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Home    •    videos    •    Paul Gartside – Designing & Building Small Boats
Season 2 , Episode 12

Paul Gartside – Designing & Building Small Boats

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Episode Summary

One of the biggest decisions facing a first-time boatbuilder (or any builder) is which design to take on. In this episode, host Rich Hilsinger is joined by Paul Gartside, a prominent designer of fine wooden boats, to look at a handful of designs that are both practical to use and rewarding to build. The decision of which boat to build, we learn, involves a balance of utility, efficiency, performance, construction technique, materials, and good looks.

Will the boat be used in salt water or fresh water? Will it live on a mooring for the season or be launched from a ramp on each outing? Will it be for day use or extended voyages? In what climate will it be used? Are the materials for its construction readily available? What are the shop-space requirements? Will it fit the builder’s budget? What are the sailing rig options? The list of questions goes on and on, and each answer will refine the choice of boat.

Also included is a discussion with Steve Brookman, who recently completed the construction of a Gartside-designed 22’ double-ended sloop.

Related

Chapter Eleven

A Smooth and Fair Hull

Chapter Seven

Ribbands and Timbering Out

Chapter Four

The Backbone: Keel and Sternpost

Chapter Twelve

Ceilings

More From Season Two

Season 2 , Episode 10

Penobscot Marine Museum

Season 2 , Episode 11

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Season 2 , Episode 1

Carvel Planking, Part 1: Lining Off a Hull

Season 2 , Episode 2

Carvel Planking, Part 2: Spiling

Season 2 , Episode 3

Spring Painting Tips

Season 2 , Episode 4

Carvel Planking, Part 3: Hanging Planks

Season 2 , Episode 5

Carvel Planking, Part 4: Common Boat Fastenings

Season 2 , Episode 6

Making a Stem

Season 2 , Episode 7

Making a Bird’s Mouth Hollow Spar 

Season 2 , Episode 8

Tools of the Boatbuilding Trade

Season 2 , Episode 9

Traditional Cedar-and-Canvas Canoe Construction

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