Winter Boat Show (Day 1)

Come with us on a virtual tour of an international "Small-Boat Show."

Step right up! Walk the docks and scan the shallow backwaters for our reader’s favorite small boats. Thank you to everyone who participated—and be sure to check back for the next installment. —Eds

Sunfish, Kent and Audrey Lewis: “Not just our favorite, but the world's. Over 500,00 built over the past 70 years. Whether you like the original wooden version or the newest fiberglass model, the Sunfish is a simple, fun boat that a child can rig and sail, or seasoned citizens into their 80s. One stick, one string. Sail her flat or put her on her chine, there's something for everyone on a Sunfish.”

Drascombe Lugger, Kent and Audrey Lewis: “Our favorite bigger boat is Skipper's 1980 Drascombe Lugger. Gunter rig yawl, roller furling jib, centerboard. Versatile sail-row-motor propulsion options, she'll go into skinny water and keep you dry in a chop. 

60 years in production now, first from wood and now GRP. A versatile craft that Webb Chiles sailed for 2/3 of his second circumnavigation, starting with a Pacific crossing.”

Osprey, Roy Schreyer: “Stepping ashore from OSPREY is easy with the drop bow door! This allows for higher freeboard so OSPREY can handle exposed waters. The door is obvious but the under hull view is not seen, but for when the boat is upside down during the build! Ply is lapped saving any scarfing and creates a ‘step’ that many fiberglass boats have integrated in their molds! This detail and a tunnel have made for a very stable and soft ride. I have a 1963 35hp Merc that moves Osprey at about 20 mph but even a 9.9hp is enough to get her going well, about 12 mph. Fishing is the goal and she is a comfortable platform for a family or a couple of friends!”

Conrad Natzio Sandpiper, Dan Pratt: “Zeitgeist was built by my son Kyle as his senior project in high school. She is light enough for four people to carry, and trails effortlessly behind a small car. Her bilge runners don't really help much sailing upwind, but a new pivoting leeboard allows adequate performance on the wind. Her plentiful rocker allows for good handling under oar or sail, and the bilge runners provide good stability when brought to shore. We mostly sail on the Connecticut river and on local lakes and ponds.”

O’Day Mariner 19, Steve Hock: “Love the versatility of this boat. It can be a large daysailer of a small overnighter for one or two. Shallow draft makes it easy to launch and handy to beach. The simple but powerful sloop rig goes well even in modest winds. Low maintenance and easy trailerability rounds out its many great features.”

Devlin Nancy’s China, James Thomas: “Here's my homebuilt Nancy’s China, a 15'-3" open sloop I've sailed the Salish 100 with twice.  Positives are she’s very stiff with 300+ lbs of lead ballast,  so she's relatively easy to sail without a lot of fuss,  sweet to look at, kind of Sam Devlin's stitch & glue version of the Haven 12-1/2.  Negative is set-up from trailer is time consuming.  Also, with the tall fractional Bermuda rig and shallow rudder, this open boat can be a challenge to handle in a big, confused sea with the rudder coming out of the water cresting big waves.”

Oughtred Eun Mara, Steve Borgstrom: “A couple of pictures of my Oughtred Eun Mara Marianita. The sailing picture was taken by Ian Milne on the way to the 2018 Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival. The picture at anchor (Kingston/Appletree Cove) by me on the way home from the PTWBF this year.

I built her in my shop, launching about 7 years ago. She has proven to be a fine little singlehander. The cockpit is on the small side, roomy for one, snug for two. I do have a fairly long tiller, a shorter one would make more room for crew. The trade-off is a spacious cabin, a filler piece between the v-berths creates a nearly queen sized bunk. I rate her as ‘trailerable’ as opposed to ‘trailersailer’ there is too much rigging for quick afternoon sails off the trailer. Because of this I keep her in a slip year-round, much of my sailing time has been 3-4 hour late afternoon tours around Elliot Bay (Puget Sound between Seattle and Bainbridge Island) but with a small galley and ample storage for food and water an overnight at anchor is simply a matter of deciding to go.”

Michalak Mayfly 14, Chuck Pierce: This is a picture of Gamaray,  my Michalak Mayfly 14, blasting downwind during one of the Texas200 events. Pic by Noel Nichols. 

Paul Gartside Sjogin III-a, Steve Brookman: Attaching a photo of Sojourn a 20.5' modified Paul Gartside Sjogin III-a.  The (a) is because I strayed a bit from his plans...but I did confer with Paul regularly. 

It was launched this July after a 4-year build.  She's been teaching us how she likes to be sailed and I'm very pleased, light helm, accelerates in any wind, and even with bilge keels, in lieu of the CB in the plans, she tacks nicely. A few minor tweaks and preening this off season, then really looking forward to more sailing and some gunkholing next year.  

More info on the building here: https://stevebrookman.com/SjoginIIIa.html

2006 Com-Pac Eclipse, Geff Adams: “My first boat, hull 34, in very light winds on my home waters on Lake Chickamauga in Chattanooga, TN.  Features I was looking for in a boat were trailerable, shallow draft, easy to rig (note my gray hair), quarterberths, stable, room for four or five (depending on age) for daysailing and comfortable for two on an overnight or longer adventure.  The Eclipse ticked every box and the open transom is a bonus (again, note the gray hair).  “

See you back here for Day 2—Eds •SCA•