WaterCraft

31/01/2025

Updating the rig on his 15’ (4.6m) Selway Fisher Design Lillie canoe yawl, naval architect Moray MacPhail calculates spar stiffness as he replaces wood with carbon on this design inspired by the solo sailors of the 1880s.

More in our January/February issue, out now.

For stockists and subscriptions: www.watercraft-magazine.com

Photograph: Moray MacPhail

28/01/2025

The Dinghy Cruising Association is marking its 70th birthday at the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show as membership hits a new record:

The Dinghy Cruising Association (DCA) is marking its 70th birthday at the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show as membership hits a new record.

27/01/2025

In the summer of 1865, John ‘Rob Roy’ MacGregor set off on a three-month voyage through the rivers of Europe in his first Rob Roy canoe.

The voyage was a resounding success, resulting in a bestselling book and sparking a trend for recreational canoeing which continues to this day.

A few years ago, boatbuilder and WaterCraft reader Richard Nissen came across a second-generation Rob Roy canoe hanging from a roof and in need of restoration.

Built in around 1870, with a wooden carvel hull sheathed in canvas, Richard has now completed a faithful restoration, complete with balanced lug sail.

160 years on, Richard plans to take this Rob Roy Mark II back to the site of MacGregor’s first canoe expedition, recreating his voyage down the Danube.

Jean-Yves Poirier celebrates the boats and adventures of John ‘Rob Roy’ MacGregor in our January/February issue, out now. For stockists and subscriptions: www.watercraft-magazine.com

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQYwzYaT0-4

I'm excited to be documenting this eccentric little story. A historic wooden canoe has been restored, and a small team will be paddling it down the Danube Ri...

20/01/2025

We can’t call it inflation but each new design from Willow Bay Boats has been larger than the last. This time, the 20’ (6m) Florin joins Phil Swift’s family of traditionally inspired designs for the Farthing, Ha’penny and Shilling.

Wooden boatbuilder and Willow Bay Boats sole prop Dick Phillips begins setting up another addition to his fleet of floating currency in our January/February issue, out now.

For stockists and subscriptions: www.watercraft-magazine.com

Photograph by Dick Phillips: Phil Swift’s scale model of the Florin

19/01/2025

“Simple but seaworthy and short and light enough to be transported in the luggage van of a train.”

John ‘Rob Roy’ MacGregor’s design for ROB ROY and subsequent touring canoes took him all over the world and launched a whole new way of travelling light, still relevant today.

150 years on, Jean-Yves Poirier celebrates the sail and paddle explorer, inventor and philanthropist in our January/February issue, out now.

For stockists and subscriptions: www.watercraft-magazine.com

14/01/2025

‘Every problem has a solution.’

Steaming new oak frames and replacing iroko planks for the first time demands new skills, even if you’ve been a woodworker for more than 40 years.

Undaunted, wooden rocking horse maker Anthony Dew embarks on the restoration of his clinker-built Finesse cruising yacht in our January/February issue, out now.

For stockists and subscriptions: www.watercraft-magazine.com

Photograph: Anthony Dew

12/01/2025

Here’s what’s on in the world of boats and boatbuilding for the next couple of months.

If you have an event of interest to WaterCraft readers, let us know at [email protected]

Here’s what’s on in the world of boats and boatbuilding for the next couple of months.

10/01/2025

Sculling, sailing, socialising and sunshine.

East Coast Gaffers crossed the North Sea to join Dutch and Belgian friends for a memorable weekend at the Reeuwijk Raid last October.

More from the OGA - The Association for Gaff Rig Sailing in our January/February issue, out now.

For stockists and subscriptions: www.watercraft-magazine.com

Photograph: Guus de Koster

07/01/2025

“The Cowes people almost regarded the UNA as a little too marvellous to be real”, wrote Dixon Kemp of the arrival there in 1853 of the first American catboat. Within a year, Cowes had a fleet of Unas. And today – probably – none.

Andrew Wolstenholme recalls bringing back the catboat in 1977, in our January/February edition of WaterCraft, out now.

For stockists and subscriptions: www.watercraft-magazine.com

Drawing: Sail plan from one of the Cowes fleet of Una boats, from Dixon Kemp’s Manual of Yacht and Boat Sailing, 1878 edition

06/01/2025

Eyemouth Marine Ltd, a historic commercial boatyard located in Eyemouth harbour on Scotland’s south-east coast, has announced the launch of its inaugural training initiative, the “Viking Project: Reviving the Stroma Yole – Building Green Entrepreneurs through Heritage Restoration”:

Eyemouth Marine Ltd, a historic commercial boatyard located in Eyemouth harbour on Scotland’s south-east coast, has announced the launch of its inaugural

04/01/2025

“How does the acorn of a maker, a boatbuilder, become planted?”

Colin Henwood - Boatbuilder meets fellow wooden boatbuilder Jack Livesey of Paradise Boat Co in our January/February issue, as he brings us the story of a small fleet of very small replica Bugatti runabouts.

W169 is out now. For stockists and subscriptions: www.watercraft-magazine.com

Photograph: Tom Bolwell

02/01/2025

Online boat builder Dan Lee is stepping out from behind the camera to teach a two-week face-to-face skiff building course at the Boat Building Academy:

Online boat builder Dan Lee is stepping out from behind the camera to teach a two-week face-to-face skiff building course at the Boat Building Academy (BBA).

