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Preview: A Great Pacific Northwest Sailboat – SCAMP

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November 17, 2023

From the boating dreams of their son igniting the love of an old wooden boat . . .  to the creation of a magnificent and unique children’s book . . . Nikki McClure and J.T. Scott have created a full life worth sharing.

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14 Responses So Far to “ A Great Pacific Northwest Sailboat – SCAMP ”

Jon Crawfurd says:

Robert Stephan says:

Scamp is a beautiful boat and your personal stories add to the enjoyment of this video. The interior of your boat looks quite comfortable. May I ask what brand of heater you have installed on the bulkhead? Also, what is the fuel source ? Are you pleased with it? Thank you.

Nikki McClure says:

Hello Robert Scamp has a Dickenson propane heater mounted on the bulkhead at the forward end of her Saloon. There is also an hydronic loop that runs under her sole and to a Reddot type blower in the hanging locker. of the two we prefer the hydronic loop from the engine but at anchor the propane heater is adequate. On the plus side it burns cleanly, if you ignore the CO2 emissions, and requires very little maintenance. The down side is that it has a limited BTU output and when the outdoor air temperature gets down into the 20s F it struggles to keep the cabin warm. Luckily here in the NW that is a rare occasion and we cruise year round.

Lou Kimball says:

Beautiful boat, and I just ordered the book for my grandkids!

dave lathrop says:

please pass on to Nickki… i saw your book somewhere and bought a copy to add to the library at a local school where i tutor… elementary kids… it is one of the more popular books that we read together… a whole new view of life for the kids… love the style you bring and this lovely story, even for kids who have often not even seen lake michigan which is all of 25 miles as the crow flies from school…

Thanks Dave! Happy to hear that the kids like reading it.

Eugene Bellows says:

Brought back memories of time spent sailing and working on our own boat Freya

William Mittendorf says:

Built in Alameda, CA by whom? When? It has the clean simplicity of a Stone boat. Is it?

Yes! Built at the Stone ship yard in Alameda, CA. She was the last boat that Lester Stone built for himself. She has a sister ship, Little Packet, whose home port is Port Townsend, WA. Scamp was launched in 1967. After Lester died, Jack Ehrhorn, took over ownership. Jack was the head shipwright at the Stone yard.

NancyD says:

So impressed and touched that Nikki and JT recognize and value the gift of learning/education and passing on the love and legacy of sailing and wooden boats! Kudos to them!

Theodore Gentsch says:

Awesome! Love this……..

James Thomas says:

I kept a boat a few slips away from Scamp in Olympia where JT and Nikki live and she’s truly a beautiful and well loved boat and I often saw them taking kids out for learning sails. Nikki didn’t mention it, but she was also the artist for the Wooden Boat Festival’s poster a few years ago, one of the nicest I can remember and she produces a beautiful calendar that’s published each year.

Thank you James

Robin Booth says:

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Boat Profile

A little camp cruiser for big dreams

From Issue   Small Boats Annual 2016 October 2015

N ever mind that until grounding on a mudflat less than 30 miles from the finish line, SCAMP #4 breezed through a difficult year in the 300-mile Everglades Challenge adventure race a few years ago, pressing on comfortably when many bigger boats had to quit. Never mind that during the inaugural Race to Alaska earlier this year, SCAMP #11 completed a very rough 40-mile open-water crossing of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, taking its solo skipper safely from Port Townsend, Washington, to Victoria, British Columbia. And never mind that yet another SCAMP (extensively modified for the venture by its builder) may attempt to round Cape Horn—yes, that Cape Horn—this year and, if successful, will be the smallest sailboat ever to do so. Despite all that, the overwhelming impression I get when Dave Ender drives up with his newly built SCAMP to take me sailing is: What a cute little boat.

The buoyancy of the blunt pram bow resists digging in while running downwind and reduces the likelihood of broaching.

SCAMP is short, curvy, beamy, and high-sided, with a well-rockered flat bottom and a distinctive pram bow—a cross between a bulldog, a basketball, and an angry rubber duck. It’s also one of the easiest-launching boats I’ve ever encountered. I barely had time to grab my gear before Ender had the boat rigged and ready: mast stepped, sail hoisted, and rudder hung on the transom. He backed the trailer into the water and shoved SCAMP off. Less than 10 minutes from arrival and it was time to sail.

Josh Colvin, who commissioned SCAMP—an acronym for Small Craft Advisor Magazine Project—wasn’t looking for an ultimate adventure boat when he approached New Zealand designer John Welsford (see WB No. 225 for a profile on Welsford and his design work). “My initial goals for the boat were based largely on a 150-mile sail down the Columbia River, from Beacon Rock to Astoria,” Colvin says. “I kept coming across backwaters and shallow estuarine areas and thinking, That’s where I really want to go , but my 16-footer was too deep, wasn’t easy to row, and if I wanted to overnight up among the reeds, wouldn’t dry out level if the tide left. So the idea I eventually took to John Welsford was for the smallest possible boat that would be able to do all of these things, but still be seaworthy enough to cope with something like the middle of the Columbia River on a breezy afternoon.”

Judging by SCAMP’s popularity among amateur builders—roughly 340 kits or plan sets have been sold since 2011, with about 60 boats launched—plenty of other people are interested, too. Designer John Welsford sees SCAMP as a sort of 21st-century version of a much-loved classic, the Mirror dinghy. “While we don’t expect to do anywhere near as many boats,” Welsford says, “it’s hitting a similar, but older market.” Along the way, SCAMP has fostered an enthusiastic and supportive community of builders and owners, encouraging new builders to take the plunge.

The SCAMPS’s 100-sq-ft sail is set high for good visibility under the boom and is easily reefed.

To bring the new design to life, Welsford was able to make good use of his previous experimentation with similar boats. “SCAMP is number six in a series of very beamy, shallow-bodied boats with that distinctive high-positioned pram bow,” Welsford says. “Tender Behind, Tread Lightly, and Sherpa are the other designs that made it to plans. All work really well, can carry huge loads for their size, sail well, and are well balanced. I learned something from each of them, and SCAMP is a result of that learning.” Besides Welsford, boatbuilder/designer Kees Prins of Port Townsend, Brandon Davis of Turnpoint Design , and adventurer/prototype tester Howard Rice all contributed to final design details and kit elements for SCAMP.

