Velux 5 Oceans Race on TV?
The Velux 5 Oceans Race, dubbed the “Ultimate Solo Challenge” round-the-world sailing race, has chosen the route for the 2010-11 race. The race starts and ends in the French port of La Rochelle, with five “ocean sprints”. The first sprint starts October 17, 2010, from France to Cape Town. US coverage of the race has [...]
Bill Ginn’s Sharpie Diary
Bill Ginn has started on his Princess Sharpie 26 build and is chronicling his progress on his Sharpie Diary website. After his recent relocation to La Conner, WA from Kansas, Bill is eying the waters around the San Juan Islands with a sailor’s anticipation. Bill’s no stranger to living in a sailing paradise; he grew [...]
Lake Pepin Messabout June 4 – 6, 2010
Boat builders will be throwing caution to the wind and messing-about on Lake Pepin once again this summer. The Lake Pepin Messabout website has the details: The Lake Pepin Messabout is a regional gathering all those who build or love home-built boats. That includes canoes, kayaks, sailboats and powerboats. Admission is free. Just like last [...]
Sail’s America’s Cup Coverage
Sail Magazine’s Editor-At-Large Kimball Livingston is covering the 33rd America’s Cup at Cup Watch: While the advantage ebbed and flowed in the prestart and in the first few minutes of the first leg, the challenger USA overcame a 650 meter deficit and passed Alinghi just 15 minutes into the first race of America’s Cup 33. [...]
America’s Cup Online
YouTube is streaming the America’s Cup competition live and on-line starting Friday, February 12 at 1 AM Pacific Time. The link for the stream is at
Hoyt Offset Rig: Old is New Again
Garry Hoyt, arguably one of the most creative designers alive today, has patented a new rig that combines the advantages of traditional gaff rigs and modern bermuda rigs. (Note: thumbnail pic widens the sail area; click through to full article for properly sized pictures). As Gerry explains on his web page: The fundamental difference of [...]
Little Dubber Kayaks
Designer Peter Hunt has created a wonderful little stitch and glue kayak well within the capabilities of the first time boat builder. I had a chance to see the Little Dubbers at the 2000 Wooden Boat Show in Mystic CT. Among the wonderful (and wonderfully expensive) stripper kayaks and finastkind wooden yachts, I was attracted [...]
Bluejacket 24
In 1999, an article in Boat Builder Magazine caught my eye. A trailerable cruiser, light weight, with spacious accommodations (for a small boat!) and low power requirements. And it got up on a plane with relatively low horsepower. Previously, all I had seen in this class of boat were heavy displacement style boats … wonderful [...]
Building a Set of Oars
Building a Simple Pair of 7′ Oars By Bob Smalser, June 18, 2004 These are for the wedding-gift sailboat to the oldest son, so the family consensus is that store-bought oars or my cruder, painted workboat oars won´t do … I´ll have to bite the bullet and finish something in … ugh … brightwork. The [...]
Scarfing Rubrails
The Weekender is simple to build. In the basic plans, the only essential tools you need are a circular saw, jig saw, power screwdriver and a few miscellaneous hand tools. No difficult, exotic or fancy woodworking skills required. That’s a good thing! That being said, several builders have found it difficult to find stock long [...]



