What's New?

We check-in with a few small-boat companies...

Many of you have mentioned that you miss the ads from the print magazine and seeing what various small-boat companies are up to. With that in mind, here’s a variety of news and notes from some of your favorites…—Eds

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From Dudley Dix Design

The Explorer 18 is a design that I drew more than 30 years ago, for GRP production by a small company in South Africa. I have been asked many times since then whether plans are available for building from plywood. The plug for the GRP moulds was built from plywood by an experienced craftsman, using my GRP detailing and it produced a quality boat, lighter and quicker than her GRP sisters. I have not been able to supply drawings for plywood but a few have been built using the GRP drawings and detailing from her smaller sister, the Challenger 13 (https://dixdesign.com/challeng.htm).

I am now in process of developing a CNC plywood kit and the plywood detail drawings, which will be available in the next few weeks. Options will be to build from plans and offsets, plans and full-size patterns or from plans and a plywood kit.

The deck configuration has seating all around, with fore- and aft-decks, all protected by bulwarks. The long cockpit well is sleeping-length, with room to spare for loose gear. It has slatted floorboards to raise air mattresses clear of the bilge. The seating contains multiple sealed dry-stowage lockers that also serve as flotation compartments.

It has a ½” steel centerplate, operated by a tackle system, providing approx. 50kg (110lb) of ballast. The rudder has a pivoting blade, giving draft of 9” with the foils up and 4’1” with them down. The outboard motor is mounted in a well in the aft deck and hinges on a custom bracket to lie horizontally in front of the transom, below the tiller. When the motor is stowed, the hole for the outboard leg through the hull bottom is plugged by an insert.

The rig is traditional gunter. The foot has a stiff batten instead of a boom, essentially to keep the sail out to increase projected area for off-wind sailing and doing considerably less damage to unwary heads. Slab reefing allows reduction of sail area to suit heavier conditions.

It also has rowlocks for two rowing positions, one sitting on the thwart that serves as mast partners and the other on top of the broad cover timber over the centreplate casing. With the mast stepped, only the aft rowing position can be used.

The Explorer has a great reputation as a boat for camp-cruising or day-sailing, able to carry the whole family together. It will also work well for raid events. Born in Cape Town, it is proportioned to handle the conditions of the Cape of Storms. There is an active fleet that races on Langebaan Lagoon, north of Cape Town.

More information is available on my website at https://dixdesign.com/explorer.htm.

LOA – 5.50m (18’1”)

LWL - 4.85m (15'11")

Beam - 1.90m (6'4")

Draft - 0.24/1.25m (9"/4'1")

Sail Area - 13.37sq.m (144sq.ft)

—Dudley Dix

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From Scott Jones at Duckworks Boat Builders Supply

Some of you may not know that long before I came aboard at Duckworks, I worked for the Northwest Maritime Center (NWMC) as their boatshop manager for about a decade—working on fleet boats, teaching in and supporting our programs, working with both kids and those more “experienced” in life too. I was also lucky enough to have a major role in building SCAMP #1 during my time there. The campus was young and growing, it was an exciting time and it seemed like every month some new program was being launched.

Perhaps the most exciting (or at least the loudest) of all the new programs was Race to Alaska, R2AK. Fast forward 8 years and half a dozen races, and we have seen some fast finishes. The first year team Elsie Piddock set the pace at 5d 1h 55m, only to be blown away in 2016 by team Mad Dog Racing at 3d 20h 13m, a record that still stands.

However, in my opinion the heart of R2AK are the folks who choose to do the 750-mile course in a small boat. The intimacy with the sea and nature you get in a small boat is unmatched. The challenges of weather, seamanship and boat handling are every bit as real and pressing, if not more so, in a small boat than in a larger vessel. Plus covering the 750 miles is going to take you a long time, and turning back isn’t likely to be any faster than continuing. So you may as well go on, making that conscious decision to head out again when you know it will be cold and wet and it’s 3 a.m., while your sleeping bag is warm and your tent is dry—but you have to catch the tide. That dogged nature takes a level of integrity and determination that we at Duckworks admire.

