May 2023 Archives - Small Boats Magazine

Purposeless

Christopher Cunningham — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 13:20:17 +0000

A few days ago, I needed to take a long-overdue break from all the things I had yet to do, not only for work, but also around the house. I was tempted to take a nap, as I had been doing with increasing frequency, but that never seemed to put me back to rights. Exercise is usually a good remedy, but I was finding it difficult to muster any enthusiasm even for my favorite workout, paddling the slough. I’d seen it all so many times that I could visualize what lies on the banks of every bend. I balked at going to all the trouble of gathering my gear, changing my clothes, loading the kayak, and making the drive to the launching site. I didn’t have it in me to paddle my usual 10 miles, but I knew I’d be worse off if I gave up entirely and stayed home.

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TAMO

Jenny Bennett — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 13:18:13 +0000

He had always wanted to build and row a Whitehall, attracted to the boat’s history as well as its proven performance and classic lines. But there were two problems. First, traditional Whitehalls had fixed thwarts, and Henry wanted a sliding seat. “The fixed thwart,” he says, “deprives the rower of the use of the largest and most powerful muscles in the body—the legs.”

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Khimera

Ben Fuller — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 13:17:14 +0000

The Khimera’s foam provides 7.5 lbs of buoyancy and its air bladders add 13 lbs when inflated, for a total of 20.5 lbs. (The minimum buoyancy for a foam Type III is 15.5 lbs.) Like other inflatables, the Khimera has a Type V classification, which means that you have to wear it, not just have it on board, for it to meet U.S. Coast Guard requirements. Mustang also classifies the Khimera as a Level 70 Buoyancy Aid, which provides a minimum buoyancy of 70 Newtons (15.7 lbs) and notes: “Level 70 buoyancy aids are intended for use by those who have a means of rescue close at hand, or who are near to bank or shore. These devices have minimal bulk, but cannot be expected to keep the user safe for a long period of time in disturbed water.”

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FlexStep Pro

Christopher Cunningham — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 13:15:53 +0000

For the best part of my life, I’ve enjoyed every aspect of small boats, with one exception: climbing in and out of them while they’re on their trailers, whether at home when working on them, or at the ramp loading gear in and out or raising or lowering a sailing rig. I’ve been able to board three of my trailered boats by getting a tenuous footing on the trailer frame and then smearing my frontside over the gunwale, but it’s a painful process. Clambering out of the boat can be even worse because I can’t see where I’m putting my foot; I lost my toehold once and spilled onto the concrete driveway. When I happened upon the FlexStep Pro, it looked like just the thing I needed.

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DIY Soft Shackles

Christopher Cunningham — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 13:13:37 +0000

I’ve made soft shackles in laid line, solid braid, and kernmantle cord in both 1/8″ and 3/8″ and they have all worked well using the same method. The stopper knot starts with a common slip knot (Ashley’s #43 Noose) and becomes a thick stopper knot (Ashley’s #526 Oysterman’s Stopper) by tucking the free end through the loop and cinching the loop around it. The loop on the other end of the soft stopper is folded back on itself to form a lark’s head (Ashley’s #5 Bale Sling Hitch) that is cinched around the stem of the stopper knot.

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My Texas 200

David Zumwalt — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 13:10:53 +0000

I didn’t have much experience in heavy-weather sailing, but REDWING was designed to sail safely in strong winds. Both sails have two reefs, and the masts are unstayed and bend to spill the wind. I built the hull and I know it is strong. But the Texas 200 is not a race. I could set sail when I felt comfortable to do so; if I sailed conservatively and took care of REDWING, she would take care of me.

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Rhode Runner

Bob Silverman — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 13:08:07 +0000

I wanted to build an outboard boat that would be fun to use in Florida, something eye-catching and different. I had always been drawn to classic runabouts, particularly the Chris-Crafts I see in more northern waters. While they are mostly inboard-powered, outboard motors are easier to maintain in Florida’s exceptionally saline waters. The Chesapeake Light Craft (CLC) Rhode Runner was just what I was hoping to find. It’s a kit-built outboard runabout in the classic Chris-Craft style of the 1950s.

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Didi 23

Casey Wilkinson — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 00:33:13 +0000

For many years I had searched for a boat that could sleep four, had decent headroom, a separate head compartment, great sailing performance, and a drop keel so that I could use a normal trailer. Most importantly, it had to fit in my 25′-long workshop. When I came across the Didi 26 by Dudley Dix, it seemed to have everything I was looking for, but it was just 1′ too long for my workshop. Then, I found his Didi 23, which had the same interior height and beam as the Didi 26 but was just 3′ shorter.

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