Fly Fishing Kayak

The latest creation is this custom Mill Creek 13 kayak outfitted for fly fishing. I'll have the pleasure of seeing it often as it will be living across the street from my shop. I like that far more than seeing my boats drive away on a trailer to far away homes taking a little part of me with them. Can't help but get attached.

Built from okoume plywood and epoxy this kayak is lighter and more rigid than similar plastic boats and has a much nicer "feel" on the water. Paddle a wood boat and you'd be hard pressed to get back in plastic. It does potentially require more upkeep but by exercising a little care and storing the boat under cover the efforts are minimal. I've always thought a small price to pay for the elegance and style of a varnished deck and high gloss hull.

Hopefully, next year we'll have some exciting "Striper Tales" to share. Fish on!

Just thought I'd add a couple of photos showing the recent additions on the water.

Tom's Dory

There will be a new Gloucester Gull Dory gracing Maine waters this coming spring. For now, she's sleeping in the basement of her summer home waiting for the sun to warm this frozen earth and our souls. The days ARE getting longer.

Still alive

So here I am, January 2010, sitting at the computer and actually in the mood to post a few thoughts and some photos of a few of the boats I've built since my last post. Not sure why this is such a struggle but it is. Just getting through one day to the next is often a struggle and this past year has been rough. Despite the bumps in the road I'm pleased to look back and see that something good came out of it.

This is a modified Cartopper that lives right here in Spruce Head. It is configured for rowing and outboard power, no sail rig for this one. I built the interior out in much the same fashion as a Sweat Pea, allowing for infinite adjustment of the seat position and trim as well as providing lots of dry storage and floatation.

What goes to Baltimore must come back.

I was lucky enough to snag a return haul after delivering the nesting dingy to Baltimore. The good folks of Rowable Classics in Thomaston, Maine acquired a nice Pocock wooden rowing shell from the Baltimore Rowing Club and needed it hauled home. The length of the shell worried me a little, being over 25 feet long, but since I'd seen them atop some very small cars I figured my S10 truck would provide a stable platform. I built up an easily removable rack to support a typical frame with slings to hold the shell. It all worked quite nicely despite the long overhangs.

No trouble on the road either. The shell was very stable and all I had to think about was not backing it into something or having some sleepy trucker crunch it. I wrapped half a roll of orange survey tape around the stern to aid in visibility.

If you use your imagination you might be able to visualize all of the overhang off the back of the truck. It was so hot and humid there at 8am that my minds eye was shutting down. So much for factual composition!

The Baltimore Rowing Club has a nice facility just south of the city that houses a large number of boats. The interior shot seen below represents a small fraction of the entire fleet. I'd never set foot in a real boathouse before and was surprised at the formality and even harsh atmosphere amongst the crews while handling the boats ashore. I suppose I shouldn't jump to conclusions but I could think of much nicer ways to spend my Saturday mornings than having some Drill Sargent (investment banker or something in real life) barking at me while the sweat from just breathing soaks my body from head to toe.

There is no doubt in my mind that this stubburn, independant boatbuilder wouldn't last 5 minutes in that atmosphere! I bet they wouldn't even invite me to the cocktail part after................

I felt sorry for those crew members as I pulled away, ready to wind my way back to Maine.

Nesting Dingy Delivered

I'm happy to say I've finished and delivered my latest, a "nesting dingy" by Danny Greene of Offshore Design, LTD, Paget, Bermuda. This little boat looks great on the water and I look forward to a performance report from the owners.



Don't let the size of this design fool you, it is a big project. (Fool who, me)? I always assume the first build of any design will take extra time to complete, that is a given, but what I failed to see was all the extra work involved in building a boat in two floating halves. The bottom line is, I could have built two conventional dingies in about the same time. So, live and learn, there goes my summer.

Built of 6mm Okume plywood, fiberglass and epoxy, each individual half of the boat is light enough for one person to move around although the size of the aft section makes one person handling difficult. Best done with two. Three bolts join the two sections together. They are located above the waterline so in theory you could place both halves in the water, jump in the aft section and pull the two halves together. I haven't heard yet if this is true or not..............

It should do well with a small outboard if you have some long hauls to make although the 7'-6" oars give plenty of pulling power. The plans also show details for adding a sail rig.

Clean Machine, isn't it?

Still here and kicking.

Ah, so maybe this blog hasn't been abandoned? Despite the long cold winter and an ever growing list of things to do, life does go on. I'm happy to say I've been busy with boats since last fall.

Most of the time has been filled with the rowing shell project, right up until the end of April. Truth is, the shell project has pushed my workload over the edge of comfort into the horrors of the stress zone because, as so often happens, they took much longer to finish and ship than anticipated. I am currently running about a month behind where I thought I'd be this spring.

My current project is a nesting dingy for folks in Baltimore. It is an interesting design and I think it will make a great little tender. I'll add more info regarding the design and construction once I have it finished. Next up will be a Payson/Bolger Cartopper that will live right here in Spruce Head and then another Gloucester Gull rowing dory. I will leave you with a photo of the nesting dingy ready for its outer coating of glass.

Off to the shop!

Oh how the summer flew by.

And now it sounds as though winter is set to freeze us in our tracks. I'm pretty much ready for it physically but find it hard these days to wrap my mind around the theory. Maybe it is my Southern California upbringing or my sorta advancing years (hey, I'm still a kid at heart) but I absolutely hate being cold.

I haven't always felt this way. When I moved to Maine in 1976 It couldn't get cold enough or snow deep enough to bring me down. There was skiing, snowmobiling, woodstoves and woodpiles to occupy my time. Life in Maine was a challenge compared to life in San Diego. Not preparing for winter here means a world of trouble and misery. In San Diego you just go to the beach! As proud as I am to have survived Maine this long, I have begun to long for the carefree (and warmer) winter days of my youth. Well, at least from now until the end of March................

I've been busy doing a bunch of different projects since I finished the last little skiff but most of the work has been away from my shop. The most significant job has been with another independent builder. We are doing a series of non-functional crew shell replicas to be used as decoration in a national chain of stores. Can't say who or where yet, but I can show you what they look like finished (less oars and riggers which they will have when hung) and will also add a series of construction photos to show how they go together.

So, here is to longer days and warmer temps.............

Summer Skiff

Summer is full swing now and I'm busy doing just about everything other than building boats. I'm feeling more and more as though I try to cram a full year's worth of outdoor activity into three months. A reflection of my declining interest in cold weather. I did manage to get one boat out as summer began, a new skiff for a local cottage.


This is my version of Dynamite Payson's Fisherman's Skiff. I've added a little over an inch elevation to the stem and transom to give the boat a little more sheer. There is still more to be done before I'm satisfied with the design but I think this looks pretty nice. There are far too many ugly skiffs in this world.



Lots of other interesting projects going on that I will post up in the near future. Just hoping to have a little time to enjoy another passion..............