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How to Build a Wooden Mast

by Peter Cassidy - Illustrations by Robert LaPointe

ISLA, New York 32 No.10 (of a total of 20), was thoroughly rebuilt by Buzzards Bay Yacht Services of Mattapoisett, Massachusetts. The job included a new mast, whose construction is detailed on the following pages.

Building an Amesbury Skiff – Part 1

by Graham McKay – Construction photographs by Bob Barton

Over the course of 80 years, the Amesbury Skiff from Lowell’s Boat Shop in Amesbury, Massachusetts, earned a reputation for being exceptionally stable, seaworthy, and rugged.

The Joggle Stick

by Mike Holt - Illustrations by Sam Manning

When making a pattern for a bulkhead where you have to deal with curved surfaces, things can get messy, especially if you have shelves, cleats, and stringers in the way. Here’s where the joggle stick comes into its own.

Planking: An Introduction to Methods & Techniques

by Darin Carlucci - Illustrations by Robert LaPointe

The most important skills in boatbuilding. It distinguishes the carpenter from the boatbuilder. It’s one thing to glue two boards together for a table top or to nail siding on...

Building a Classically Inspired Ship’s Wheel

by Bob Fuller

I am the third generation of my family to build wooden ship’s wheels, and I can go to almost any harbor, anywhere, and see a wheel my family made. We’ve built all the wooden wheels for Edson Marine since at least 1965. I can tell by the turnings whether a wheel is one of mine or one built by my father or my grandfather.

Building a Butterfly Skylight

by Michael S. Podmaniczky

The skylight whose construction I will describe here originates with Murray Peterson, who gave the essence of simplicity and practicality to every yacht he designed, from its overall shape to details such as those found in this skylight.

Small Boat Decks

by Harry Bryan

Many small boats are partially open with only a foredeck and narrow side decks, or have areas of decking both fore and aft connected by side decks. Decking adds strength and stiffness and helps keep water out.

Glued-Edge Carvel Planking

by Matthew P. Murphy

The daysailers built by Artisan Boatworks of Rockport, Maine, are planked in a seemingly common manner, with a single layer of fore-andaft cedar screwed to closely spaced oak frames and floor timbers. But the conventional aspects end there...

Virginia Park

by Matthew P. Murphy

Five years ago, Reff Reinhart needed a new boat. Specifically, he needed an open motorboat of modest power that he, his wife, and a couple of guests could sit in, facing forward while underway, for outings on Michigan’s Lake Macatawa. This new boat would not be ornate...

One-Off Wood-and-Canvas Construction

by Alex Comb

When European Americans decided to replicate the native bark canoe in the late 19th century, they faithfully reproduced some aspects of the craft while using construction methods that were decidedly different from those used by Native Americans.

Marine Plywood – A Consumers Guide

by John C. Harris

Nearly all marine plywood is made by peeling a giant continuous sheet of veneer off a spinning log, like tissue paper off a roll. Plywood made of such veneers is known as rotary-cut plywood. Plywood with “sliced” veneers has faces assembled from several narrower widths, cut like sliced cheese from one-half of a split log.

Sheathing a Plywood Deck

by Brion Rieff

How boat decks should be built is the subject of ongoing debates. What are the forces driving the decisions regarding methods and materials? If a boat’s hull is traditionally built, should it have a traditional laid deck? If so, is it to be laid teak, or quarter-sawn pine covered with canvas and painted?

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