SCAMP is built upright on its flat bottom, which serves as the base for an egg-crate arrangement of plywood that forms the boat’s furniture and structural members. No temporary molds or frames are used. It’s a method that makes for an exceptionally stiff hull, and a safe one—the completed “boxes” create six entirely separate buoyancy chambers within the glued-plywood lapstrake hull. Welsford reports that one SCAMP was able to remain comfortably afloat despite suffering “a hole in the side that you could put your head through” after hitting a snag. And although there are plenty of parts to assemble when building a SCAMP, no single step requires more than moderate woodworking skills and a selection of basic tools.

S CAMP is rigged with a single balanced lugsail, an excellent choice for a cruising rig that’s simple to handle and easy to reef. With 100 sq ft of sail and the stability to stand up to it, the boat also performs well. On my second sail in a SCAMP, working to windward on a gusty day, I was able to keep ahead of a 21′ Sea Pearl for several miles. SCAMP’s shallow draft and flat bottom make it a perfect gunkholer, and 173 lbs of water ballast (roughly 40 percent of the total hull weight) make it capable of much more. It’s no pulling boat, but SCAMP won’t be too difficult to move under oars when necessary. Some builders have considered experimenting with a single sculling oar at the transom; Dave Ender plans to try a yuloh. There’s room to mount a small outboard on the transom for backup propulsion.

Builders have the choice of building from plans or from a kit, with custom sails and hardware available for purchase. Another popular option for builders is the SCAMP Camp , a two-week intensive class in which participants come together to assemble their own SCAMP kits under the direction of designer John Welsford and prototype tester Howard Rice.

One unintended feature of the design deserves mention: several SCAMP builders I have met describe the boat as “a chick magnet,” and from my own observations at various messabouts and festivals, I’d say that such a claim is closer to reality than to hype. For potential builders with wives or girlfriends reluctant to take up sailing, this might be the single biggest advantage SCAMP has to offer.

A kick-up rudder allows sailing in shallow water and twin skegs help the SCAMP sit solidly upright when grounded.

B ack aboard Dave Ender’s Scamp, we were away from the dock with an easy shove, heading across Lake Pepin, a wide stretch of the Mississippi that’s often subject to strong winds sweeping down between tall bluffs. Dave filled the ballast tank under the cockpit sole. With the drain holes open, the tank floods itself almost completely; the top of the tank is a few inches above the waterline, so must be topped off by replacing the plugs and pouring water in with a bucket from the cockpit before sealing. He could pour water in quickly without worrying about spilling or overflowing: The excess water drains out of the cockpit’s scuppers. With the water ballast in, we soon shook out the reef we started with, and Dave put me at the tiller. It was a windy day, but even under full sail we continued on in perfect comfort. SCAMP may be a small boat, but it’s the biggest small boat I’ve ever sailed. In fact, it’s almost impossible to categorize SCAMP by size. It weighs just over 400 lbs empty, but has the cockpit and freeboard of a 20′ keelboat (in fact, the freeboard is so high that reboarding the boat without a pre-rigged foot stirrup or rudder step would be problematic). It’s easy to drag up a SCAMP onto a beach for a quick stop ashore, yet filling the ballast tank adds stability well beyond the reach of a typical small boat. The self-draining cockpit sits high enough above the water that you feel like you’re aboard a much bigger boat—yet SCAMP is extremely maneuverable, tacking easily and spinning around within its own length like the smallest dinghy.

While it performs well enough to keep experienced sailors interested—Dave and I kept pace with several much bigger keelboats without much trouble—SCAMP would also be a great boat for beginners to learn on. The balanced lug makes tacking or jibing very simple and stress-free; lazyjacks hold the sail and boom securely in place, making reefing easy once the lines and cleats are set up; the boat is stable and comfortable. And it’s pure fun to sail. The only thing that I needed some time to get used to was being so far from the water compared to the sail-and-oar boats I usually sail. Of course, that higher freeboard and greater volume help make it easy to recover from a capsize (see the video below). By the time Dave and I returned to the dock, I was reminded again of just how much I like this design, and how much it can do.

The diminutive SCAMP is easily trailered, rigged, and launched.

With its quick launching capabilities, SCAMP would work well as a family-friendly daysailer. There is space enough for four adults in relative comfort (three is better; two is luxurious), and the boat’s stability makes it a comfortable ride even for the elderly and infirm, young children, or passengers who might simply be a bit nervous around boats. The boom is high overhead, minimizing the risk of hitting an inexperienced passenger, and the seats are wide and comfortable.

Cruising solo or two-up is where SCAMP really shines. The 8′3″ x 29″ cockpit sole provides ample space for one person to sleep aboard very comfortably (the offset centerboard is hidden in the starboard seat face), and filler planks between seats can be used to create a double bunk. The benches themselves (6′8″ by 17.5″) offer a place to stretch out but aren’t quite wide enough for sleeping. There is plenty of stowage space under the seats and cockpit. The “veranda” (a small cuddy/locker at the forward end of the cockpit) provides additional stowage, sitting headroom, and shelter from the wind, as well as a convenient place to anchor the forward edge of a cockpit tent. Forward of the veranda’s bulkhead there are 8.5 cubic feet of sealed stowage that provide extra buoyancy well above the waterline, just where it would be most useful in a knockdown. And of course, like all small boats, a SCAMP can easily travel to windward at 60 mph, pulled on a small lightweight trailer by a small four-cylinder car.

Tom Pamperin ( www.tompamperin.com ) is a frequent contributor to Small Boats Monthly and WoodenBoat.

SCAMP Particulars

LOA/11′11″ Beam/5′4″

Draft (board up)/7″ Weight (including rig)/420 lbs Water ballast/173 lbs

Plans and information are available from Small Craft Advisor . Their YouTube channel has several videos featuring the SCAMP, including a capsize trial with Howard Rice, below.

