Thanks to all readers who have responded positively to the idea of writing more Shallow Draft pieces about small boats being built in readers’ basements, garages and home-based shops. (I guess we’d better add ‘second bedrooms,’ too.) We’ll do that every chance we get, since we love visiting with and celebrating boatbuilders, along with the impressive, interesting craft they’re building! - Marty
This is without a doubt, the road ahead for small boats. Even remanufacturing the better examples to keep them around is a very hard stretch, even with shops like Chesapeake Light Craft offers. (Which both builders and rehab folks should check out). These small boats however are much more important to our sport than one might think and I encourage folks who want to build or have built to move ahead with their dream with only one word of caution. Just a small increase in size can end your dream with a half finished boat. Don't give up your dreams! They are important. Just be as sure you can be to assure a finished product. It will be worth it.
I just want to say that having Marty and Pete visit my shop was a real treat. I fully enjoyed and benefitted from the discussion we all had regarding paint, color combinations, and their visual/emotional effects. Those guys are storehouses of knowledge and experience.
And so happy to share this experience with the boating community. Thank you, Marty!
Yes! I really enjoy seeing other enthusiasts projects and their shops, although it often engenders shop envy on my part as I have to open a window and clear off one of my benches to rip an 8’ plank. Thanks for the interesting post. I’d like to see a design suitable for slow cruising with an electric motor, one that has enough room on the cabin top and foredeck for some solar.
Michael - Very soon we’ll begin a series of articles on just such a boat—a solar-electric cruising boat that will soon be launched. We’ll also zoom in on other existing all-electric cruisers that are registered for the July 26-27 Small Boat Festival at Port Townsend Marina. So stay tuned…we’re excited about the future for smaller electric cruising boats and eager to share!
There was an exhibitor at the last PT Wooden Boat show that was showing a new small electric outboard. He was out near the CLC booth. He had built a small plywood cruiser with enough rooftop solar to run the motor powered by sunlight alone during the day and spent close to a week on the water without running out of power. I forgot the name of the product, but it was very well thought out and really took advantage of the torque an electric motor. Not very fast, but that’s not what it’s about for most of us!
Michael - That would have been Joe Grez, displaying the EP Carry (EP for Electric Paddle) and the small boat he’s run a few times in the Salish 100 small-boat cruise—100 miles from Olympia to Port Townsend. Locally, the EP Carry motors are now offered at Duckworks Boat Builders Supply, in Port Townsend.
Now that should be very interesting, Marty, and I'm looking forward to what you see out there. Rumor has it that at least one resto-plastic-classic electric runabout -- that can plane -- will be shown at the Antique & Classic Boat Festival in St. Michaels, MD, on June 14-16.
While I appreciate and own a wooden boat, I doubt I will ever build one. Maybe, just maybe, a small strip built canoe. But I like sailing more than woodworking, and I like to ski more than woodworking, so there goes the whole year, right? Conversely, I occasionally see ads for wooden boats that say something like "Built 7 years ago by a master cabinet worker. Sailed 3 times." Clearly that boat was built by someone who likes woodworking more than sailing or boating.
So that leads to my two suggestions. If you like to build wooden boats, and you have time and space, see if you can build two at a time, and keep one and sell the other. The learning curve would be the same as for one boat.
Or, second suggestion, if boat building is your hobby, see if you can build for someone else. Hiring a professional to build even a small boat is very expensive (and yes, they deserve their pay). Maybe once in my life I could do that, but that's doubtful. However, I could definitely see myself paying for a kit, supplies, etc, for a hobbyist to build a boat for me, and maybe a bit of "profit" thrown in. Are they making money? No, but I'm thinking here of the compulsive, serial boat builder, who is going to build a boat anyway. They might as well build what I want, and not spend their own money on the materials, right?
Some great ideas and I like your second suggestion about finding a hobbyist who might be willing to build a kit boat for a small “profit.” But one question: Are there ANY home-based builders who aren’t “compulsive?” and maybe even “serial boat builders?” (Once you’re hooked, and you realize you can do it, and you get raves at the launch ramp, and your partner gives permission…. how on earth do you stop?) - Marty
Thanks to all readers who have responded positively to the idea of writing more Shallow Draft pieces about small boats being built in readers’ basements, garages and home-based shops. (I guess we’d better add ‘second bedrooms,’ too.) We’ll do that every chance we get, since we love visiting with and celebrating boatbuilders, along with the impressive, interesting craft they’re building! - Marty
This is without a doubt, the road ahead for small boats. Even remanufacturing the better examples to keep them around is a very hard stretch, even with shops like Chesapeake Light Craft offers. (Which both builders and rehab folks should check out). These small boats however are much more important to our sport than one might think and I encourage folks who want to build or have built to move ahead with their dream with only one word of caution. Just a small increase in size can end your dream with a half finished boat. Don't give up your dreams! They are important. Just be as sure you can be to assure a finished product. It will be worth it.
