Boat Design Quarterly Subscription

Each issue typically describes 6 six designs and includes:
• Quality reproductions of the designers' original drawings
• Complete hull lines for most boats
• Full particulars, including calculated performance ratios
• Designers' addresses and phone numbers
• Succinct design commentary

BDQ describes plans for paddle, oar, power, and sail. The boats come from the boards of Atkin, Benford, Bolger, Chapelle, Gartside, Gillmer, Oughtred, Stambaugh, Stephens, and other leading designers.

To date Boat Design Quarterly has featured over two hundred designs of small boats for sail and power, including canoes, pulling boats, sailing dinghies, weekenders and day boats, cruisers for sail and power, trimarans and catamarans. These now constitute a succinct resource for small boat designers, students and for those enthusiasts just interested in small boats, their design and their designers .

Subscribe to Boat Design Quarterly for only £20.00 for four issues including post within UK (Mainland Britain, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.)

Don't forget to specify with which issue you wish to start.

Praise for Boat Design Quarterly
Good reading! BDQ is a revival of the golden age when some editors supposed that some readers were interested in the conception process as an art form.
--Philip C. Bolger, boat designer and author (1927-2009)

Boat Design Quarterly Issue No. 1

A digest of small boat designs and plans edited and published by Mike O'Brien.
BDQ No. 1, December 1991.
On the front cover: Blue Moon. a 23ft. (7.0m) yawl designed by Thomas Gillmer
Selected Contents:-
Black Skimmer. Fast and able Bolger Sharpie. Easy and quick to build, Black Skimmer can drive to windward in less than two feet (0.6m) of water. She's self-righting, self-bailing, has positive flotation and takes the ground bolt upright.
LOD 25'3" (7.70m), LWL 23'9" (7.24m), Beam 7'0" (2.13m), Draft 10" (0.25m), Sail Area 304 sq.ft. (29 sq.m.), Disp. 2400 lbs (1090 kg.).
Construction: Epoxy plywood panels over bulkheads.
Design No. 1. Robert Stephens plywood utility Launch. Simple, able and efficient, this competent outboard boat will carry a substantial payload through choppy waters.
LOA 18'1" (5.51m), Beam 6'1" (1.85m), Weight 600 lbs (272 kg), Power 25-60 hp (18 - 45 kw). Construction, plywood.
Right Bower. Simple camp cruiser from Howard Chapelle. Flat bottomed and shoal draft with centre board and skeg.
LOD 22'8" (6.91m), LWL 19'4" (5.89m), Beam 7'10" (2.39m), Draft CB Up 1'3" (0.38m), Sail Area 228 sq.ft. (21 sq. m.) Aux. power O/b in well. Construction wood/plywood.
Barn Owl. Shoal draft Bolger Schooner. Influenced by the Thames barges, shoal draft and world capable, Barn Owl bristles with unusual features, from her tandem centre boards and her deliberately hogged rabbet line to her wishbone booms. Conctruction wood/epoxy composite.
LOD 49'10" (15.19m), Beam 12'5" (3.78m), Draft CBs up, 2'11" (0.89m), Sail Area 1145 sq.ft. (106.9 sq.m.)
14 ft. Chapelle Skiff. An unusual o/b powered runabout with the motor well forward to leave the stern clear for hauling nets.
LOD 14'1"(4.29m), Beam 4'9" (1.45m), Draft 8" (0.2m), Power 1.5 to 3.0 hp. (1.7 kw). Construction wood/plywood.
Blue Moon Classic Thomas Gillmer yawl. Inspired by the Falmouth Quay Punts, Gillmer drew a sail plan to set you dreaming. (See cover illustration0.
LOD 22'10" (6.96m), LWL 19'8" (5.99m), Beam 8'7" (2.62m), Draft 4'1" (1.24m), Sail area 380 sq.ft. (35.34 sq.m.). Disp. 7750 lbs. (3523 kg.). Construction Carvel wood.
Redwing. Efficient outboard skiff cruiser by Karl Stambaugh, inspired by an old Howard Chapelle design.
LOD 18'6" (5.64m), Beam 6'6" (1.98m), Draft 1'0" (0.30m), Disp. 850 lbs, light, 1250 lbs, loaded. (386 - 568 kg.) Power 10-20 hp (7.46-14.92 kw.) Construction ply/epoxy.

