WB Volumes | Anacortes Community Maritime Center

Change title button to WB Review.  Add picture of Wooden Boat magazine, etc. 

This page is about the WoodBoat magazine...WB Volumes stands for WoodBoat magazine!  Dah...

Recently, ACMC member Jim Taylor, former skipper of Sophia Christina, donated to the Anacortes Community Maritime Center a complete set of WoodenBoat magazine.  Thank you, Jim!

This generous gift affords us an opportunity to not only review the new issue at the Anacortes Library; but also, we can research previouis issues for important stories, personalities, boat designs, and popular articles.  I does require you to read a little, but our hope is you will be interested enough to check out WoodenBoat magazine to obtain and read the article yourself.

This Months Feature Article in WoodenBoat magazine is:  Number 113, March/April 2010:

Geoff Kerr's article entitled:  Iain Oughtred's Double enders - drawing inspiration from the Shetland Islands

Reading a magazine article about building boats requires some pratical experience -- mainly, you need to know enough about the subject to decide if the writer really knows what he or she is talking about.  Does the writer really tell you something important about the designer or boat builder?  Does he or she tell you something important about the boat?  History? Ease of contruction? Beauty?

Geoff Kerr's article entitled "Iain Oughtred's Double Enders" does all these things.  Of course, it never hurts to have a picture of Iain's popular 19ft., 6" Caledonia Yawl on the front cover.  What a rush.  It's a beautiful small craft lapstrake built from lightweight glued plywood construction.  Note, Iain has actually wrote a book on this subject.

Most likely, the Caledonia Yawl would not be the amateur builder's first project; but than, Kerr gives you several examples of Iain's work, including the Willy and Artic terns, Tirrik, and my favorite, the Ness Yawl.  For the beginning amateur boatbuilder with some working experience, I favor Iain's Acorn Skiff.  It is a little boat with great abilities.  Plus, it encompasses many of the woodworking skills you will need to build a bigger boat...which always seems the way of things! 

Kerr points out in his article that an Iain Oughtred design is distinctive in it's own right; that is, they are descendants of historic Shetland Island yoles and sixareens.  Kerr goes on to say these boats were the progency of Norwegian craft that date back many hundreds of years.  You know Kerr has really did his homework because he includes a sidebar by Tom Jackson entitled "Proven by History" outlining the performance & history of these historic craft.

Just two more things...then you can check out the article yourself.  I appreciate the fact that Kerr sets some high standards so the reader can better access the boat's capabilities,  the designer experience, and the boat builder's craftmanship.  Obviously, it is clear from the beginning that Kerr believes Iain Oughtred meets or exceeds the criteria neccessary in a well built boat -- performance, ease of construction, traditional beauty, strength & seaworthiness, plenty of options, and most important, a satisfied boat owner.

Secondly, once again, Kerr tells you in the article what you need to know.  Just check-out the headings in his excellent piece:

• Early Inspiration
• A Design Career Begins
• Ancient Shapes, Modern Materials
• Designing with Builders in Mind
• Rigs and Variations
• Keeping Boats (and Life) Simple

If you have the opportunity be sure to read Kerr's article.  It's very informative.  And, Iain oughred's boat are well worth your time.

Lyndon - June 14, 2011