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.
