Joel's Zephyr Site

Joel's Zephyr site

Welcome!

Sunday, October 25, 2009
Final Blog
After 3 years of enjoyable sailing, I have sold my beloved Zephyr to make room for my next boatbuilding project. The gentleman who bought my Zephyr drove all the way from Southern California here to the Seattle area to get the boat - a real testiment to Zephyr's desireability. I miss my Zephyr dearly, but I miss the experience of building a boat even more. I have chosen John Welsford's Navigator for my next project - a challenging boat to build and a beautiful boat when finished. I will keep this website up and I will continue to offer help and advice to Zephyr builders as long as possible.

7:46 am pdt

Friday, May 16, 2008
Another zephyr nears completion!
Chris in Palm Beach is nearing completion of his Zephyr. He's done a magnificent job. I really like the way he's done his sheer clamps and decking. Very Nice! Chris sent me a link to his photo gallery. Check it out in the "Zephyrs" page.
8:43 am pdt

Sunday, December 9, 2007
FAQ Update
I posted some more answers in the FAQ section.
2:14 pm pst

Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Website Update
Thanks, everyone, for the kind comments in the guestbook and e-mail!

I added some additional details in the Construction section. Enjoy!

8:28 pm pdt

2009.10.01 | 2008.05.01 | 2007.12.01 | 2007.09.01

In the summer of 2006 I built my first wooden sailboat; a "Zephyr" designed by Sam Devlin in Olympia, WA. The Zephyr is Devlin's adaptation of the classic Melonseed skiff, built from plywood using the popular stitch-and-glue construction technique. This site was created to document my experience of building this boat, and hopefully to assist current and future builders of this delightful sailing skiff.

Follow the links at the left to continue your journey!

Click here to order plans for the Zephyr

My cocker spaniel "Nina" really enjoyed her first sail onboard my Zephyr!

What's it like sailing a Zephyr? Here is a video clip that I shot with my digital camera while sailing on Lake Washington near Seattle in about 20 knots of wind.

Larry Cheek has written an entertaining book about his experiences in building a Devlin Zephyr. The Year of the Boat is about Larry's epic struggle with perfectionism, self-doubt, discouragement, the philosophy of human endeavors, and Larry's ultimate triumph in building his Zephyr. My Zephyr is featured in chapter 14 of Larry's book.

Check out Larry's latest project here