STRIP-BUILT CANOE
Glen Rahtz has been busy: he built three canoes and launched an outboard skiff that he restored over the course of 2010-2011.
Glen Rahtz has been busy: he built three canoes and launched an outboard skiff that he restored over the course of 2010-2011.
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.
Named after builder Bill Terry's wife, ADA BELLE is a Ken Swan Little Gem rowing skiff. The frame is mahogany with plywood bottom and sides. Built for use on Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri, Bill reports that his grandsons love the boat and that she is easily rowed and handles well.
Paul Wagstaff's catboat was two decades in the designing and building. He was attracted to catboats because of their stability and he wanted a boat that could be built in his garage, trailered easily, and could be single-handed.
This Passagemaker dinghy, one of Chesapeake Light Craft's designs, was built by Mark R. Allen of Reston, Virginia, for Brian White. Intended for use her as a tender for the White family's trawler, the dinghy will see use in Chesapeake Bay.
"This formerly unnamed Smith Island crab skiff had been out of the water for 14 years, had become home to about 80+ carpenter bees, and was almost burned," writes Eddie Boudreaux. During the winter of 2009-2010, Eddie restored her and relaunched in June 2010 as EFFIE-B.
Paul Cartier bought his 1962 Chris-Craft Sea Skiff for "what the trailer as worth. The boat had mostly good bones but was cosmetically in very rough shape.
John T. Brunson writes that, at 70, he has refinished his Alcort Super Sailfish with all new bronze hardware and the original decals.
Chris Greer reports that he built SPROUT part-time over the course of two years from Arch Davis's plans for the Penobscot 14 dinghy.
Mike Hughes had hoped to build a Columbia dinghy for himself but, "as life, family, and business crowded in I never got past the stage of milling and seasoning the keel, and laying in the New Zealand kauri." Some years late, Mark Jack contacted Mike about building a Columbia for him.