Boat Design Quarterly Issue No. 2

A digest of small boat design plans published and edited by Mike O'Brien.
BDQ No. 2. June 1992.
Cover illustration Valgerda an 18'7" Hardangersjekte drawn by John Atkin .
Selected Contents
Lapstrake Canoe by Bob Stephens, light, elegant and versatile.
LOA 14'9" (4.50M), LWL 13'11" (4.24m), Beam 33" (0.84m), Weight 41 lbs (18.64kg). Construction glued plywood.
Spark. a 28 Ft. (8.6M) Trimaran by Dick Newick. This light cruiser combines simplicity with speed.
LOA 27'11" (8.51m), LWL 27'4" (8.33m), Beam 22'5" (6.83m), Draft CB up, 1'3" (0.38m) CB down 6'0" (1.80m), Sail Area 350 sq.ft. (32.55 sq.m), Disp 3000 lbs (1364 kg). Construction Wood composite.
Valgerda. a 18 Ft. Hardangersjekte by John Atkin. A striking double-ender form perfected by evolution.
LOA 18'7" (5.66m), LWL 14'9" (4.50m), Beam 5'8" (1.73m), Draft 1'7" (0.48m), Sail area 72 sq.ft. (6.70 sq.m), Weight 550 lbs. (250kg).
Whalewatcher. 29 Ft. (8.9M) Sailing cruiser by Phil Bolger. The designer returns to first principles in this remarkable design.
LOD 29'0" (8.84m), Beam 6'6" (1.98m), Draft 11" (0.28m), Sail area 410 sq.ft. (38.13 sq.m), Disp. 4750 lbs (2159 kg).
Day-Racing Schooner. Phil Bolger's variation on a theme (Triangle) by John Alden
LOD 39'9" (12.12m), LWL 29'0" (8.84m), Beam 8'11" (2.72m), Draft 4'6" (1.37m), Sail area 706 sq.ft. (65.66 sq.m), Disp. 11,850 lbs (5386 kg) of which ballast 5000 lbs (2273 kg)
Ratios: SA/Disp 21.8, Disp/Length 217, Ballast/Disp 42.2%. Construction carvel wood.
Ocean Pointer. a 19.5 Ft. (6.0M) Maine-style outboard Skiff designed by David Stimson.
LOA 19'6" (5.94m), Beam 6'9" (2.06m), Draft 7" (0.17m) Weight 1,200 lbs (545 kg), Power 25-75 hp (18.65 - 55.95 kw) Construction strip planked over plywood bulkheads.
Windward 17. A Chesapeake Day Sailer by Karl Stambaugh.
LOA 17'6" (5.33m), Beam 5'4" (1.63m), Draft CB up 1'1" (0.33m) CB down 2'0" (0.61m), Sail area 85 sq.ft. (7.91 sq m) Construction 'traditional' plywood over frames.
Scrimshaw. Jay Benford's robust pocket cruiser offers a choice of two different hulls, four different rigs and three different construction methods.
LOD 19'0" (5.85m), LWl 16'9" (5.11m), Beam 7'0" (2.13m), Draft 2'6" or 3'6" (0.76m or 1.07m), Disp. 4120 lbs (1873 kg) of which ballast 1200 lbs (545kg).
Ratios SA/Disp 15.8 - 21.3, Disp/Length 391, Ballast/Disp 29%.

Finally 'By the Numbers' the editor's explanation of the ratios used above.

