Cradle boats have for centuries been a part of the maritime tradition of seafaring nations throughout the world. Many were built by shipwrights and sailors for their first-born child and then passed down through the generations, becoming cherished family heirlooms. With the passing of the age of the wooden ship this unique art form is seldom seen now except for some of the finer examples on display in maritime museums.
    With this in mind I developed the prototypes and plans for Baby Tender and Baby Tender II and since then these unique nautical heirlooms have been built by people of all levels of woodworking ability in all parts of the world.
   The lines are carefully adapted from classic boat types and the construction methods and materials are traditional. In keeping with time-honored methods, contemporary builders can feel for themselves the satisfaction of working with the elements of their ancestors and in so doing preserve some of our great nautical heritage for generations to come.
    The easy-to-follow plans for both Baby Tender and Baby Tender II include full-size patterns for planks, building molds, backbone assembly, transom, davits etc., which eliminate much of the time-consuming and tedious work. Also included are large-scale construction drawings for all assemblies, diagrams for the simple building jig and a materials list. To clarify the building process, comprehensive construction notes describing all components are number-keyed to the corresponding assemblies in all the drawings.
    For those who don't have the time to build either Baby Tender or Baby Tender II, I designed Papoose. It has the saucy lines and jaunty features of a classic cradle boat, but is simpler and quicker to construct. Plans for Papoose also include full-size patterns, construction notes and materials list.

Another heirloom project that's fun and easy to build is the rocking toy Jolly Boat. It goes together quickly, and offers years of make-believe sea-faring adventure for young sailors who've outgrown their cradle boats. Plans include full-size patterns for all parts.