THE CAT'S MEOW

Builder Name:
Leroy J. Lester

The CAT'S MEOW is a replica of a 1949 Chris Craft Racer runabout, built by Leroy J. Lester. He spent about 2000 hours over 3 years constructing the boat in his extended garage. THE CAT'S MEOW is 18'3" long with beam just over 6', and uses a Crusader Marine V-6 175 hp engine.

PROSPECTOR CANOE

Builder Name:
Mike Elliot

Mike Elliott rescued this 35-year-old Chestnut Prospector canoe from a barn and restored it for David and Virginia Moore of Delta, BC, Canada. He used cedar to repair the hull, ash to replace the gunwales, and cherry for the new decks. The seats are hand-woven cane.

GLEN-L DRIFT BOAT

Builder Name:
Tom Shives

Tom Shives built this Glen-L Drifter, from Glen-L Marine plans, with a small group of men from his church.

CHESAPEAKE 17LT KAYAK

Builder Name:
Boone Brewer

CLC designed this touring Chesapeake 17LT kayak (16'11" x 231/4"), which was built by Boone Brewer of Smyrna, GA. He plans to use it in the Gulf of Mexico near St. Theresa, FL. Boone used stitch-and-glue construction of okoume plywood, covering the hull and decks with fiberglass cloth and epoxy.

COOL CAT

Builder Name:
Jay Eugster

Jay Eugster writes "Here is a catboat I built in 2004 called COOL CAT, the plans of which were in your Fifty Wooden Boats to Build, it is a 11' dinghy by Charles Wittholz. It is 11' long, 5' beam with the gaff rig and dagger board.

LOLLYPOP

Builder Name:
Rick Miller

Rick Miller of Miller Marine Systems completed this Penobscot 14 in 2003. She is a pulling version of the Arch Davis 14' x 4'6" design, using a daggerboard. LOLLYPOP was delivered to her owner, Charles Ward of Barbados, West Indies and launched on December 25, 2003.

EL GATO

Builder Name:
Ross Mason

EL GATO is a 12'6" Phil Bolger designed catboat built by Ross Mason between May 2002 and October 2003. Ross launched EL GATO on November 25, 2003. He used 1/4" plywood covered with epoxy resin and fiberglass cloth. He built the hollow 16' mast from 8 staves as described in WB issue XXXX.

PRAM AND MCGREGOR CANOE

Builder Name:
Jack Lightfoot

Jack Lightfoot has been busy. He built a Francis Herreshoff/John Gardner pram, then an Iain Oughtred McGregor canoe (15'8" x 33"), and has now started a Phil Bolger dory. Jack writes the McGregor took him six months to build, and that was without using any power tools.

PENOBSCOT 14

Builder Name:
Fred Fisher

Fred Fisher, a retired cabinetmaker, finished this Arch Davis-design Penobscot 14 in November 2003. He planked the boat with 1/4" mahogany plywood with Spanish cedar stringers and trim. The rail cap, interior, and oars are white oak. The mast and spars are laminated Douglas fir.

TOM THUMP

Builder Name:
Jim Inglis

Jim Inglis wanted a boat he could carry on his car while traveling around Australia with his camper trailer. He wanted a light, responsive boat capable of crossing open water, yet maintain a traditional look.