Boat Design Quarterly Issue No. 3

A digest of small boat designs and plans published and edited by Mike O'Brien.
Contents,
BDQ No. 3 January 1993
Cover illustration Shore Liner.
Catbird 18. a simply constructed trailerable pocket cruiser by Karl Stambaugh.
LOD 18'0" (5.49m), LWL 17'6" (5.33m), Beam 8'0" (2.44m), Draft CB up 12" (0.30m), Sail Area 204 or 153 sq.ft. (18.97 or 14.23 sq.m), Disp 2000 lbs (909 kg), Ballast 6 lbs (272 kg) Construction Plywood over frames.
Morris Canoe. A Canadian style open canoe in wood, canvas and other options.
LOA 17'1" (5.21m), Beam 33" (0.84m), Weight, Wood & Canvas 85 lbs (38 kg), Wood Strip on frame 95lbs (43 kg), Wood Strip Glass, 85 lbs (38 kg).
Chewonki Kayak. Greenland Heritage, inexpensive plywood construction. Designed by David Lake.
LOA 19'3" (5.87m), Beam 24" (0.61m), Weight 70 lbs (32 kg). Construction plywood over frames.
Searunner 34. A cruising trimaran by Jim Brown.
LOA 34'0" (10.36m), LWL 31'1" (9.47m), Beam 20'9" (6.32m), Draft CB up 2'10" (0.86m) CB down 6'5" (1.96m), Sail area 505 sq.ft. (46.97 sq.m), Disp 7,950 lbs (3,613 kg), Ballast none. Aux power not stated. Construction sheet plywood over bulkheads and frames.
Jenny Wren. A timeless canoe yawl from Weston Farmer.
LOD 21'8" (6.6m), LWL 18'3" (5.56m), Beam 7'6" (1.98m), Draft 3'10" (1.17m), Sail area 321 sq.ft. (29.85 sq.m), Disp 5,470 lbs (2,486 kg), of which ballast 1,500 lbs (682 kg),
Ratios SA/Disp 16.5, Disp/Length 401, Ballast/Disp 27.4%. Construction traditional carvel over frames.
Hawkeye. 18' 6" (5.7M) Bolger box keel power sharpie.
LOA 18'6" (5.64m), Beam 8'0" (2.44m), Weight 950 lbs (432 kg), Power 8-50 hp (6-37 kw). Construction Sheet plywood over longitudinal members and frames.
Shore Liner. Simplicity, character and shoal draft from William and John Atkin.
LOD 24'0" (7.32m), LWL 22'0" (6.71m), Beam 9'0" (2.74m), Draft 1'0" (0.30m), Sail area 363 sq.ft. (33.76 sq.m), Disp 3,000 lbs (1363 kg) of which ballast 600 lbs (27.27 kg). Construction plank on frame or plywood

