In the summer of 2006, six boats gathered on Eggemoggin Reach for the first Small Reach Regatta. In 2015, 45 boats rowed and sailed the waters of Blue Hill Bay in the tenth Small Reach Regatta, enjoying three wonderful days on the water. The event has become the highlight of the summer for these people with camping, music, great food, and catching up with friends. To learn more, go to http://www.smallreachregatta.org.
A number of the boats appearing in the video are described below. Most of the participating boats were made of wood. Many of the designs have been covered in the pages of WoodenBoat magazine, or reviewed in our annual Small Boats publication. If you’d like to learn more about any of these boats, back issues of both magazines are available from The WoodenBoat Store, WoodenBoat: http://www.woodenboatstore.com/catego..., and Small Boats: http://www.woodenboatstore.com/catego....
Coquina was designed by Nathanael Herreshoff for his personal use. Maynard Bray extolled her virtues in his article in WoodenBoat No. 187, pp.7683, and reviewed her performance in Small Boats 2010. He considered her a boat worth replicating, and he and Boatbuilder Doug Hylan did just that. They now offer Coquina plans for sale at http://www.dhylanboats.com.
Mike O’Brien has high praise for Don Kurylko’s Myst in his design review in WoodenBoat No. 181, pp. 8889. Plans are available from Kurylko’s website, http://www.dhkurylkoyachtdesign.com. Geoff Kerr reviewed Myst in Small Boats 2012.
New Zealand yacht designer John Welsford describes his Pathfinder design as a “serious cruising dinghy.” It has wide sidedecks, an ample cockpit, and plenty of storage. You can find out more about Pathfinder in a review by Steve Earley in Small Boats 2009. In WoodenBoat No. 217, pp 7479, Tom Pamperin has good things to say about the Pathfinder in his article on the Texas 200.
Beach cruisers are very popular, and most of the boats participating in the Small Reach Regatta might be described as such. As Mike O’Brien wrote in WoodenBoat No. 127, pp. 3843, “Beach cruising offers freedom, privacy, spontaneity, and intimacy with nature.” He compared several beach cruisers in that article, including Phil Bolger’s Owlet, Jay Benford’s Catketch, Reuel Parker’s Microcruiser 18, and Joel White’s Shearwater. O’Brien also reviewed the Shearwater in Small Boats 2008.
Geoff Kerr’s article in WoodenBoat No. 213, pp 4451, on Iain Oughtred’s DoubleEnders offers a review and comparison of several of his designs popular with SRR sailors. Plans for the Caledonia Yawl, Whilly Tern, Tirrik, Arctic Tern, and Ness Yawl, appear in that article. In WoodenBoat Nos. 183 to 185, Kerr explains all the steps of construction with plans and plenty of pictures. The Ness Yawl, Caledonia Yawl, and Sooty Tern are similar in length, but differ somewhat in breadth and performance. You will find a review by Kathy Mansfield of the Ness Yawl in Small Boats 2007. The WoodenBoat Store carries plans for many Oughtred designs.
Ilur is one of several daysailers and pocket cruisers designed by Francois Vivier of Pornichet, France. In WoodenBoat No. 212, pp.4451, JeanYves Poirier explores Vivier’s work. You can also find out more about his designs and order plans from http://www.vivierboats.com.
Paul Labrie is a longtime participant of the Small Reach Regatta. He rows on all of the daily excursions. He designed his peapod to be light and easy to row for long distances.
When Tom Jackson built his 17’8”Nomans Land Boat FAR AND AWAY, he started with lines drawn by Howard Chapelle that were taken from an 1882 halfmodel by James Beetle. The Smithsonian Institution holds a lines plan of the boat, but no construction details or sail plan. Jackson explores his development of his sail plan in WoodenBoat No. 202, pp 5461. He also reviewed the boat in Small Boats 2012. Lines plans are available from the Smithsonian Institution, http://americanhistory.si.edu/about/d....
The Melonseed skiff developed from a gunning boat and is similar to the Sneakbox. A picture of one appears in Howard Chapelle’s American Small Sailing Craft. Rob Thompson’s article in WoodenBoat No. 180, pp. 5058, include notes on the history and construction of these boats, along with several sources for plans. Small Boats 2008 includes a review of the Melonseed written by Mike O’Brien. The WoodenBoat Store carries a set of plans drawn by Marc Barto and based on Chapelle’s lines, http://www.woodenboatstore.com/catego....
Clint Chase is a smallboat designer who sailed his Goat Island skiff, a Michael Storer design and the very first boat seen in this video. Chase designed the DeBlois Street dory, and two of them sailed in this year’s regatta. You can find more about his designs at http://clintchaseboatbuilder.blogspot....