Is there a boat you’d like to know more about? Have you built one that you think other Small Boats Monthly readers would enjoy? Please email us!

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Comments (4)

Great article! Thanks. I especially enjoyed the fact that during the capsize test, Howard did not lose his hat! Now that’s a sailor. I’ve always been off put by the punt bow, but seeing the boat in action, I can now appreciate it.

That boat did not want to capsize…

Thanks for the kind words about the article; I enjoyed yet another excuse to go sailing aboard a Scamp. It’s a fun and very very capable little boat, that’s for sure.

These are great wee boats, totally sold on the concept especially the seaworthiness. The only thing I would do differently is wear a safety harness in winds like that in the video! I could quite easily see the boat sailing off while you flounder around in the briny!

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Scamp Balanced-Lug Rigging Tutorial

by GHBoats Webmaster | Jan 11, 2019 | Best of GHBoats , SCAMP

By popular request… at long last, a video tutorial about rigging the  SCAMP Sailboat , with its balanced lug rig! It can look a bit intimidating at first if you’re only familiar with sloop-rigged boats, but it’s actually pretty simple once you know what you’re doing. We hope you find this helpful! ⛵️

As a side note, this tutorial is also helpful for the Melonseed , which uses the same essential balanced-lug rig. The attachment points are different of course, but the same general principles apply.

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Steps in Building SCAMP

Here are the various steps I took to build my John Welsford SCAMP from Plans. The steps are not all in perfect chronological order because I would stop and work on a different part, then go back to what I was doing.

I build without assistance and some of my decisions and methods might not be the best or fastest. They work though. Because I work alone I have to find some ways of doing things that might take longer but can be safely accomplished by one person. I got help turning the boat though. The instruction manual is quite vague on many points and I hope future builders will find this boat building record useful.

I try to be accurate and check my information, but mistakes happen.

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Small Print

This information is for general knowledge and entertainment. It's not intended to replace plans or proper instructions. I'm not suggesting that was I did was the best way.

SCAMP: Little boat, big possibilities

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At 11 feet, 11 inches long, the microcruiser isn’t required to be registered in Washington state, and because it weighs in at about 400 pounds, it is easily towed by a standard-size vehicle. Unusually wide for its length, the offset keel allows a sailor to sleep aboard. Photo by Megan Claflin

Expanding this area’s reputation as a mecca for wooden boatbuilders and associated tradespeople, “SCAMP Camp” has captured the attention of mariners from around the globe.

A collaboration between the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding and Small Craft Advisor magazine, the Small Craft Advisor Magazine Project (SCAMP) class teaches individuals ranging from beginners to professionals how to construct a kit-built microcruiser.

Hosted at the Northwest Maritime Center’s boat shop Aug. 6-17, the course, which was led by renowned sailors and instructors John Welsford and Howard Rice (see related story), attracted participants from as far away as Germany with a confluence of education, skills, expertise and artistry.

“It’s not just a boat, it’s an adventure,” said Rice. 

Designed for adventure

Having reviewed about 80 trailerable sailboats since the launch of Small Craft Advisor (SCA) in 2003, copublisher Josh Colvin identified desirable traits and features in each. An avid small-craft sailor with two young children, he and copublisher Craig Wagner wanted to help create a seaworthy vessel capable of navigating the backwaters and eddies of the Columbia River, a popular recreation area for the Colvin family. Through the selection and merging of qualities such as maneuverability, stability and capacity, SCAMP emerged.

Embodying the allure that draws many youth to sailing, the little cruiser embodies the epitome of freedom and functionality. Unlike larger yachts, which many sailors gravitate toward as their experience and age increases, in a SCAMP, one can simply get in, shove off and have yourself an adventure, said Colvin.

“That whole vision of sailing gets distorted as you go through life and get burdened by boat maintenance, moorage, etc.,” he said. “SCAMP sailors are [often] guys with big boats moving back to the basics.”

At a glance

Once Colvin and Wagner had developed a concept they contacted Welsford, a well-known small-craft designer, educator and sailor based in New Zealand who has contributed articles and reviews to Small Craft Advisor over the years. Colvin would later reflect that choosing Welsford to design SCAMP was “one of the smartest” decisions he could have made.

“John’s sensibility and knowledge is impeccable,” Colvin said. “Immediately, he had ideas and suggestions that were right in line with the type of boat we dreamed of.”

At a length of 11 feet, 11 inches, the microcruiser isn’t required to be registered in Washington state, and because it weighs in at about 400 pounds, it is easily towed by a standard-size vehicle.

“This is the type of boat you can pull behind the family Subaru and head out for a weekend on the water,” Colvin said.

Easily sailed by one person, the vessel can seat as many as four adults comfortably, with ample room for gear in a storage cabin encompassing much of the bow. Unusually wide for its length, the offset keel allows a sailor to sleep aboard. A cuddy, or open cabin, provides passengers with a windbreak and shields them from inclement weather.

“The [cuddy cabin] is really great, because you, or the kids, can tuck in underneath and stay warm and dry,” Welsford said.

Designed with a specific set of needs in mind, SCAMP features a pram bow and water ballast tank for increased stability. A shallow draft, kick-up rudder and skegs allow the boat to be beached.

“Normal design rules would suggest that [SCAMP] wouldn’t work, but these boats are sneaky fast and very stable,” Welsford said.

‘Let’s test it’

SCAMP is so stable, in fact, that Rice – a famous small-craft sailor known for doubling Cape Horn, the “sailor’s Mount Everest,” solo in a 55-pound wood-canvas sailing canoe – had to work at capsizing the vessel.

Rice set off from the Port Townsend Boat Haven on a cold December day in 2010 to test-sail the first SCAMP prototype – built by Kees Prins and the Northwest Maritime Center. The following March he returned from his home in Micronesia to conduct capsize testing. Standing on the lee rail with mainsheet in hand, Rice struggled to knock the SCAMP over despite high winds. Finally he managed to put her on her side and jumped into the water. Wearing a dry suit and under the close eye of seasoned sailors, Rice took less than a minute to pull the boat upright and clamor back inside the cockpit.

