Rowboats

The idea is not new, but the opportunity to build a small boat from 1 sheet of plywood is always intriguing. In this case, I wanted something that was, in this order, stable, easy to row or paddle, low cost, looked like a boat, and would accept a...

Sportdory is an attempt to improve upon the Bolger/Payson dory I built about 15 years ago. This boat is slightly smaller than my old dory. In particular the bow is lower in hopes of cutting windage. the stern is mostly similar. The center cross section...

"SHORE BIRD" - 14' Flat-bottom outboard skiff, wood. Here's a little "Grain Belt Yacht", in the words of the designer, for those lazy fishing days with a beer, out for sunnies or perch. As easy to build as bailing a hook, she features a built-in live...

The THALAS 13' project was inspired by Whitehall, the most classical and elegant American row boat of the XIX century, but obviously, it is a very different boat both for hull lines - which have been modified to facilitate construction - and for its...

Designed for a boat owner who wanted to fit his eight meter "yacht" with a rigid tender, the PRAM 220 has the minimum dimensions to be used safely for this type of task, maintaining at the same time a boat appearance and not that of a floating box...

Based upon the American Adironack guide boat, this craft combines traditional lapstrake (clinker) construction with modern materials. The bottom is a flat piece of 3/8’’ ply slightly rockered fore and aft and the five strakes are of...

This design is a 15' version of the 17 footer - the beam is the same at 45" and she has a single traditional oarlock. She uses just 5 sheets of 4, 5 or 6mm plywood and the plans give details so that she can be made in 2 halves split at the centre seat...

#246 was designed for Ken Handman in 1982. Joe had designed the Millennium Falcon (MF), No. 236 (25' x 4') 3 or 4 men, for Handman in 1981. MF won the 32 n.m. ocean rowing race to Santa Catalina in 1981 & 1982. This is a sleek one man rowing shell...

The design for the Surf 8 started with the need for a small dinghy that would have pretensions to be a small multi role dayboat - an excellent sailing craft, motor boat and still be easily car toppable. Taking the Skylark...

Hello Chuck,In the near future you will receive from PAUL AUSTIN an article regarding a boat I designed around his current needs. It is called APRIL LOVE, after his Daughter, and is composed of 4 modules which bolt together to form a complete hull. The...

The Hartford 18' skiff was drawn up for the Great River Race and to take a crew of 4 - a cox, 2 oarsmen plus a passenger who could take a turn at rowing. She has 5 planks per side and is built using the stitch and tape method for the shortest...

Vireo14 is a 14' version of the original 12' Vireo which was quite popular with all of its builders. In this case the extra length comes from a straight "stretch" of the original design. By that I mean that the same cross sections were used but now...