Small Boat Photo Gallery

Another look at the small-boat life by Josh Colvin

Always liked this shot of my friend, Kees Prins. Here he is aboard FETCH, his hugely-modified Iain Oughtred Fulmar dinghy. Port Townsend Bay.

This photo is fuzzy as it was shot from my phone inside a waterproof case, but it captures what I love about the Texas 200—if you run into shallow water, just get out and drag your damn boat. I wrote that the Texas 200 was “the worst thing I’ll ever do again.”

Here’s my dad aboard my old Sparrow 16, hang-drying laundry. I think it was Watmough Bay in the San Juans, the day after we’d crossed over from P.T.

We sponsored an Old Salt contest at the Wooden Boat Festival one year, taking Polaroid photos of every salty-looking character who walked past. There were a surprising number of good candidates.

Here’s a shot from Sean Mulligan’s Lake Havasu Pocket Cruisers Convention. This Potter 15 was showing some nice back-lit colors with Mike Monies’ SCAMP in the background.

Speaking of SCAMPS, here’s Howard Rice doing what Howard does—absolutely wringing #1 out on a nasty capsize-testing day.

And finally a favorite shot of the master designer himself, John Welsford, at the helm of SCAMP #1 with several of his creations giving chase. I don’t know where he picked up the flower over his ear, but I love it.

One summer we went up to Kettle Falls, WA to the Rickey Point Sail Club’s annual regatta. Here’s a shot of a Ranger 26 on Lake Roosevelt.

Two of my favorite people—my daughter Winnie and my buddy Chuck Leinweber. This was from our week-long trip down the Rio Grande in the remote Great Unknown stretch. Winnie is all smiles. Chuck’s expression says “Let’s get moving. The other boats are getting ahead.” We made the trip aboard a boat Chuck built—a Jim Michalak River Runner called MOJO.

Here’s a shot from the first ever (and last?) Columbia 150—a fleet cruise from Beacon Rock to Astoria. Andy Linn and his crew Jon are putting their little Stevenson Projects Weekender through her paces some

One of the first Race to Alaska teams to capture imaginations (and the hearts of women everywhere) was the Soggy Beavers. Here’s a shot of them arriving at the finish line in Ketchikan.

Here’s a shot of them holding a fan’s sign.

Speaking of R2AK, I loved how Quill Goldman and Team Barefoot had everyone puzzling—dare I say intimidated—before the race by flaunting their giant fake bowsprit.

Here’s the legendary John Goodman aboard his Chevy Duck. The boat was a true work of art. You should have seen the fishermen’s faces as we passed through desolate back bays in a bunch of little yellow boats with John’s headlights and taillights on.

My mom, Debra Colvin, will clearly do anything to get the shot. Here she’s hooked in to the pulpit on my buddy Don Kilgore’s San Juan 23.

Kirk Gresham’s modified Devlin Eider might be one of the most photogenic boats ever. Here’s just one of many good ones, as we sail our way out of Killisut Harbor.

Can’t remember the details on this catboat, but they were certainly moving along. I shot this from Mike Higgins’ equally handsome catboat, JEAN ALDEN. Port Townsend Bay.

Finally, here’s a fun shot of my friend Marty Loken, criss-crossing the Port Townsend waterfront aboard his canoe yawl on a frosty winter’s morning. •SCA•