“SCAMP’s stability is one of its greatest qualities,” Rice said. “Even in those extreme conditions, I was able to recover quickly.”

(To view a video of the capsize test, visit

 youtube.com and search “SCAMP active capsize.”)

Looking like wooden skeletons, ten SCAMP frame sets consumed nearly all of the space in the Northwest Maritime Center’s boat shop, allowing just enough room for 13 students and four instructors to maneuver in between cutting, sawing, sanding, gluing and jointing the boats together.

Ten students set out to build their own SCAMPs, while others assisted as “shadows,” learning the process so they could assemble their boats at a future date. Skill levels ranged widely, said Welsford, but camaraderie quickly formed, and soon the hum of activity was drawing crowds of passersby.

Welsford and Rice teamed up with boat shop manager Scott Jones and assistant manager Jason Bledsoe, both NWSWB alumni, to teach the course. Rice later referred to the combination of instructors as “seamless happiness.”

“I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such a talented group of individuals,” he said. “I learned so much and find that my style of boatbuilding is now truly enhanced.”

Traveling from Portland, Keith Nasman said that the instructors helped not only by offering direction and advice, but by performing many of the tedious tasks, such as cutting planks, so students could focus on learning the more intricate techniques.

Eric Hervol, a NWSWB graduate, said that he relished the opportunity to work in a style of boatbuilding different than that to which he was accustomed and under the instruction of high-caliber teachers.

“It is a rare to be able to build a boat alongside the actual designer,” he said. “It’s an opportunity not to be missed.”

Local, local, local

In addition to the SCAMP being designed and built in Port Townsend, the SCAMP class causes an economic ripple effect as it draws on the talents and resources of local businesses and individuals.

“This is the first of what we hope to be many collaborations between the local schools and businesses centered in the marine trades,” said Pete Leenhouts, director of the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding. “Together we can support and promote this community as a true destination for wooden boat enthusiasts.”

Turn Point Design owner Brandon Davis drafted plans for the SCAMP kit, which were essential to the success of the class. Cutting each kit from plywood purchased from local lumber supplier Edensaw Woods, Davis made slight adjustments to the original design, such as adding puzzle joints and scribe marks that aided in ease of construction.

“It has been a really fun project to be involved in and a great group of people to be working with,” he said.

Connecting with Port Townsend’s Westside Marine, Colvin and store manager Tim Arthur were able to customize an EZ Loader trailer to fit the SCAMP perfectly.

That success allowed Leenhouts to further promote a “package deal” to SCAMP builders, enabling participants to find all that they needed for the project locally.

Arthur said he initially expected to sell three to five trailers. He was “amazed” when the project “took on a life of its own” and he received orders for nine.

 We are very happy to have the opportunity to work with another local business and look forward to serving more [SCAMP] clients.”

SCAMPS are currently sold in one of four ways. Individuals can purchase a set of plans and build the boat at home; buy a kit and build it at home; purchase a kit and build it in a classroom setting; or commission a fiberglass model from Gig Harbor Boat Works. Colvin said each SCAMP is marked with a sail number, and so far, 169 have been sold to builders all around the world.

The next “SCAMP Camp” is scheduled for October in Michigan, with plans to return to Port Townsend for round two in March 2013, said Rice.

Both Welsford and Rice are scheduled to speak at the 36th annual Wooden Boat Festival, Sept.7-9, where a SCAMP will be on display.

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Small Craft Advisor

Boat Designs: Evaluating SCAMP’S Big Sister

(this new welsford cruiser checks a lot of boxes…).

Over the past few days I’ve had email exchanges with John Welsford, New Zealand designer, regarding a brainstorm that’s been percolating in his clever, whimsical noggin: A bigger, more commodious takeoff on his wildly popular SCAMP design.

As most SCA readers know, the 11’ 11” SCAMP design was conceived 13 years ago when Josh Colvin, editor of this fine publication, asked Welsford to come up with a new kind of small cruising boat—one small enough to explore the most hard-to-penetrate backwaters, while being easy to rig, light enough to trailer with the smallest of tow vehicles, surprisingly great under sail, and comfy for overnight camp-cruising adventures. So, following some tweaks by designer and master boatbuilder Kees Prins, the resulting sailboat was dubbed SCAMP, for Small Craft Advisor Magazine Project.

SCAMP DRAWING…

The rest is history: More building plans and kits for SCAMP have been sold over the years than any other small cruising boat we can think of. Besides the original wooden version, Gig Harbor Boat Works was licensed in 2013 to produce a fiberglass SCAMP, and the little giant killer—in wood and fiberglass—has since its debut been at the center of various small-boat rallies, workshops and sailing events.

While SCAMPs are still being built worldwide by enthusiasts, plan and kit sales have slowly been approaching what might be a kind of saturation point. It’s not that “everyone who wants a SCAMP has already built one,” but we get the feeling that it’s time for something new and different—like a SCAMP-inspired design that has the personality and quirky appeal of the original boat, but with more creature comforts (for an aging population of SCAMP lovers).

Meet SCALLYWAG, John Welsford’s big sister to SCAMP, a 15’ 4” x 7’ 3” wonder with a “real” cabin, tabernacle mast, mizzen sail, powerful main, water-ballast tanks, sitting headroom down below…and like SCAMP, faster than many onlookers might expect.

SCALLYWAG DRAWING…

This might turn out to be a timely, common-sense follow-up to the successful SCAMP design—so tempting that John Welsford is talking about building one for himself.

(As a footnote, we might add that in 2008, prior to the introduction of SCAMP in 2010, Welsford came up with another design that was similar to but somewhat larger than SCAMP—called TREAD LIGHTLY, which measured 13’ overall, with a beam of 5’ and addition of a mizzen. The series of similar hulls began with PEANUTS, an experimental build that never quite made the plans list. That design led to TENDER BEHIND, then SHERPA, then TREAD LIGHTLY, then SCAMP, then SCRAPS and now SCALLYWAG. Quite a series!)

