An A4 sized catalogue with 19 pages describing all of our canoe designs which number over 55 and which range in size from 6' to 40'. Also enclosed is an article on the construction of one of our Christine designs. There are 10 kayaks and over 45 open canoes most for simple ply stitch and tape construction and some for strip planking, but do remember, with our YachtCAD system, we can give mould shapes for clinker ply construction too.

As well as a number of open canoes for family use, the catalogue includes some particular canoe designs for the enthusiast - these include a fast open canoe designed specifically for the Devizes-Westminster race, a 40' multi-paddler canoe which is put together in boltable sections and which has been used for Dragon boat training and our JC which has a sliding seat and is a trainer for the IC racing canoe.

An A4 sized catalogue with 50 pages describing of our dinghy & dayboat designs of which there are over 120 in number. They include transom ended boats, double enders, sharpies, dories, rowing skiffs, pulling boats and small catamarans. Many are based upon traditional boats such as the canoe yawl and working fishing boats of the UK and North American coasts - others are more modern in style and designed for fast easy family sailing.

The range of construction methods includes simple stitch and tape, strip plank and clinker ply - many have details for at least 2 of these methods and we can convert any design to a method of construction to suit your requirements.

Again, an A4 sized catalogue with 35 pages full of our sailing yacht designs ranging from small Pocket Cruisers (down to 14' in length!) through Trailer Sailers and up to full ocean going Sailing Yachts - there are a total of 60 designs to choose from.

Styles range from traditional types - pilot cutters, double ended Pinkies and Tancook Whalers from North America, Dutch style boats and sharpies and dories for easy construction.

Rigs vary from gaff cutters and yawls to modern bermudan and junk types - some designs have a choice of rig and we are happy to add new rigs to any particular design.

The range of construction methods includes simple stitch and tape, strip plank and clinker ply - many have details for at least 2 of these methods and we can convert any design to a method of construction to suit your requirements.

This is an A4 sized catalogue with 30 pages describing with drawings and photos our 48 Motor Boat and 26 Steam & Electric Launch designs.

The motor boats range in type from modern plywood stitch and tape outboard skiffs and runabouts, through cabin cruisers for river and canal use to classic launches - some of classic 1930's runabout style and others of slipper and beaver type. Most are for plywood construction (some of which are venered with Mahogany) and a few use the Cedar Strip Plank construction technique.

The Steam & Electric launch part of the catalogue contains classic Edwardian type launches mainly for strip plank construction and ranging in length from 13' to 50'.

For the Steam Boat fraternity especially, we have separated out our launch designs which have been specifically designed for external combustion engines and electric power - so, this is an A4 sized catalogue with 14 pages describing with drawings and photos our 24 Steam & Electric Launch designs. These designs range in size from our smallest 13' launch - the Felix design, to the Edwardian 50' design. Most are for construction using the Strip Plank Construction technique although some use ply over frame construction - do remember that we can convert a design from one method of construction to another.

Design styles range from plumb stemed/counter stern type to the traditional schooner bowed/counter sterned type - others have beautiful "wineglass" shaped transom sterns with the plumb stem/rounded forefoot similar to the Dixon Kemp style or the fuller lines of the LIFU type.

 This new manual incorporates our old "Manual of Modern Small Plywood Boat Construction Techniques" but now also includes several new sections. These include new chapters on fitting buoyancy (flotation), shaping and constructing masts and spars and an extensive chapter on fitting out the hull with decks, centreboards, seating etc.

 Many new photographs and illustrations have been added along with up to date details and description of the modern stitch and tape process. This manual is useful for all builders contemplating and building stitch and tape plywood boats up to 18 or 20' - for plywood boats above this size, see our Manual of Plywood Boat Construction for Larger Craft.

For further details of the Stitch and Tape Boat Construction Manual and what it covers click here.

Note - those who purchased the old Manual of Modern Small Plywood Boat Construction Techniques since April 2009, may purchase this new manual for £10 + postage - simply put a note into your order giving any date or reference number you may have of your original purchase.

Strip planking is an increasingly popular method of boat construction (over half of all our new design work is for strip planked craft). It enables the amateur boat builder to produce a beautiful round bilged hull without having traditional boat building skills. It is certainly an easy method of round bilged hull construction and one which produces a very tough 'one piece' monocoque hull shell which will require little maintenance and which will last far longer than a conventionally built wood hull.

The Manual starts by discussing the merits of strip planking and the types of hulls that are best suited to this method of construction. It goes through the possible difficulties of strip planking certain hull shapes and how these difficulties may be over come. Suitable materials for constructing the hull are discussed including the use of square edged versus profile edged planks and epoxy versus polyurethane glues. Guidance and examples are also given for calculating material requirements.

Different types of building jig are discussed along with the marking, shaping and the setting up of moulds. The setting up of the internal backbone structure is then covered and after a description of the planking process, the Manual covers the best methods for preparing the hull for finishing. Veneering and glass sheathing are then described. Finally, tool requirements and the care and repair of strip planked hulls along with the addresses of useful suppliers are given.