I just want to say that having Marty and Pete visit my shop was a real treat. I fully enjoyed and benefitted from the discussion we all had regarding paint, color combinations, and their visual/emotional effects. Those guys are storehouses of knowledge and experience.
And so happy to share this experience with the boating community. Thank you, Marty!
Sincere thanks, Jeff. It was our pleasure, but now GET BACK TO WORK! - Marty
OK OK, ....don't get your paint brush in a wad.... (mumble mumble guy can't even take a little break...grump mumble...)
Yes! I really enjoy seeing other enthusiasts projects and their shops, although it often engenders shop envy on my part as I have to open a window and clear off one of my benches to rip an 8’ plank. Thanks for the interesting post. I’d like to see a design suitable for slow cruising with an electric motor, one that has enough room on the cabin top and foredeck for some solar.
Michael - Very soon we’ll begin a series of articles on just such a boat—a solar-electric cruising boat that will soon be launched. We’ll also zoom in on other existing all-electric cruisers that are registered for the July 26-27 Small Boat Festival at Port Townsend Marina. So stay tuned…we’re excited about the future for smaller electric cruising boats and eager to share!
There was an exhibitor at the last PT Wooden Boat show that was showing a new small electric outboard. He was out near the CLC booth. He had built a small plywood cruiser with enough rooftop solar to run the motor powered by sunlight alone during the day and spent close to a week on the water without running out of power. I forgot the name of the product, but it was very well thought out and really took advantage of the torque an electric motor. Not very fast, but that’s not what it’s about for most of us!
Michael - That would have been Joe Grez, displaying the EP Carry (EP for Electric Paddle) and the small boat he’s run a few times in the Salish 100 small-boat cruise—100 miles from Olympia to Port Townsend. Locally, the EP Carry motors are now offered at Duckworks Boat Builders Supply, in Port Townsend.
Now that should be very interesting, Marty, and I'm looking forward to what you see out there. Rumor has it that at least one resto-plastic-classic electric runabout -- that can plane -- will be shown at the Antique & Classic Boat Festival in St. Michaels, MD, on June 14-16.
Thanks for this article. My two cents.
While I appreciate and own a wooden boat, I doubt I will ever build one. Maybe, just maybe, a small strip built canoe. But I like sailing more than woodworking, and I like to ski more than woodworking, so there goes the whole year, right? Conversely, I occasionally see ads for wooden boats that say something like "Built 7 years ago by a master cabinet worker. Sailed 3 times." Clearly that boat was built by someone who likes woodworking more than sailing or boating.
So that leads to my two suggestions. If you like to build wooden boats, and you have time and space, see if you can build two at a time, and keep one and sell the other. The learning curve would be the same as for one boat.
Or, second suggestion, if boat building is your hobby, see if you can build for someone else. Hiring a professional to build even a small boat is very expensive (and yes, they deserve their pay). Maybe once in my life I could do that, but that's doubtful. However, I could definitely see myself paying for a kit, supplies, etc, for a hobbyist to build a boat for me, and maybe a bit of "profit" thrown in. Are they making money? No, but I'm thinking here of the compulsive, serial boat builder, who is going to build a boat anyway. They might as well build what I want, and not spend their own money on the materials, right?
Some great ideas and I like your second suggestion about finding a hobbyist who might be willing to build a kit boat for a small “profit.” But one question: Are there ANY home-based builders who aren’t “compulsive?” and maybe even “serial boat builders?” (Once you’re hooked, and you realize you can do it, and you get raves at the launch ramp, and your partner gives permission…. how on earth do you stop?) - Marty
Great article. I just need you guys to stop turning me onto new boat designs, it leads to way too much day dreaming (just kidding of course)
Many of our finest small boats arise from daydreams, so I’m afraid you’re in for more (boats + dreams) in future Shallow Draft columns. - Marty
Thanks for the in-depth view of Jeff's work and shop Marty! Yes, more articles like this would ring the bell for me.
Yes, please bring us more boatbuilding. I like 20' or less.
Thanks for keeping the great articles coming.
Yes, Please! Not only for information, but to further encourage people already building small boats.
Oh heck YES - more shops and small boats!
Yes, more, way more. Thank you for taking us on this luscious tour.
More, please!
Always a “Great Read”…keep those articles coming…thanks Marty/ SCA