Catamaran Skiffs - Stable, Dry, and Versatile
After living aboard a 40 foot Cross Trimaran for 10 years, Mark Gumprecht built a 22 foot catamaran. But that was still not small enough. Now he's built 12 foot and 8 foot rowing cats.

Brittany
If you are thinking about a trip to Europe this summer, Derek Waters wants you to be aware that both the Brest and Douarnenez traditional boat festivals will be held in Brittany.

Clark Fork Drifter
Long time boat builder, designer and DIY writer Paul Butler has come up with a nifty little drift boat for up to three guys. It is designed for the home builder and can even be cartopped.

The Group
Ross Lillistone makes a case for small, informal groups of sailing enthusiasts who get together on a regular basis to enjoy and learn more about that particular activity.

Alternative Boat Hardwoods
As the title suggests, Bob Booth has taken advantage of this forum to impart some of what he has learned about several hardwoods from building boats and other projects.

• June Webwatch

A Wood Bilge Pump
Since Tim Ingersoll was snowed in and couldn't really work on his boat, a chance look at a library book sent him down to the basement where he built an interesting device from the past.

Turning Over a Hull
This may be letting the cat out of the bag, but David Nichols is building the prototype of what will be a series of new,cruising sailboat designs. He plans to take this one to the Texas200

Egret Cockpit Options
Ross Miller may not agree with my use of superlatives when it comes to describing his Egret designs but he has managed to make a great design even better than it was before.

Designing Your Own Boat
Don't be fooled by the title - Roy McBride spins an entertaining tale by that begins with him designing his own boat, sprawls across three continents and ends with his lifechanged forever.

Marietta Yawl
If you know a youth group that might be interested in building a few of these rowing boats that were designed by Joe Dobler, pay attention to the introduction to this article.

Power Tool Rehabilitation
Now, I consider myself pretty cheap, and I have gone to great lengths to restore power tools, but I learned a lot when I read Rob Rohde-Szudy's latest. My hat is off to you, Rob! Thanks.

Jim Michalak's Newsletter
We like to link to Jim Michalak's Newsletter. I have not seen the latest issue but it is always worth a read.

• May Letters

Splash!
This is a new feature which we want to become a regular here at Duckworks. We will post it whenever we have a nice collection of reports of boat launchings. Send us a picture!

Thinking in Three Dimensions, or Toy Boat II
Brian Anderson has been thinking of a river trip in France for a long time, so when a book opportunity came along, he had to get in gear. Here is an introduction to his dream voyage.

• SPECIAL REPORT:
  Resolution's Launch Day

Sailors for time left, the barges of the Thames and Netherlands, rolling with Rolex and a great Charters schooners pretend shootout!
Mark Steele's "Where the Winds Blow..."

The Essential Backyard Boat Shed
If you need now, or might ever need a temporary shed to build or refurbish a boat, you'll want to read David Goldsmith's thorough and informative article about the one he built.

Building a Wooden Surfboard
In this article, Charles Loiselle explains that a surfboard is really just a small boat. The construction, the materials and the techniques will be familiar to most builders of wooden boats.

A Chugger and a Chigger
Who would ever guess that this little boat came about from a discussion of real minimalist cruisers conducted over a few homebrews. Still, Pat and Tim Johnson got an interesting boat.

• May Reports

• SPECIAL REPORT:
  Resolution Hitches a Ride

Coromandel New Year
The fact that I got to sail in Frank Bates' Pathfinder in these same waters last winter only makes me even more jealous of the cruises that Frank and Barb get to take aboard Varuna.

Building a Lake Skiff - Part 2: Modeling
This is the second installment of Charlie Ewers' account of his quest to design and build a boat to fit a certain set of criteria. Here, Charlie builds models and learns a bit in the process.

Tank Testing the O&P Pod
In this age where computers are used by amateurs and professionals alike to design boats, it is refreshing to hear how Warren Messer is using common sense and materials at hand.

Fafnir
A new design from John Welsford, Fafnir began it's life as Gimli, a proposal for the Aroundinten race. Fafnir has grown less competitive and more laid back with milder adventures in mind.

Sons of the Vikings
With the subtitle "Open Boats Get a Lot More Use Than Yachts" Charlie Whipple makes the case for Dinghy cruising through the words of some kiwis who have been there/done that.

• May Webwatch

• May Webwatch
  Special WaterTribe Video Edition
  (Regular Webwatch Tomorrow)

Transparent Sailboat
I always wanted to build a boat by eye - without using rulers or tape measures. Peter Tapolyai has done just that with this sailing canoe and what an eye catching boat he has built.

The Rally Cars Didn't make it to DAKAR but the PDRacers Did
PDRacers are really catching on and the Oz version that Michael Storer offers for twenty bucks is leading the pack. Here is a story about one of the newest fleets - in West Africa.

Crossing the Wisla Delta
As soon as Wojtek Baginski saw the Delta of the Wisla River from 8000 meters he knew he would returm - by boat this time. Here is the story of his long, strange trip.

A Simple Escape Machine
There is nothing simple about it - not for a boat builder comtemplating his next boat. But in this essay, Ross Lillistone uses his wonderful writing style to make it seem possible.

2007 Lake Pepin Messabout
Although only started a few years ago, Bill Paxton's Lake Pepin Messabout has become one of the major small boat events in the US. Last year looks like it was the best one yet.

Nootka Sound - A Camping Cruiser
If you heard rumors that we were going to start offering the designs of Joe Dobler, you heard right. We start off with Nootka Sound - a Camping Cruiser, Joe's design #213

Navigation Light Angle Modification
Let's say you buy some cheap navigation lights from Duckworks and you discover they don't point right. If you are Rob Rohde-Szudy, you figure out a way to make them work.

• April Letters