TREAD LIGHTLY drawing…immediate predecessor to SCAMP)

Here is John Welsford’s description of the SCALLYWAG design:

“I’ve had a number of people tell me they love SCAMP, but they’d like a ‘real’ cabin—something that would provide shelter for a couple of friends to overnight out of the rain; somewhere with space enough for four to sit and chat over coffee or rum on a cold evening; somewhere with a bench for a cooker, a table to eat the food off of, and lockers for all the essentials…and room for the skipper and first mate to stretch out and sleep in comfort.

“SCALLYWAG is not so big as to make launching and retrieving a chore; her mainmast is in a tabernacle, which makes standing it up easy-peasy for clients who don’t like the idea of lifting a mast that size vertically into place. Her mizzen is light enough to not be a worry, too, in that respect.

“The rig is a powerful one, but easy to access for reefing, and she will heave to under mizzen with the main let free so she sits mostly head-to-wind, dry and restful if a gust has to be waited out.

“I’ve added a pair of big water tanks for ballast, so with that and her beamy shape she’ll be very stable. Her cockpit self-drains, the motor is inside the tall transom for easy access, and while there’s room in the cockpit for four, she’ll be easy to single-hand and relaxing to sail.

“While the relationship between SCALLYWAG and SCAMP is obvious, it’s not just the styling. The backroom calculations in hydrodynamics suggest she’ll handle well, and be faster than many expect. With high stability and the ability to sit upright when aground, she’ll be able to transition from hiding in the mud or sand up a creek somewhere, to making a longer coastal passage without any fuss.

“Construction is simply plywood over ply bulkheads, with stringers to line everything up, and with considerable buoyancy just in case. The plans will have scale drawings of all major components, and we anticipate soon having printable full-sized templates for frames and other key items.”

As for specifications, beyond the overall length of 15’ 4” and beam of 7’ 3,” SCALLYWAG will have board-up draft of 10,” a board-down draft of 3’ 4,” a total sail area of 143 s.f. and a fully-rigged dry weight of 750 lbs. (Incidentally, the beam-to-length ratios of SCAMP and SCALLYWAG are almost identical.)

John Welsford says that plans for SCALLYWAG will be available on December 1, but he can take orders in the meantime. Price will be $245 U.S. funds for emailed, printable PDFs, and the plans can be ordered via John’s website: jwboatdesigns.co.nz (Joel Bergen, well-known for the Welsford Navigator he built and sails in many Northwest small-boat events, will be developing a set of SCALLYWAG patterns in the not-distant future, according to Welsford. Editor’s note: We heard from Joel yesterday; he’s hoping to develop CAD-produced patterns “in a few weeks,” now that he’s received initial SCALLYWAG drawings. Stay tuned; we’ll provide updates on plans and patterns in this space.)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE SCALLYWAG DESIGN:

Eager to hear what SCAMP-savvy friends might have to say about the SCALLYWAG specs and just-released drawing, we sought initial reactions from…

JOSH COLVIN, editor of Small Craft Advisor , who commissioned the SCAMP design in 2010 and enjoys sailing SCAMP #1:

“There’s certainly no doubt who designed this one! It looks almost as much like Welsford’s PENGUIN as a SCAMP. SCALLYWAG’s length is a sweet spot in terms of accommodations potential. She’ll be rowed less than most SCAMPs, but I love the inboard motor well to keep her lines clean, and the engine right at hand. But her most exciting feature is the addition of the mizzen, which will improve seaworthiness and make managing the mainsail easier.

“Between LONG STEPS and SCALLYWAG, those looking for something like SCAMP, but larger, have great options. I’m excited to see the first boat built—she will be bigger than most expect, just looking at the drawing.” SIMEON BALDWIN, builder of an early SCAMP who has perhaps sailed more nautical miles with a SCAMP than anyone…and who has also served as a generous advisor to fellow SCAMP builders and is an expert on rigging and sailing the little 11’ 11” boats:

“I like what I see of this long-rumored design. Knowing John and his attention to ergonomics, I can anticipate it will work well. The tabernacled mast and addition of a mizzen are most appealing.

“From the drawing I think it may resemble LONG STEPS in terms of the recessed footwell. It also appears he is eschewing a by-design lazarette made popular by many SCAMP owners.

“The double water tanks are something to contemplate. I don’t envision SCALLYWAG as a purpose-built racer with crew, actively keeping high-side ballast on long tacks, like the SKATE 15 that Brandon Davis designed, which utilizes two tanks and a dump-valve system that may be more elaborate than a typical cruising sailor would want to live with. But John may be describing two water tanks that are filled and remain separate from one another.”

(Editor’s note: Welsford’s comment on tanks, “The ballast tanks are linked, and they’re not far enough off the centerline to work independently. There is one each side of the aft end of the centerboard case and they go out as far as the seat-front extensions.”)

“I’m looking forward to how all of this works out!”

BRANDON DAVIS, of Turn Point Design in Port Townsend, whose company cuts CNC kits for the SCAMP and a variety of other small boats. Brandon is also a skilled designer and small-boat sailor:

“I really like this boat, since it has just enough room to have a cabin but it’s still small enough to be trailered, beached and easily built in a garage. The enclosed cabin should encourage longer trips or taking a friend along.

“The longer waterline should increase average sailing speeds. My guess is that rowing speed will be lower than the SCAMP, as the rower will not be able to take advantage of the waterline length because of her weight.

“Will SCALLYWAG be offered as a kit? I could see it selling well as a kit and the market could be ripe. Many SCAMP builders might consider this as their next build.

“I look forward to seeing the first SCALLYWAGs on the water!”

KEES PRINS, designer and boatbuilder, who constructed the first SCAMP while serving as boatshop manager at the Northwest Maritime Center…and in the process suggested and implemented some changes that improved the design:

“I think SCALLYWAG will find a great following in the SCAMP world and beyond. Adding a cabin will greatly enlarge the ‘SCAMP Crowd.’ At that beam, and with twin ballast tanks, stability should be enormous for a boat this length. I would have liked to see a cross section through the cabin to know more about sitting comfort. (Four people hanging out inside seems a little optimistic, but two should be comfortable.)