At our heart, we at Duckworks are small-boat people. While the larger sailboats have a much better shot at the big cash prize, the small boats that make this incredible journey have often been relegated to the prize “bragging rights.” For several years Small Craft Advisor offered a $1000 prize to the first “under 20-foot boat,” now Duckworks is thrilled to take the helm, making the same offer of $1000 to the first 20-foot-or-under boat, plus a one-of-a-kind tactical spork set!

The race is just a few short weeks away, and we’ll be eagerly watching from afar and cheering on the little boats and their intrepid rowers, sailors, and paddlers propelling them to victory. Hope you join in the fun and follow along, too.—Scott Jones

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From Kevin Jeffrey at Norseboat

Winter is a busy time in the NorseBoat shop, getting boats built, outfitted and ready for spring delivery. Before shipping a boat we raise the rig and set the sails to ensure all is working properly. During inclement weather a slot in the ceiling allows us to do this inside the shop.  It’s always fun and rewarding to see a NorseBoat “sailing" inside the shop. —Kevin Jeffrey

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From Colin Angus at Angus Rowboats

At Angus Rowboats, we're always pushing the boundaries of what's possible, bringing our wildest imaginings to life. Over the past year, we've been hard at work on two exciting new projects that we're pleased to share with you.

First up is the Wheelbarrow Dinghy project, a brainchild that's been percolating for years. The idea was to create a pram dinghy that could be carted about like a wheelbarrow. And after months of tinkering and testing, we've done just that.

The concept is simple yet transformative: a permanent wheel is built into the bow, and the oars double as wheelbarrow handles when inserted through the transom. This means that moving your dinghy and supplies on land is now as easy as transporting a wheelbarrow. No more struggling to get help or risking back strain.

Our 7'8" kit-built pram is stable, reasonably fast, and can row with up to two adults and two kids. It's become our go-to support boat for our other water projects, exceeding our expectations and making our lives easier all around.  It’s available as a complete kit (including hardware) and as plans.

Our second project is still in its early stages, but it promises to be just as exciting. We're developing small ocean-crossing unmanned sailing boats designed to get kids passionate about the ocean in an educational and fun way.

Here's how it works: after purchasing one of our boats, school clubs spend several months preparing for an ocean voyage, learning about ocean currents, winds, and other important aspects. They also pack a compartment with gifts and mementos to be collected by school kids in a random distant location.

The boat is launched and tracked via satellite, allowing students to follow its progress across the ocean. Once the boat nears shore, the club contacts local schools in the area, and students retrieve the boat, opening it up to collect the mementos, including a page describing the club and their project.

This program encourages a passion for the ocean and fosters a sense of global connection and community among students. The vessel is a robust self-righting composite structure just under 4' in length and is designed to weather hurricanes unscathed. A rigid wing sail allows it to make full use of the prevailing winds to cross oceans.

The vessel's course is continually tracked using a GPS tracker, and it can be used to collect ocean data such as water temperature, air temperature, and salinity. We offer data logging packages, or the club can develop their sensor logging system with an Arduino—a perfect project for a computer/robotics club.

Two versions of the vessel will be offered. The first will not be controlled, but will be guided by the prevailing ocean winds, providing a surprise end destination. The second version is a more advanced model that allows steering inputs via satellite.

Are you an educator, parent, or just a fun person who would like to get kids fired up about the ocean? The key steps are creating a club or group, purchasing a boat, and then starting to plan your offshore mission. We recommend spending at least six months preparing for the launch—it's a wonderful opportunity for kids to start learning about oceanography, geography, and have some hands-on fun. We'll be creating suggestions on fun activities and learning topics to go along with the challenge.—Colin Angus

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Part two in the next email…—Eds