Note - The Manual of Fit-Out for Yachts and Launches will be an excellent companion to this manual and will help you complete your boat.

 This new manual incorporates our old "Manual of Sail Making for the Home Boatbuilder" but now also includes several new sections. These include a discussion of the most popular rigs used for dinghies, dayboats and yachts (traditional and modern), how to balance the rig with the hull of a boat (for those wanting to change rig), how to design and make a simple Junk Rig, a lengthened section on re-cutting (altering) existing sails (for those using 2nd hand sails from another design), positioning deck gear and fault finding, how to purchase new sails from a sail maker (including a list of UK sail makers) and a list of companies who sell sail making materials and tools.

 A large part of the manual is still dedicated to making your own suit of sails - rather than being a mystery, the construction of a sail is broken down into it's different structural parts in much the same way as the hull structure of a boat with 76 clear diagrams showing the construction techniques used to make up the components of the sail. The chapters include a detailed look at the different stitches and seam constructions used, finishing techniques, step by step guides to the making of both Bermudan and Gaff/Gunter/Lug sails and Headsails. Also included is a section on the re-cutting of old sails and on fault finding. The whole manual will give the owner who already has a suit of sails, a better understanding of how his sails work and what may be wrong if he has a problem with them.

For further details of the Sails for the Home Boat Builder Manual and what it covers click here.

Note - those who purchased the old Manual of Sail Making for the Home Boatbuilder since April 2009, may purchase this new manual for £10 + postage - simply put a note into your order giving any date or reference number you may have of your original purchase.

Many Selway Fisher designs can be built using the clinker ply method and some have been specifically designed for this method—this manual has 129 diagrams helping to explain the process from the set-up of the building jig, through making the internal framework, spiling the plank shapes and fitting them and finally fitting out the hull, fitting the deck structure etc and finishing the boat and shaping and making masts and spars.

To start the book, modern clinker construction is compared with more traditional methods making this book applicable to those wanting to use modern epoxies and plywood to build a clinker boat as well as those who want to stick strictly to traditional techniques. Rather than just concentrating on one particular modern method, this book looks at several variants of the modern methods first, including the ribband-less, stringered and what some call the Herreshoff method plus methods for flat bottomed craft and those using purely rounded moulds (from older designs), giving the reader a wide choice of methods to use and combine.  

If you are thinking of using the Clinker Plywood method, read this manual first.

For further details of the Clinker Plywood Manual and what it covers click here.

This manual covers the construction of boats using modern ply on frame techniques - the stitch and tape method of construction is fine for boats below 18' or so although I have used it for larger craft, but in larger boats it gets expensive and is not necessarily the easiest method to use. So, for boats over 16 or 18' I tend to use a combination of methods, often based upon a basic framework of slotted ply components - ply frames/bulkheads and fore and aft girders (egg-box construction) and use epoxy only where it is appropriate and cost effective.

This book describes the construction of larger yachts and motor craft (above 18') using various different types of framework and planking processes from the pure stitch and tape, through clinker to hard/multi-chined and of course, ply on frame construction.

Several of the methods described can be used for all sizes of craft where the builder does not want to use epoxy.

The construction of decks and cabin tops/superstructures is also described using various methods - plywood, strip plank, vertical staving etc and the manual concludes with the various ways in which you can finish your boat - these chapters are also relevant to other forms of hull construction - strip planking, cold moulded etc.

Note - The Manual of Fit-Out for Yachts and Launches will be an excellent companion to this manual and will help you complete your boat.

For further details of this Manual and what it covers click here.

Having built the hull, deck and superstructure, you are now ready to think about fitting your boat out. This manual helps you plan for this next and final stage by first, taking a look at the ergonomics (correct seat and table heights etc) of the interior accommodation -  to make your boat comfortable. this is followed by details on how to install inboard engines or outboard wells, make inboard and outboard rudders and fit water systems - water ballast, fresh water, bilge plumbing, sewage etc. Gas, cabin ventilation, electric systems are looked at next, along with electrolysis and lightning protection.

Finally, the manual finishes with chapters on making wood masts and spars, fitting deck gear and rigging and the sort of ground tackle you may want to carry.

For further details of this Manual and what it covers click here.

NOTE - The design used to demonstrate the Stitch and tape method is the SFDesign 10'6" Northumbrian Coble.

Copious graphics are used to illustrate and clarify many of the processes you will encounter when building a S&T vessel. The DVD has been beautifully put together by Graham Young who is the originator, writer, cameraman, graphic designer, editor and producer.

The DVD includes interviews with real life home builders who pass on their tips and suggestions for success in building your boat.

The second volume (due for release later in 2009) will cover fitting out the hull, making spars, laminating, and then finishing the boat.

This DVD has been produced in PAL widescreen format. It will play back on standard DVD players and TV sets in countries using the PAL television system. In other areas of the world it may not play back on standard TV sets but will playback in PCs with a DVD drive and DVD playback software.

Sterling cost £19.95 + £1.99 p&p. (UK), £19.95 + £2.99 Airmail (Europe), £19.95 + £3.99 Airmail (US/Elsewhere)/$39 incl. Airmail US.