On a mountain trail, pace-by-pace progress over hours sometimes leads to a viewpoint from which the altitude achieved suddenly becomes spectacularly clear. Something similar is going on now in custom wooden yacht construction, as exemplified by two projects currently underway in Maine boatyards that show just how much the boatbuilding industry has changed.
Sample Articles From WoodenBoat Magazine
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CAPRICE and GHOST were part of the 28-boat Sound Interclub fleet built by Henry B. Nevins during the winter of 1925–26. The class raced on Long Island Sound for more than a decade before being eclipsed by the larger International One Design. -
The Middle Fork, one of the first rivers protected under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, is one of the steepest descents I had ever rowed. My arms ached and my legs cramped as we threaded our drift boats through Hell’s Half Mile, Velvet Falls, Murph’s Hole, and a dozen other rapids that had no names. -
Among the dramatic changes during the MAYFLOWER II reconstruction has been the complete replacement of her rigging, reducing weight aloft by about one-third. The standing rigging is of Mystic Three Strand, made by New England Rope. -
The Gold Cup—the oldest trophy in motorsports racing—was first contested in 1904 on the Hudson River, where the winner averaged just a little over 23 mph. Offered by the American Power Boat Association (APBA), the prize is still being contested today. -
Right from the beginning I suspected that if any part of the process of building this boat was going to tip me over the edge, it would be the planking, and there’s no doubt that up until now each strake has been a complete swine, extracting blood, sweat, and... -
For now, LIBELLULE is the largest catboat Arey’s Pond Boat Yard has built, and she’s the latest addition to a résumé of boats that has shown increases in size with each commission. -
Eighteen years ago, owner John Lisicich discovered the skeleton of a rare runabout—A Fairliner Torpedo—in the Gig Harbor, Washington, shop of boatbuilder Bruce Bronson. He purchased what was left of the boat, and over the next decade made monthly payments on an eventual restoration. -
Almost any mast against a skyline can inspire a poet or painter, but it takes authenticity, the ring of truth, to take the breath away from even the most jaded professional mariner. That such a ship—ready for sea with a crisp and purposeful air—should also be the oldest surviving American square-rigged merchantman only makes the sight more compelling. Such was the CHARLES W. MORGAN in the summer of 2014 during her first venture to sea in more than 90 years. -
Norway’s ubiquitous double-ended motor launch, the snekke (aka sjekte , or kogg ), evolved from open sail-powered fishing boats. Today, as recreational boats, they have a variety of configurations: Some are protected by wraparound windshields, others have small cabins, and many retain their simple workboat layouts.