Category: Small boats

The Working Guide to Traditional Small-Boat Sails

The Working Guide to Traditional Small-Boat Sails

The forest of Bermudan-rigged white plastic boats in every marina and creek might lead one to think that the methods of the golden age of sail are close to extinct – but so long as there are people like David L Nichols around, I don’t think there’s any need to worry just yet.

This is a nice little book that reflects the author’s long experience with traditional small boat rigs, and with the craftsmanship he has developed over the years, and includes general chapters on sails, making sails and sail-making tools, followed by more specific sections on the sliding gunter, the sprit, lug sails, the Chinese lug sail and gaff sails. Each of them are illustrated with Continue reading “The Working Guide to Traditional Small-Boat Sails”

An 1890s sailing canoe for today’s home boat builder

Beth

Beth Beth Beth

Beth Beth Beth
Beth

It seems to me it was at least ten years ago that Mike Storer’s Beth lug-rigged yawl sailing canoe design first caught my interest, but maybe it’s just that I’ve thought often about the design and my shaky memory is just playing its tricks again.

Influenced by racing sailing canoes of the 1890s, the Beth is a design that should interest anyone with a yen for a boat that is simple in form and easy and cheap to build, while offering real sailing performance.

Before going any further, however, I should warn you that Continue reading “An 1890s sailing canoe for today’s home boat builder”

‘Phwoar!’, says Light Trow builder Ben Crawshaw

Onawind Blue

Light Trow Onawind Blue

Just back from a jolly holiday (in the Ariege region of France, and very pleasant, thanks) I was absolutely delighted to read about the mounting excitement that Ben Crawshaw is feeling over this project to build my Light Trow design. I’m pretty excited too, so I hope regular readers will forgive me for drawing attention to his project once again.

Ben is building the first boat from the plans and I’m delighted with the job he’s doing. The photo above shows the new boat with its decks cut out and laid across the sheer: ‘Phwoar!’ is how he describes it in his blog, and after all his hard work he deserves Continue reading “‘Phwoar!’, says Light Trow builder Ben Crawshaw”