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December

*#*EXPLETIVE*#* I broke the rudder
In this follow-up to yesterday's article, Skip Johnson talks about the broken rudder on the boat that he and Jeff Jouett paddled on the 2008 Colorado River 100 (mile race).

Fasting, Prayer, and Perfect Ballance
In today's article, Paul Austin takes the otherwise dry subject of sailboat balance and makes it much more palatable. This is fun reading even if somehow you don't learn anything new.

November

Testing Chinese Okoume
If you ordered a significant amount of "Marine" plywood only to have it arrive with a 'made in China' stamp, you would be suspicious too. Roger Moncrief devised a test for his plywood.

Lighter Than it Looks
Since I have known Skip Johnson, I have envied his feather-light paddles. Finally I was able to get him to spill the beans. Here, he tells how to build your own ultra-light double paddle.

Thoughts on Photography and Boating
One of Gary Blankenship's photos (of yours truely) was selected for the cover of Small Craft Advisor magazine a while back, so he does know a little about the subject of this story.

October

What Do You Do With the Drunken Sailor?
There is nothing like the loss of a friend to make you face your own mortality. Here, Mark Steele addresses the stuff we leave behind and he does so in his engaging and light-hearted style.

Making an Eye Splice in Braded Line
When you are as accomplished as Denis Menegaz, you know how to do things - like making an eye splice in braided line. Fortunately for us, Denis is sharing this knowledge with us.

September

Tiller Extension
Bob Booth is building Steve Redmond's Tetra but when it did not have clear instructions for the tiller extension, he had to improvise. Fortunately, he documented the project for us.

Repairing Tip Damaged Synthetic Daggerboards
Not only has Alan Glos has made a profitable part time job of repairing synthetic daggerboards, but in this article, he reveals his techniques so that you can make these repairs too.

How to Float Your Camera
Just because a GPS, Camera or VHF is waterproof, that does not mean it will float. Joel Fleischer has some tips on how to prevent the loss of your valuable items to Davey Jones locker.

Take A Penny And Build A Sailmaker's Palm
Right off, Don Craig admits that he should have bought one of the ready made palms that are available but "the heart wants what the heart wants" and so he made one to see if he could.

Little Schooners with Great Beauty
Not many will argue that the Schooner is the most beautiful of small boats. In this article, Paul Austin Reviews four small Schooners and discusses them in some detail.

Creation & Evolution of the PDR(X)
John Wright was one of the intrepid PDRacer sailors who set a new Voyage record for the design during the Texas200. It's no surprise that he has a few ideas about fitting these boats out.

August

Tape and Glue Assembly
Often builders have tried to find less toxic ways to do modern stitch and glue construction. Ken Simpson has developed a method using Polyester and Titebond III that shows promise.

Cockpit Drains
Every sailor thinks about safety and what would happen if a big wave came aboard. Tom Schultz is no exception. In this article, he shows how to install one-way scupper valves.

Scaling up a Small Boat Design
When you first think about it, scaling a boat to be larger or smaller than the one you have plans for seems straightforward. But as Warren Messer explains, that is not necessarily so.

Installing a Solar-Powered Fan
Derek Waters plans to keep his Bolger Micro in the water this summer. To ventilate the cabin, he added a solar powerd fan and in this article he tells you how to install one on your boat

July

Modified Birdsmouth Spars
Four years ago, Gaétan Jetté wrote an article for us that seemed like the last word on Birdsmouth spars. Now he has taken another look at the subject and offers new information.

June

The Need for Speed
Pat Johnson has owned lots of boats from simple canoes to blue water cruisers and he has built 25 wood boats. You might think he has a thing or two to say about them and he does.

Alternative Boat Hardwoods
As the title suggests, Bob Booth has taken advantage of this forum to impart some of what he has learned about several hardwoods from building boats and other projects.

A Wood Bilge Pump
Since Tim Ingersoll was snowed in and couldn't really work on his boat, a chance look at a library book sent him down to the basement where he built an interesting device from the past.

May

The Essential Backyard Boat Shed
If you need now, or might ever need a temporary shed to build or refurbish a boat, you'll want to read David Goldsmith's thorough and informative article about the one he built.

Tank Testing the O&P Pod
In this age where computers are used by amateurs and professionals alike to design boats, it is refreshing to hear how Warren Messer is using common sense and materials at hand.

Sons of the Vikings
With the subtitle "Open Boats Get a Lot More Use Than Yachts" Charlie Whipple makes the case for Dinghy cruising through the words of some kiwis who have been there/done that.

April

A Canoe Motor Mount
Did you ever get sticker shock from pricing a ready made canoe motor mount? Tim Ingersol did but he solved the problem with some hardware and scrap lumber.

Small Boats - Unfathomable Waters
Sometimes builders wonder if the trouble involved in licensing and regestering small boats worth it. In this article, Bob Booth recounts some of his encounters with the powers that be.

February/March

The Clasp Knife Rudder - One Man's Solution
I think it's good for boat builders to consider different ways of building things like rudders. Owen Sinclair saw something in this boat that he thought worth sharing with us.

January

Parrel Bead Turning
At the start of his Sharpie's construction, Dale Austin decided to make as many of the components as possible. He had a lathe so why not try parrel beads?

Fitting Out a Grumman Fiberglass Canoe
The little-known Grumman fiberglass canoes were lovely but expensive. Alan Glos finally got a chance to own one but he had to do a little work on it first.

Old Horse, New Tricks
When Bob Booth was given an old Cape Dory 10, he undertook a complete rebuild. But when he wanted to take the little boat cruising, more work was needed.