“I’m curious about what the tabernacle for the unsupported mast will look like. A big sail area, together with a stiff hull will induce a significant load on the tabernacle. There seems to be a deep well for the mast base to swing through, judging by the drain hole.

“All in all, SCALLYWAG looks very promising.”

OSCAR LIND, a serious student of all various small-boat designs , and earlier builder of a SCAMP, who shares at least one thing in common with John Welsford—they’ve never met a pun they didn’t like:

“I might have to clear out the shop and make as much room as possible to build this boat (due to the 7’ 3” beam, especially). It’s so tempting and fills the bill for usability and function.

“It does need a Chinese lug rig, though. I expect quite a few SCALLYWAGS will ultimately be built.”

(Editor’s note: John Welsford comments, “I like the Chinese lugsail, but for a sail of this size on a boat that will be trailered, rigged and derigged for each outing and dry-stored, the extra complexity of the Junk sail slows the process. As well, the balanced lug is in my experience, a little quicker upwind—unless the junk rig has cambered-panel sails, and there are few sailmakers producing those, so I think in this case, simplicity and performance get the nod.”)

As for my personal view as a serial boatbuilder, restorer and sometimes buyer of project boats, I enjoyed owning a SCAMP several years ago. While I loved sailing the boat, I wished it was bigger and included a sleeping cabin. So, John’s new SCALLYWAG design checks many more boxes as an all-around keeper, and I prefer its overall hull, cabin and rig design, not to mention its potential as a serious cruising machine.

So, once again, here’s a chance for you, as a fellow boat nut, to offer your evaluation of SCAMP and her newly-hatched big sister, SCALLYWAG. (Also, please add other thoughts in the comments section below…) • SCA •

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S.C.A.M.P. (Small Craft Advisor Magazine Project) For Plans Instant Download, click HERE Original Designer: John Welsford Additional Development: Kees Prins Kit Adaptations: Turn Point Design Our own youthful dreams often featured small boats in starring roles. Aboard these simple, stalwart little vessels we'd venture across nebulous bodies of water in search of distant wild shorelines or uncharted islands. We'd land, hike into the interior, and make camp. But always our boats offered refuge from any threat, including summer storms, which we'd wait out beneath our boom tents. At night we'd read sea stories by oil lantern and sleep under a blanket of stars.

Curiously, never once did these visions include negative images of wrestling with a heavy mast and complex rigging, fussing with a smelly, recalcitrant outboard, or being held off shore by our boat's draft. And even when we pictured the afternoon breeze kicking up whitecaps, never once did the vision include a chilly capsize.

It was the dream of returning to those simple pleasures that inspired thoughts of SCAMP. That and a persistent desire to go over "there" - that place we often see but are unable to reach. It seems to happen on every cruise. Never mind that we're usually sailing the smallest boat around for miles, we always come upon some ultra-shallow lagoon or serpentine tidal stream that disappears into the reeds, trees and rushes. To get in there - to really commune with nature - a boat needs to be light, shallow and easily propelled - and preferably flat-bottomed in case we decide to stay right though the ebb.

SCAMP features an offset centerboard, massive flotation from sealed seats and stowage cabin, a water ballast tank holding 173 pounds of water, an after cabin "veranda" that functions like a hard dodger, and a flat bottom and skegs for beaching.

PLANS: Complete plans now available on 7 24 x 36" sheets. A complete "Building guide" with suggested steps Is available in printed or digital format. Additionally, there are several boats beginning construction and documenting progress at the Small Craft Advisor message board and elsewhere online.

LOA - 11 ft 11 in Beam - 5 ft 4 in Draft (board up) - 7 in Water Balast - 173 lbs. Weight (including rig) - 420 lb s.

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SCAMP Sailboat

Our own youthful dreams often featured small boats in starring roles. Aboard these simple, stalwart little vessels we'd venture across nebulous bodies of water in search of distant wild shorelines or uncharted islands. We'd land, hike into the interior, and make camp. But always our boats offered refuge from any threat, including summer storms, which we'd wait out beneath our boom tents. At night we'd read sea stories by oil lantern and sleep under a blanket of stars.

Curiously, never once did these visions include negative images of wrestling with a heavy mast and complex rigging, fussing with a smelly, recalcitrant outboard, or being held off shore by our boat's draft. And even when we pictured the afternoon breeze kicking up whitecaps, never once did the vision include a chilly capsize.

It was the dream of returning to those simple pleasures that inspired thoughts of S.C.A.M.P. (Small Craft Advisor Magazine Project). That and a persistent desire to go over "there" - that place we often see but are unable to reach. It seems to happen on every cruise. Never mind that we're usually sailing the smallest boat around for miles, we always come upon some ultra-shallow lagoon or serpentine tidal stream that disappears into the reeds, trees and rushes. To get in there - to really commune with nature - a boat needs to be light, shallow and easily propelled - and preferably flat-bottomed in case we decide to stay right though the ebb. —SCA

Features: Water Ballast Tank • Offset centerboard • Massive Flotation Stowage Cabin • "Veranda" Overhanging Cabintop • Kickup Rudder Flat Bottom and Skegs for Beaching • Voluminous Stowage Lockers 8' 3" Cockpit Sole Single Berth • Convert Cockpit Seats to Double Berth

Original Designer: John Welsford • Design Development: Kees Prins •  Kit Adaptation: Turn Point Design

For more SCAMP discussion visit our Scamp Forum here. SCAMP's FaceBook page is here.

You can view the International SCAMP Registry to see where owners are located around the world.

