Water Craft is the beautiful bi-monthly magazine that has much to offer fans of classic yachts and traditional boats as well as covering all aspects of boatbuilding from boat design to building individual boats.

The magazine is full of ideas for the practical boat owner and provides real inspiration for amateur boatbuilding, including sources of boat plans, but the professional boatbuilder is not forgotten: Water Craft regularly reports on new techniques, tools, materials and equipment and every issue includes informed and impartial boat tests of craft from canoes and dayboats through to cruising yachts.

In the trial issue Chris Perkins explains how his enthusiasm for the Scottish Coastal Rowing Project resulted in 5 weeks building the prototype and a craving for sponge puddings; Designer Paul Gartside continues his series with complete plans for a traditional round-stern workboat; and in The Workshop, Nick Coppin makes adjustable footrests for his sail and oar dinghy and Adrian Noyes assembles a professional’s steambox. 

Also featured in this issue, New Zealand designer John Welsford takes inspiration for his capable ocean-going dayboat from a west country working boat; Continuing his series on designing an environmentally-friendly motor boat, naval architect Ian Nicolson develops the mid-section; and looking forward to a whole new boating season, checkout the latest events coming up in 2010.

In Grand Designs, Paul Fisher of Selway Fisher Design presents a comfortable little pocket cruiser inspired by the skipjacks of Chesapeake Bay • Naval architect Ian Nicolson recommends the safety and simplicity of the plank bowsprit • Mike Dixon, the new Small Boat Secretary at the OGA  previews their summer gatherings • In Beautiful Peagreen Boats, Geoff Bowker on boats in build at the BBA while Moray MacPhail helps the family of the late Iain Oughtred find his forgotten designs – and looks forward to the English Raid.