The idea has been brewing in my mind for many years. I’ve been pondering a way to reconcile my love of simple self propelled travelling with having two young children. I want to be able to share the experiences, while not inoculating them from every wanting to do it again when they are older. So my wandering mind has settled on a plan that will satisfy many requirements.

I would like to build a small wooden sailboat.

• Seaworthy enough to sail up and down the inside passage from Vancouver to Cortez Island and maybe even up the inside passage up to the Broughton Archipelago or Prince Rupert.
• Capable of taking my whole family with camping equipment and food for several days
• Able to sail in light to strong winds
• Able to be rowed comfortably by one or two people when there is no wind.
• Capable to accommodate sleeping aboard when in still water with a canvass boom tent and plenty stowage for equipment and food.
• Beachable, so that people and equipment can easily be brought to shore in remote locations.
• Can be stored on trailer on land or in the water
• A small motor well or mount when conditions and distances warrant.

So these parameters in themselves do narrow down the possibilities somewhat. But the key determinants of narrowing it down to a smaller list might be the subjective design qualities. The intangible special sauce that mixes function and form into a beautiful seaworthy sailboat. The final element is one of size, how small is too small for a family of four? Would an open boat on a typically rainy west coast day be too miserable for my family? Does the boat have to have a cabin or could we manage without?