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Aa few months over a year from finding some derelict NACRA hulls on craigslist, the water skeeter finally launched from the barn. Steps in between included designing and building the pod, grinding off the gelcoat (27 lbs), and figuring out how an outboard motor gets installed. Photo and video below. After some minor modifications, I’m… Continue reading Spaceship Launch

A handful of 15’8″ dories are in varying states of build around the Western US – in the meantime the shop has been busy with 2 new designs and various other projects. The new designs are a 16’6″ double ender and a 10’6″ double ender. I’m looking for name ideas for both designs, as well… Continue reading New Designs

It was great to sneak away for a long weekend this summer to float down the Snake River through Hells Canyon. Some photos of two 15’8″ Timber Boatworks prototype dories below.

Kit numero uno has been cut! The joints have been dry fit. It’s a miracle (should I not say that yet?) The CNC router showed up, got wired up, and and after a bit of troubleshooting, I was up and running. And I cut some test pieces out. They even fit. The best thing about… Continue reading First Kit Cut

One of the tricks of boat design and construction is to balance traditional techniques and an “eye,” with modern technology and systems. There’s no perfect balance, but there are some certain advantages of modern design and manufacturing systems. 12 years ago I built my first dory, roughly based on a Jerry Briggs dory that I… Continue reading CAD and CAM

The plans are wrapped up for the inaugural NW River Dory kit from Timber Boatworks. It’s a plan that I’ve built and tweaked previously, and tweaked again. Now it’s time to finish up the machine toolpaths to get nice machined gutters, hatches, and puzzle scarf joints. This is the fist model I will offer, followed… Continue reading Inaugural Dory Design

As winter turns into spring, it’s been busy in the shop! Projects include re-painting a beautiful whitehall rowboat (Prospero), refinishing Nacra 5. 8 catamaran hulls for a mini commuter cat, building the pod for the commuter cat, and some keel repairs and deck work on Heather, a 1982 Chuck Paine Carol 26. This is all… Continue reading A Busy Shop

This is the first design that I’m planning put out there- a virtual carbon copy of my original dory, Wallowa. She is a spin off from the smaller Grand Canyon dories that a number of builders have brought to the Pacific Northwest. The design is aimed at rivers like the main and lower main Salmon,… Continue reading Northwest River Dory: 15′ 8″ with transom

While there are a number of great Grand Canyon Dory designs out there, most of them stick to the tried and true 16.5-17.5′ length with passenger wells in both ends. There’s a good reason- it’s a great design with a long history of successful design and development. About 12 years ago I started experimenting with… Continue reading Dory Design Coming Soon…

I’m slowly teaching myself to model boats and fabrication in Rhino and dreaming about offshore racing (what’s new). The current concept project is a 26′ trailerable, simple, light boat for single and doublehanded distance races. Like SSS transpac, pac-cup, swiftsure, and some of the regional races. It’s clearly inspired by the french Bepox boats, Moore… Continue reading Rhino Experiment = shorthanded racer