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November

Half Hull Models - Part 3 - Making the Model
Another part of the series on how to make a half model. Have a go!

From the Bering Sea to a Searunner
Stainless steel stays are tricky to install. Have you considered using rope? This is no ordinary rope.

Making a "Terminal Trawler"
Most yachts have great accommodations. Most powerboats are expensive. Why not buy a yacht and use it as a powerboat? Here's some choices.

October

Odin's Knot
Odin's knot may be a bit of a stunt, but it is nice to know how to tie it. You never know when it will come in handy.

Homemade Weed Anchor
Do you recall an article on weed anchors? Well Wilson and Christine proved that it was one of the best designs around and built one, with some changes.

September

Half Hull Models - Part 2-Making Plans
In the second part of Paul Esterle's series on making your own half hull models, he not only gives good sources for half hull plans but he shows you how to create plans for your own boat.

Boat Trailer Rebuild Ad Nauseum
I always like an article that is both entertaining and informative. Bob Thomas has given us just that in this tongue in cheek pictorial essay about fixing up old boat trailers.

August

Half Hull Models: Part 1 - Then and Now
This is the first of a series of three articles on half hull models by noted boating writer Paul Esterle. In this part, Paul explains why and how these models came to be made in the first place.

Redecking a Blue Jay - Part 3
In this installment of his series, Bob Booth struggles with the traditional deck of canvas bedded in lead. Fortunately, he is able to find an alternative for the lead while still using canvas.

July

Homemade Paddles for Homemade Boats…
It is funny how many of us who build canoes and kayaks then go buy our paddles. None of that for Glynn Sirmans - he rolls his own and shows us how to do the same thing ourselves.

Redecking a Blue Jay
I admire Bob Booth for having the tenacity to continue this project. At first it looked to me like a real labor of love, but with the new decks on, it is starting to seem like a boat again.

Kitsetting Glued Lapstrake Boat Designs
You might think that creating a kit for a lapstrake boat would be easy. You would be wrong. Alec Jordan has spent years producing lapstrake boat kits and gives a good overview.

June

Another Approach to Shaping Foils
Ross Langford has come up with a really easy method for shaping foils - it is for you, at least. He spent a lot of time doing the math and creating a spreadsheet and even a template.

Redecking a Blue Jay - Part 1 - Fore Deck Structure
In tough economic times, it may make more sense to rebuild a classic like this than to build new. This time, Bob Booth takes you from extracting screws to replacing the mast partner.

Building a home made Chart Plotter
If you lust after a chartplotter, don't worry, In this documented and illustrated story, Harry James shows you step-by-step how to make your own. It won't cost an arm and a leg, either.

May

A tale of 3 Sails
Grahame Harris build a John Welsford Truant and documented his adventures in these pages. But until now, he was never entirely happy with his sail, until he bought a balanced lug.

Radar Reflector Revisited
Tom Schultz came up with a great radar reflector design and published an article about it here in 2007. Now Tom has decided that he needs to clarify the construction technuque.

Candlestick Ports
Whether for the challenge or out of necessity, all of us have had to make do by using materials at hand. I think Mike Gill's homemade portlights came out better than most examples.

April

Steam Bending Wood with an Electric Iron
When it comes to learning new ways to accomplish tasks with common household appliances, you can't beat the Internet. Steve Witter did a little web surfing and found a great idea.

Navigation Lights
Not long ago, Sea-Dog came out with new LED navigation lights. We sent Tom Schultz a pair for evaluation. Here is his comprehensive and knowledgeable report.

A Little Electrical System
Sometimes it is hard to decide how complicated the electrical system on your small boat should be. Gary Blankenship has done several and describes here a minimalist approach.

March

Cruising Safely
Steve Earley has written several articles for Duckworks about his cruises in the Pathfinder "Spartina". Here he recommends two products for cruising with safety, comfort & peace of mind.

Do It Yourself Lifelines and Bow Pulpit
Tom Schultz did not fancy an unexpected swim in the cold waters of Northumberland Straight so he priced a bow pulpit. Once he recovered from sticker shock, he built his own.

February

Back to Building
The subtitle of Kevin McNeill's article is - 'The evolution of a design and sidetracks along the way' - and that pretty much describes this piece which grew from an email Kevin sent.

The Challenge of Mooring - Part 1
In this comprehensive article, Tom Schultz discusses his experiences mooring his cruising trimaran. He pulls no punches, either, telling about all the things he did wrong.

The Challenge of Mooring - Part 2
In this continuation of Tom Schultz' excellent essay on mooring, the author discusses the technical details, including the proper gear and where to get it as well as a few books.

January

FoilCuts - sketches and text
Cutting a foil section from a wood blank is an intimidating proposition. Here, Tom Hamernik breaks the process down into easy steps that anyone can follow.

Setting Copper Rivets
In order to build his Pete Cullar skiff, Mike Norris would have to set copper rivets. But he wanted to do as much of the work as he could  by himself so he developed some special tools.




 


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