Launchings

My Ozona X nesting Pram was launched in St Joseph Sound, FL on November 30th 2020. Photo by Simon Lewandowski

The classic lines and pedigree was Bob Luckraft’s inspiration to saving this 15′ x 8′ catboat. MARGARET was built in 1920, by Manuel Swartz Roberts.

THE OTHER SIDE is a 16 foot drift boat built to fish the upper Kenai river for trophy rainbow trout. She is built on a Don Hill design and constructed primarily of clear fir by Sailor Ellison, and Bill Blanas in Nikiski Alaska.

The Swan is a CLC Light Craft “Wood Duckling 8” built over a two week period by 9 year-old McKenzie Kaufman and her grandfather Charles McParland of Tega Cay, SC. She was launched on August 6th on Lake Wylie in South Carolina.

I built this slightly stretched version (9 1/2 to 11 ft) of Paul Butler’s Montana Pram for my son, his wife and 2 daughters (2 and 7) exploring for ducks, frogs, and adventure on a small pond adjoining their back yard.  We launched it on my granddaughter’s 7th birthday in July 2024.

Dave Paquet constructed this 23'6" x 7' fantail launch using yellow cedar strip planking on the hull, and red cedar strips for the decks. This Glen-L 'Harbor master' design took Dave four winters to complete. He launched PILGRIM in May 2004.

Wood Duck 10 hybrid with cedar deck

DANA is a 6-meter yacht, built in 1927 by Morgan Giles, and recently restored and relaunched by Aleksander Celarek. Aleksander replaced DANA's keel, planking below the waterline, deck, and rig. She now sails in Poland.

Aaron Avery built a Ken Swan Nez Perce 13 design 13'6" outboard fishing skiff in his garage. He used marine plywood and vertical grain Douglas fir. The boat is powered by a 1956 10-hp Johnson outboard.

Sam Schaner built this 16'10' cedar-strip kayak, designed by Joe Greenley of Redfish Kayaks, using Western red cedar, basswood, walnut, and oak. It is the Spring Run model, 16'10" long with a beam just under 2 feet.