31/12/2024

Gaffers, luggers, lateeners, rowers, launchers and loafers…

2024’s WaterCraft covers featured student builds, community projects and professionally built boats, representing a broad range of designs and types from the very old to the very new, in several different countries. A happy reflection of our magazine’s ethos!

Our very best wishes for 2025 to you all, from all of us at WaterCraft.

1) W163 (January/February 2024): How to look cool on the foredeck of FANTASQUE, a 21' (6.5m) SI built at the Barrière boatyard in Arcachon, France and now based at Thonon, Lac Léman. Photograph: Jean-Yves Poirier

2) W164 (March/April 2024): Launch days at the Skol ar Mor boatbuilding school in south Brittany always attract encouraging enthusiastic crowds. Photograph: Nathalie Presles

3) W165 (May/June 2024): Perhaps the late Iain Oughtred's best known design, the kit-built St Ayles Skiff in serious action. Photograph: Kathy Mansfield

4) W166 (July/August 2024): François Vivier’s Gabian design inspired by the small lateeners of the Mediterranean, sailing ‘à la mauvaise main’ with the yard on the windward side.

5) W167 (September/October 2024): The delightfully yachty Tela, sadly no longer in build, sailed at a very rumbustious Sail Caledonia by Paul Nobbs and Belinda Rapley. Photograph: Kathy Mansfield

6) W168 (November/December 2024): Modestly asserting her Cornish identity, the dipping lugger BARNABAS passes Mousehole on her Celtic odyssey to Scotland for new masts. Photograph: Cat Holman

30/12/2024

“Suddenly a squall is on us, a right hook whistling round to punch us over. Everything that can slide, slides abruptly to leeward. I fight the sudden wrench of the helm as GUIDE ME snakes to windward, slipping the rope over the tiller to add some leverage, and drag her head off.”

Jude Brickhill, co-owner and helm of 113-year-old 40’ (12m) engineless Looe lugger GUIDE ME, recalls a lively voyage along the Cornish coast from the Helford River to Penzance in our January/February issue, out now.

For stockists and subscriptions: www.watercraft-magazine.com

Film still from Wind, Tide & Oar: Huw Wahl

28/12/2024

Back in the land of small gaffers, Paul Gartside sends us plans for a little ship for the singlehanders amongst us in our latest issue.

Free plans for this 17’6’’ (5.3m) gaff sloop in our Jan/Feb issue of WaterCraft, out now.

For stockists and subscriptions: www.watercraft-magazine.com

Drawing: Paul Gartside

26/12/2024

A community project to rebuild the world-famous Sutton Hoo burial ship in Woodbridge, Suffolk, will move to an historic boatyard when its permission to use the council-owned Longshed ends:

A community project to rebuild the world-famous Sutton Hoo burial ship in Woodbridge, Suffolk, will move to an historic boatyard when its permission to use

22/12/2024

Tall ships and small ships…

Kathy Mansfield looks forward to the week-long celebration of international seamanship next May, as the La Semaine du Golfe du Morbihan returns.

More in our January/February issue, out now.

For stockists and subscriptions: www.watercraft-magazine.com

Photograph: Kathy Mansfield

19/12/2024

In the Gweek mid-winter, the new year begins early with our January/February issue of WaterCraft in the mail to subscribers from 13 December and in the best newsagents from 19 December.

• TALL SHIPS & SMALL SHIPS… will be returning in May to the inland sea of the Gulf of Morbihan in Brittany for a week-long celebration of seamanship. Kathy Mansfield looks forward to joining them at La Semaine du Golfe du Morbihan.

• LEAPING ROUND THE LIZARD – Jude Brickhill, co-owner of the 113 year old engineless lugger GUIDE ME, recalls a lively voyage.

• WHAT MAKES A BOATBUILDER? – Colin Henwood meets fellow Thames boatbuilder and member of the Wooden Boatbuilders' Trade Association, Jack Livesey of Paradise Boat Co, creator of a fleet of modern electric versions of a classic Bugatti runabout.

• BUILD YOUR OWN 17’6” (5.3m) GAFF SLOOP – Designer Paul Gartside refreshes William Atkin’s delightful pocket cruiser Perigee for engineless wandering along the Adriatic coastline.

• ‘WE’RE GOING TO NEED A BIGGER BOAT!’ – Boatbuilder Dick Phillips begins setting up to build the latest and largest of his Willow Bay Boats.

• BRINGING BACK THE CAT – When the first American catboat arrived in Cowes, locals thought it: ‘A little too marvellous to be real’. Over 100 years later, Andrew Wolstenholme was inspired by its simplicity.

• THE SAIL AND PADDLE PHILANTHROPIST – Jean-Yves Poirier celebrates the flamboyant Victorian adventurer John MacGregor who with his Rob Roy canoes – and books about them – invented ‘sailing differently’.

• PLUS…

Anthony Dew begins ‘fixing the holes’ in the clinker planking of his classic Finesse • Cat Holman has seen the movie and read the book Wind, Tide & Oar • Continuing his series on scantlings for amateur dinghy designers, Julian Wolfram considers strip plank hulls • While fellow naval architect Ian Nicolson makes them more comfortable for seat of the pants sailors • Moray MacPhail continues to assess the advantages of carbon spars for small craft • And Mr Cat Holman – Si – reviews the latest of Paul Gartside’s design collections.

Cover photograph by Tom Bolwell: On the upper Thames, boatbuilder Jack Livesey leads the little fleet of electric replicas he built of Bugatti’s You-You tender.