Boat Design Quarterly No. 4

A digest of small boat design and plans edited and published by Mike O'Brien.
June 1993.
Cover illustration: Joel White’s Bridges Point 24.
BDQ No. 4 Contents,
Whilly Boat. Lapstrake Daysailer and beach cruiser by Iain Oughtred
LOA 14’6” (4.42m), Beam 4'7" (1.40m), Sail area 74 sq.ft. (6.88 sq.m) Standing Lug, and 80 sq.ft. (7.44 sq.m) Gunter or balanced lug.
Based on traditional Shetland workboats this rugged double ender makes good use of plywood and epoxy.
Little Moby. A rough water outboard skiff by Charles Wittholz
LOA 14'6" (4.42m), (1.68m), Draft 10" (.25m), Disp 650 lbs (295 kg), Power 40 hp (30 kw). Construction Plywood over frames.
Six Hour Canoe A solo boat for warm and sheltered waters.
LOA 15'4" (4.67m), Beam 32" (0.81m), Weight 50 lbs (23 kg). Construction sheet ply and epoxy.
38' (11.7M) Fantail Yacht. designed by Jay Benford. A fuel efficient coastal cruiser.
LOA 38'0" (11.58m), LWL 34'6" (10.52m), Beam 12'0" (3.66m), Draft 2'9" (0.84m), Disp 11,765 lbs (5347 kg). Construction wood/epoxy composite.
Sprite. An Atkins designed flat-bottomed outboard boat.
LOA 14'10" (4.52m), LWL 14'0" (4.27m), Beam 4'10" (1.47m), Draft not much, Power 6 hp (4.48 kw). Construction traditional wood,
23' (7.0M) Motorsailer for outboard power from Phil Bolger. Simple, fast, roomy.
LOA 22'7" (6.88m), Beam 8'0" (2.44m), Draft 9" (0.23m), Sail area 265 Sq.ft. (25 sq.m) Disp 1846 lbs (840 kg), Power 35 hp (26 kw) Construction ply/epoxy.
Bridges Point 24. (7.4M) Daysailer, traditional design, modern construction. Designed by Joel White.
LOA 24'0" (7.32m), LWL 18'8" (5.69m), Beam 7'6" (2.29m), Draft 3'5" (1.04m), Sail area 278 sq.ft. (26 sq.m), Disp 3,944 lbs (1,793 kg) of which ballast 2,100 (955 kg).
Ratios: SA/disp 17.82, Disp/Length 270.6, Ballast/Disp 53.2%. Construction GRP hull with wooden decks and house.

Boat Design Quarterly Issue No. 5

A digest of small boat design plans edited and published by Mike O'Brien.
Cover illustration: Corvus the catboat.
November 1993
BDQ no.5 Contents,
Terrapin 21. A simple shoal-draft gaff-sloop by Reuel Parker.
LOD 21'1" (6.43m), LWL 18'4" (5.59m), Beam 6'9" (2.06m), Draft, CB up, 1'3" (0.38m), Sail area 218 sq.ft. (20 sq.m), Disp. 3,000 lbs (1,363 kg), Construction, plywood topsides cold-moulded plywood bottom.
Fundulus, Alisande and Patience, 36'Ketches by William Hand.
LOD 36'0" (10.97m), LWL 31'0" (9.45m), Beam 10'2" (3.10m), Draft 5'2" (1.57m), Sail area 643 sq.ft. (59.80 sq.m), Disp 18,127 lbs (8,240 kg) of which ballast 5,340 lbs (2,427 kg).
Ratios: SA/disp 14.9, Disp/Length 272, Ballast/Disp 29.5%. Construction, Carvel wood.
Tred Avon. A coastal cruising kayak for two.
LOA 21'0" (6.40m), LWL 19'0" (5.79m), Beam 30" (0.76m), Weight 60 lbs (27 kg), Construction, stitch and glue plywood.
Bolger Brigantine. A 32'Theme Park.
LOD 32'0" (9.75m), LWL 28'6" (8.69m), Beam 9'0" (2.74m), Draft 3'0" (0.91m), Sail area 720 sq.ft. (67 sq.m), Disp 13,200 lbs (6,000 kg) of which ballast 4,400 lbs (2000kg).
Corvus. a likable 15' catboat from Charles Wittholz.
LOA 14'11" (4.55m), LWL 14'4" (4.37m), Beam 7'5" (2.26m), Draft CB up 1'4" (0.41m) CB down 3'8" (1.12m), keel version 2'8" (0.81m), Sail area, gaff rig 170 sq.ft.(16 sq.m), lug rig 157 sq.ft. (14.60 sq.m), weight 1,400 lbs (636 kg). Construction sheet plywood over frames
15' Ocean skiff. A handsome utility launch from Robert W. Stephens.Efficient performance with moderate power.
LOA 15'2" (4.62m), Beam 5'7" (1.70m), Weight 340 lbs (155 kg), Power 20-40 hp (15 - 30 kw). Construction Plywood and epoxy.