Details

Wood & Wind designs are popular and proven, with most from the renowned naval architect Philip Bolger. On the boats pages you can find photos and a summary of four popular designs that balance simplicity and performance.  Different models , such as larger sailboats or sleeker pulling boats, including any of the models at instantboats.com, are also available. See the other models page for a few suggestions. Two models are currently offered as kits, if you want to try your hand at building.

A boat from Wood & Wind boats might be a good fit if you

• appreciate craftsmanship and wood,

• want custom features like (removable) extra seats, dry storage space, and paint schemes,

• prefer the simplicity and quiet of wind or human power over big motors,

• want more space for gear than a plastic hull provides, or

• love the idea of a handcrafted wooden boat without a huge price tag.

These boats fit somewhere between mass-produced plastic kayaks or canoes and high-end wooden boats that might sell for thousands more. These designs are not really meant to impress neighbors or win races (although some of the more sophisticated designs, like the Gloucester Light Dory, do both) but instead to be used and enjoyed for years. All of those designs highlighted on the main page are simple, keeping the build time and therefore the price down, but very well thought-out. These boats are comfortable and perform well—in some ways better than commercial options—but cost much less. 

For example, the 12 foot Teal gives a drier ride than a Sunfish (which costs much more). The 10-1/2 foot Pointy Skiff is great for two for fishing, and can hold up to four adults, handle rough water, and even take a small motor if you don't like rowing. And it costs a fraction as much as a mass-produced fishing skiff. The Mouse boats by Gavin Atkin do not look as sleek as a plastic kayaks, but they have a similar weight, better stability, and a lot more room, making them easy and fun for even young kids, while still holding an adult. And the Tortoise is so unusual looking it is hard not to smile when you realize it actually works, and quite well! It may be one of the least expensive ways to get out on the water.