Blanchard Jr. Knockabout

These 20’ fin-keeled day sailers were designed by Norman Blanchard Sr. About 25 were built by Blanchard Boatworks on Lake Union from the late 1930s until the early 1950s, most for livery operations on Lake Washington. Because they are fast and responsive, but also stable enough to make good family boats, Junior Knockabouts are popular vessels for CWB's award-winning sail-training program SailNOW!.

Mercury Class

This boat was designed by Ernest Nunes, a Sausalito (California) designer and builder, in 1938. It is built of plywood and has a lead keel. It is a classic design sloop with a ballast keel, a cutaway forefoot, a long spoon bow and a hard chine. It was designed for the strong summer winds and steep waves of San Francisco Bay. This was one of the first one-design boats specifically designed for plywood construction and built only in wood from 1938 through 1952; hulls since then are of fiberglass.

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Geary 18

This boat was designed by Ted Geary in 1927 as a boy's racing boat. It was chosen by a Seattle Yacht Club committee from several designs submitted. The original class name was "Flattie." When Ted Geary passed away in 1960, it was changed to "Geary 18." This boat is more complex than it first appears - including its narrow deep centerboard, which is adjustable fore and aft and is removable from the inside, and the removable rudder, which can also be adjusted fore and aft . This boat is quite fast and very maneuverable. The Geary 18 has been a popular class since its beginning. There are active fleets from British Columbia to California.

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Cape Ann Dory Q'Ona

The Cape Ann Dory is a fine boat to either sail or row. The 19 foot Q’Ona has room for two or three people. Be sure to note the “thole pins,” vertical wooden pegs used as an oarlock for rowing. Due to its “V” shaped hull, the Q’Ona has a tendency to heel sharply at first. This is especially noticeable when entering or exiting the boat. But this same hull shape offers amazing stability as it heels over to the side and the boat “stiffens up,” allowing great amounts of weight to be applied to its rails. This design allowed fisherman to lean the boat easily onto its side, allowing them to pull in their heavy catches into the craft. A characteristic of all dories is that they are flat bottomed boats, with their sides and bottom planked lengthwise with no keel structure other than the bottom planking. The Cape Ann Dory is a variant of the traditional beach dory, or the Swampscott Dory, both of which are descendants of the Bank Dory. Dories such as the Q’Ona are still raced as the “Town Class” across North America. Our Cape Ann Dory was donated to CWB in 2003.

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