A Boat Called SCAMP by Dick Herman

SCAMP Foils Kit

SCAMP Package: Every Article We've Published on SCAMP (issue #63 to #75)

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Officials identify "vessel of interest" in deadly boat hit and run

Baltimore bridge span removed; ship freed with precision blast

Dali, the container ship that felled the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March, was freed Monday by precision explosive charges that dismantled the span of the Baltimore roadway that came down on it.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced at a news conference that a channel 50 feet deep and 700 feet wide was expected to be available to vessels at the end of the month and that it would be a key piece for "fully opening vessel traffic to the port."

The Port of Baltimore was initially shuttered at 1:28 a.m. March 26 when the 940-foot, Singapore-flagged ship lost power and drifted into the bridge, which serves as the unofficial gateway to a harbor formed where the Patapsco River meets Chesapeake Bay.

The bridge collapsed, blocking vessel traffic and killing six workers who were on it.

A unified command that includes the Army Corps of Engineers, the Coast Guard, Maryland State Police and other authorities, immediately began working to create new channels in the port to facilitate basic shipments.

"Over the last seven weeks, we've moved a total of 365 commercial vessels through the alternate channels that have been established," Coast Guard Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath said Monday.

Baltimore is a top 20 U.S. port for shipping, and it ranks at the top or near the top for car importation.

The removal was less Las Vegas showtime and more Swiss clockwork as the charges emitted short flames and a minor puff of smoke as they released the bonds that helped the bridge carry 34,000 vehicles a day.

Truss structure fell away toward the water, and soon the ship's deck was unburdened by the span, video from the scene showed.

Coast Guard Capt. David O’Connell said the blasts went "according to plan."

The Dali’s 21-member crew remained onboard the ship during the detonation, and no injuries or problems were reported, O’Connell said.

Material was removed with the help of cranes and vessels. Moore said it would be placed atop a dolly and taken to a recycling facility.

The Dali will be refloated and removed, the Army Corps of Engineers said.

Full removal of the ship and the structure could take two more days. Officials said their timeline, which includes reopening the port to full traffic by May 31, was on track.

Dennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. 

Killer whales ram and sink sailing yacht off Gibraltar coast

The Alboran Cognac was rammed by an unknown number of orcas in the Strait of Gibraltar at around 9am local time on Sunday, the Spanish maritime rescue service said.

Tuesday 14 May 2024 11:54, UK

Orcas have sunk a yacht off the coast of Gibraltar - the latest in a string of similar attacks by the mammals over the past four years.

The Alboran Cognac sailing vessel was rammed by an unknown number of killer whales in the Strait of Gibraltar at around 9am local time on Sunday, the Spanish maritime rescue service said.

Two people were on board, who reported feeling blows to the boat's hull and rudder before it started taking on water.

They had to be rescued by a nearby oil tanker after they radioed the coastguard for help. The pair were taken to Gibraltar for safety, while the yacht was left adrift and later sank.

There have been around 700 interactions between orcas and ships since the trend emerged in the area in May 2020, according to the research group GTOA.

They believe such attacks could be the result of the orcas' playful curiosity or the animals confusing boats with competitors for bluefin tuna - their favourite prey.

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Experts claim these incidents, which have been confined to the strait that separates Spain and Portugal from Africa, are the work of a sub-population of around 15 orcas.

In May last year, a yacht called The Mustique was severely damaged by several of the whales and had to be towed to Cadiz.

Guidelines issued by the Spanish Transport Ministry stipulate that whenever ships observe any alteration in the behaviour of orcas - such as sudden changes of direction or speed - they should leave the area as soon as possible and avoid further disturbance to the animals during the manoeuvres.

Read more from Sky News England's largest lake is 'turning green' Wild swimming spots get designated status

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Every interaction between a ship and an orca must be reported to authorities.

Although known as killer whales, endangered orcas are part of the dolphin family. They can measure up to eight metres long and weigh up to six tonnes as adults.

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Orcas have sunk another vessel off the European coast. Why won't they stop ramming boats?

The orcas are at it again: for the seventh time in four years, a pod of whales has sunk a boat after ramming it in Moroccan waters off the Strait of Gibraltar. 

The 15 metre-long yacht Alborán Cognac, which carried two people, encountered the highly social apex predators at 9am local time on Sunday, Spain's maritime rescue service said.

The passengers reported feeling sudden blows to the hull and rudder before water started to seep into the sailboat. It is not known how many orcas were involved.

After alerting rescue services, a nearby oil tanker took them onboard and carried them to Gibraltar on Spain's southern coast.

Nothing could be done to save the sailboat, which drifted and eventually sank. 

It's the latest incident in what has become a trend of hundreds of interactions between orcas and boats since the "disruptive behaviour" was first reported in the region in May 2020. 

The origin of this new behaviour has baffled scientists, though the leading theory suggests this "social fad" began as a playful manifestation of the whales' curiosity.

Where have orcas interacted with boats?

The latest data from the Atlantic Orca Working Group (GTOA), an organisation that contributes to the animals' conservation and management, shows that there have been at least 673 interactions since 2020. 

GTOA defines interactions as instances when orcas react to the presence of approaching boats with or without physical contact. 

The map below shows the highest numbers of encounters from April to May 2024 took place off Spain's southern coast in the Strait of Gibraltar (red zones), with some lesser activity in surrounding areas (yellow zones). 

A 2022 peer-reviewed study published in the Marine Mammal Science journal found the orcas in these areas preferred interacting with sailboats — both monohulls (72 per cent) and catamarans (14 per cent) — with an average length of 12 metres.

A clear pattern emerged of orcas striking their rudders, while sometimes also scraping the hulls with their teeth. Such attacks often snapped the rudder, leaving the boat unable to navigate.

"The animals bumped, pushed and turned the boats," the authors of the report said. 

Adding this week's encounter, there have been seven reported cases of orcas damaging a boat so badly that it has sunk, though the people onboard were rescued safely each time.

In June 2023, a run-in with the giant mammals in the Strait of Gibraltar forced the crew competing in The Ocean Race to drop its sails and raise a clatter in an attempt to scare the approaching orcas off. 

No-one was injured, but Team JAJO skipper Jelmer van Beek said that it had been a "scary moment".

"Three orcas came straight at us and started hitting the rudders," he said.

