long Scandal skiff last summer. William Atkin designed the Scandal in 1924 to be a slender and fast boat suitable for use with a small outboard motor.

Jericho Bay Lobster Skiff.
I added 6″ to the design for a length of 16′.
I also lowered the sheer by 4 inches up forward for more ease in boarding from the beach.
25 H.P. 4-stroke Tohatsu pushes the boat to 26 mph with one person.

Aaron Turner led a group of students and volunteers at Workshop Residence in San Francisco, California, in the construction of a Coquina cat-ketch.

Peter Baldracchi recently built this 14′ dory skiff in a class at Lowell’s Boat Shop in Amesbury, Massachusetts. There’s a storage compartment under the sternsheets and room for gear and a couple of friends. The light grey interior, varnished seats, and dark hull make for a handsome boat.

1963 Comet class. 16′, built by Beatons Boats in NJ.
I restored the boat which was still very sound and have been racing it competitively. It is still near minimum weight and full competitive.

40′ on deck and 49′ with bow sprit, S.Y. RAVENSONG was built by Denis Brown in Ventura California and launched in 1934. Her hull is 38mm thick, single stripped plank construction of Californian Red Cedar from the giant redwood forests. Mast and spars are Canadian Oregon and Canadian Spruce.