Classic look and feel but using modern methods and materials. One-piece laminated stem/keel; 9mm Okoume lapstrake planking. Good all-purpose boat: row, motor, or sail.
Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama was built at the Matsumoto Shipyard in North Vancouver BC in 1953. Sam Matsumoto built boats in Prince Rupert long before World War II. After the war, he established Matsumoto Shipyards in the Dollarton section of North Vancouver and became a leader in aluminum boat construction. The yard closed in 1989, but Sam left his mark on the …
Windsong
The boat is glued lapstrake plywood hull with oak interior and brass hardware with trailer. The idea came from three articles in Wooden Boat Magazine by Ross Lillistone of Australia. After studying the plans for three months, I started construction in 2018 and completed it in 2020. I was trained as a journeyman carpenter with no shipwright experience, however, I …
Natasha Darling!
This is a strip version of a tandem Annapolis Wherry built from plans by Chesapeake Light Craft. 18 months of build time. Probably 1200-1500 hours. Not proud of that, but the boat works great. I would call it a very sweet and composed ride. My wife, who is new to rowing, loves it. I built my own rigs rather than …
Drifter
The McKenzie River Drift boat is a very popular design built from wood, fiberglass, and aluminum in both 14ft and 16ft lengths and seen on many NorthWest rivers and lakes. Its unique rocker bottom and long, 9 ft oars give it extraordinary maneuverability when transiting from still to swift water. It also makes it easy to row. The anchor system …
Wood Duck
Wood Duck is our portal to visit humpbacks, orcas, bears, and wolves in spectacularly wild parts of the Northwest coast. It is often the smallest boat at the dock when we’re moving along the Inside Passage, and the boat attracts a lot of attention for the workboat design and obvious craftsmanship. This Devlin Black Crown is one of two that …
Blue Peter
In 1928, the Motor Yacht Blue Peter was built for the Seattle architect John Graham Sr. at Lake Union Dry Dock, and drawn by the famous local naval architect, Ted Geary. Four 96 foot fan-tails were built in the Seattle area during the same time, and there are several local “Cousins” active in Local waters today. The yacht has gone …
Iron Feather
Launched in 1946, “Iron Feather” (originally “Gaylee”) was built by The Matthews Company in Port Clinton, Ohio. This “38” Deluxe Sedan cruiser was commissioned by Lee McCuddy, who ran a successful marine business and retail store on the Columbia River. He had her shipped to Portland, Oregon via the Union Pacific Railroad in the summer of ’46, and McCuddy owned …
Pawsitive Vibes
A beautiful rowing craft! Pawsitive Vibes is my first wood boat project. In 2021 it was restored and upgraded based on subsequent boat building projects and in the Seventy48 rowing event June of 2022.