"Impressive to see the orcas, beautiful animals, but also a dangerous moment for us as a team ... Luckily, after a few attacks, they went away."

After analysing 179 videos and photos of these types of interactions, which lasted on average 40 minutes, researchers concluded there was no reason to classify the events as intentionally hostile behaviour.

"The behaviour of orcas when interacting with boats is not identified as aggressive," they said.

"One of their main motivations has been identified as competition with boats for speed."

Still, the researchers of the study admitted they were not sure what triggered the novel behaviour in 2020.

"We are not yet certain what the origin of these interactions is, but it is still suspected that it could be a curious and playful behaviour," they wrote.

"[The behaviour] could be self-induced, or on the other hand it could be a behaviour induced by an aversive incident and therefore a precautionary behaviour."

Are the same orcas responsible for these incidents?

Out of around 49 orcas living in the Strait of Gibraltar, GTOA researchers found a total of 15 whales  from at least three different communities participated in the unusual interactions with boats between 2020 and 2022.

Most of those that engaged with greater intensity were juveniles, though it's unclear if others have since joined the group.

These giant mammals, which belong to the dolphin family, can measure up to eight metres and weigh up to six tonnes as adults.

The director of the Orca Behaviour Institute, Monika Wieland Shields, has said there is no evidence to prove the theory these whales were seeking vengeance against humans for a past trauma.

"While I'm sure it feels like an attack for the people on board, for the whales themselves, it really looks more like play behaviour," she said.

"There's something intriguing or entertaining to them about this [boat rudder] mechanism and they're just showing a lot of curiosity about it."

Ms Wieland said it's likely this new behaviour spread through the population as a kind of "social fad".

"Orcas are highly intelligent, very social animals, and with that comes a tendency to be curious about and explore your environment," she said.

"One thing that we see are these kind of fad behaviours that will appear in a certain population.

"One whale discovers something, they find it entertaining or interesting, or fun — it's some type of game. And then they will teach that to other members of their family group."

Are orcas dangerous to humans?

While orcas have earned their fearsome reputation for preying on other marine animals, there is no record of them killing humans in the wild. 

In captivity, orcas have killed four people since the 1990s, though it's unclear whether the deaths were accidental or deliberate attempts to cause harm.  

Ms Shields said she was worried the recent interactions between orcas and boats would skew people's perceptions of these mammals.

"I am concerned that people are going to react with fear, potentially injure or shoot at some of these whales," Ms Shields said.

"We really need to educate boaters about the best things that they can do to make themselves less attractive to the whales and the best case scenario would be the whales lose interest in this and move onto something less destructive."

Spain's Transport Ministry advises that whenever boats observe any changes in the behaviour of orcas — such as in their direction or speed — they should leave the area as soon as possible and avoid further disturbance to the animals.

The ministry also states every interaction between a ship and an orca must be reported to authorities.

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Palestinian truckers fear for safety after aid convoy for Gaza wrecked

Palestinian hauliers said on Tuesday they feared for the security of aid convoys to Gaza, a day after Israeli protesters wrecked trucks carrying humanitarian supplies bound for the enclave, which is facing a severe hunger crisis.

Teens charged with felonies for dumping barrels full of trash into ocean after viral video

Two teens turned themselves in and were charged with felonies after a video went viral of people dumping of two barrels of trash from a boat into the ocean during the April 28, Boca Bash event, reports say.

The boys, who are 15 and 16 years old, are from Palm Beach County, which is an hour and a half drive from Miami, reports the Miami Herald .

The paper adds that the teenagers were arrested on third degree felony charges for causing pollution “so as to harm or injure human health or welfare, animal, plant or aquatic life or property."

The incident garnered national attention and outrage after a video of the suspects emptying trash barrels off the back of a boat and into the Atlantic Ocean was posted to social media.

The video was originally posted by @Wavy_Boats on Instagram. The footage was captured with a drone off the coast of South Florida and showed the teens emptying the trash bins over the railing of the boat.

What happened?

FWC officers launched an investigation April 29, after receiving complaints in response to a video posted on social media that showed several juveniles on a boat traveling out of the Boca Inlet. The boat was heading away from the Boca Bash , an unsanctioned gathering of boaters, Jet-Skiers and kayakers that takes place on the final Sunday of each April on Lake Boca and attracts thousands of people.

The trash-dumping incident, captured by a drone, showed eight to 10 people in a three-engine fishing vessel named Halcyon leaving the Boca Raton Inlet in heaving waves. Two young men were then seen dumping two large buckets of garbage over the side of the boat, leaving a trail of multicolored cans, cups and bottles in their wake.

News outlets nationwide broadcast the video. The outrage that followed turned the incident into "a worldwide story," FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto said. He told the FWC board, at a Wednesday meeting in Daytona Beach, that the world "is watching us."

"We don’t even have words for this." - @CleanMiamiBeach

Sophia Ringel, the founder of Clean Miami Beach, a Miami-based nonprofit organization that is dedicated to protecting Miami Beach and its marine wildlife, told USA TODAY the video is "heartbreaking."

Ringel said that she and her team were "very very shocked to see that some individuals just seem to not care at all and throw trash in the ocean."

She adds that the video was difficult to watch, especially because her organization works so hard to clean the beach and educate the public about the ocean and marine life.

Boca Bash trash dumping incident drew national attention

The Boca Bash Facebook page addressed the incident in an  April 30 post , saying the boating community would work together to identify the boat and its occupants so they could be reported to FWC investigators.

FWC said its investigators were able to confirm the identities of the two teens and worked with the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office to determine what charges they will face. Under Florida's  litter law , someone dumping litter that weighs 15 pounds or less can be fined $150, but it is not a criminal offense. If the litter exceeds 15 pounds but is under 500 pounds, it is a first-degree misdemeanor.

In a statement announcing the pending charges, Barreto described it as a "teaching moment for all those involved."

“The illegal dumping of trash in our marine environment is a serious crime, and we worked closely with the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office to determine appropriate charges. Callous disregard for Florida’s environment will not be tolerated," he said.