I'm starting a new Skiff Scrapbook - the old one got thrown out when I started the new web site. This will mostly be photos of Lumber Yard Skiffs built by me and others. The above photo is of the first 16' LYS, built in 1993 with pretty much all lumber yard materials - underlayment ply and spruce framing stock. The hull was fiberglassed on the exterior by a local 'glass shop with a chopper gun, the interior was oiled. I'm pretty sure it's still afloat, it was in 2015! 

Sorry for the poor quality photo.

9/14/23

Here are a couple of photos from Brian, a builder in Newfoundland, Canada! This shows how far the LYS plans are sold- hope to have a couple from New Zealand soon! Looks like Brian did a great job of building. Here are Brian’s comments also-

Hi Walter, got my LYSS 16 mostly done last week. I didn’t modify it much from the original plan like I thought I would earlier, just used I layer of 3/4 for the bottom. I did add two more keel shoes as we do a lot of beaching with it. Didn’t notice any beer canning in the chop. Didn’t get the decks framed properly yet so I could get it in the water this weekend. Performs really great with just a 20hp. Very happy with it and it looks great.

3/28/23

Some photos from a builder down South-he uses his 16’ LYS to fish for redfish in the back country- shallow waters. Here are his remarks -

“Hi Walter….I bought the plans from you sometime in 2016 and officially finished it on Father’s Day June 17,2018.

I built it for the exact reasons listed in the magazine article/pictures.

Redfishing down here is a done in very shallow water and this LYS allows me to get up into the creeks.

I get tons of compliments at the ramp every time I take her out.

Thanks for a great design.”

Thanks to Dean C. for the photos- great job on the boat!

12/14/22

Here are a few photos of a nice 16’ LYS built by Jason M in Manchester MA . Jason kept this one simple and sweet. Nice job…

4/5/22

Went to get my truck frame welded, and saw this great 20’ LYS built out of aluminum. All the work was done by the owner including all the T-top framing and other tubing. Awlgrip finish. Nice work!

12/30/21

Just got a couple of photos of a 20’ LYS I built in 2017, the last one…Here is one of them- the boat looks great!

11/17/21

Here are a couple of photos of a boat I built as a bare hull around 2008 or so, finished by the customer. He decided to sell it this spring, and another customer of mine bought it and repainted it. Boat is in great shape, in use on Bass River here on the Cape. Great color!

9/23/21

Here are a few photos of a 20’ LYS built by Roger, in New Hampshire . The lovely lady in the photos is his daughter.

Sorry for the distortions in the photos- the web site software does that…

A coupe of 16’ LYS ready for work in Wellfleet Harbor, May 2021…

3/24/21

On the water research in the time of Covid- using a 16’ LYS I built . Last summer, Falmouth Harbor…

12/4/20

Here are a couple of photos of an LYS built in Florida by Conrad C. and his son. They built it for a high school project, he said his son won a prize for it. They did a great job, hope they caught some fish!

As an interesting side note, I knew Conrad’s father many years ago- he owned a Swampscott dory that I built for another customer, and that dory is still in use in Wellfleet 30 years or so later!

9/24/20

I have been selling a lot of plans during this crazy time, so here are a few photos of Lumber yard Skiffs built recently, during the pandemic.

…And here’s LYS #1, in the water , 8/14/19 !!

8/27/20

Hrere are a couple of photos of a recently built 16’ LYS, a “pandemic project”. Built by Barry R., he did a great job, including the name- “Social Distance”!

Here are Barry’s comments- Hi Walter 

Finished “Social Distance“ (My pandemic project)
She runs great and looks terrific... lots of compliments all around.  Grandkids love her.  Thought you’d appreciate some photos. Thanks for your advice during the project!

Thanks for the photos!

4/16/20- a blast from the past…

10/7/19

Another proud builder, Brennan G, sent in a couple of photos of his 16’ LYSS. He did a great job, here are the photos-

Here are some photos of the 20’ LYS that Steve H built in Michigan last winter, in the water , also a fish caught using the boat.

5/2/19

Here are a few photos and comment from Steve H., Building a 20’ LYS in Michigan. he has already built a 16’, and uses it for Lake Trout fishing on Lake Superior. he wanted something a bit larger, so he chose the 20’.

2/13/19

A comment from Steve…

Hi Walter!

I need to thank you again for these wonderful boats. We love our 16ftr and just couldn’t resist to see what the 20 would be like. And in about a month we’ll forward you our launch!!!

Recent comment from Dale from Indiana, who built a LYS . A happy builder!

Walter, Thank you for such I wonderfull set of skiff plans. I grew up fishing Jersey lobster and have commercially fished both east and west coasts. Along with 8 years in Alaska. Having retired from commercial fishing 11 years ago and moving to the Midwest, I still always wanted to build a skiff from scratch . Well that’s done and I thank you . I get many compliments on what nice lines this simple skiff has!!! It was a wonderfull and fulfilling project! I’ve fished a lot of boats and there is just something classy about a boat with lines. So many boats built today just don’t have any. Your skiff is simple but when properly built you can sit back and truly enjoy “ the lines” 

12/4/18

Here’s a photo of the 20’ LYS I built a couple of years ago, after a couple of seasons on the water. Looks pretty good…

9/18…

Here are a couple of photos of a 16’ LYSS built by Tyler G- another nice build. Tyler says he wants to try a sailing rig on the boat -stay tuned!

7/18/18

Here are a few photos of a 20' LYS built by Doug R., and a comment-

Thanks Walter,
Just wanted to show you my build, going to get the motor hung this weekend, will send other pics when in the water. Really fun build and can’t wait to do some fishing out of her. First boat build for me, exactly what I needed.

Nice Job by Doug!

6/27/18

Here are a couple of photos of a recently completed 16' LYS, built by Donald S. He did a very nice job.

10/23/17

Here's another recently completed LYS, by Peter Stockless.

10/20/17

Here's a photo of a recently completed LYS, Built by Henk Hoets in Westport, CT, and a comment-

" I launched my 16'LYS. See pictures attached. I built it from the plans you sent, set #757 dated March 3/2/2016. We also met in Mystic in June 2016. The boat runs great with a 25 hp four stroke Yamaha. Your plans and instructions made it easy to  build. Several people have complemented the boats lines and style."

9/1/17

Here are a couple of photos of recently built Lumber Yard Skiffs- One of the 20' LYS I recently finished, now out of Point Judith, RI, and one owner built on Cape Cod, By John LoDico ...

11/1/16

Here's a copy of the short article that was  in WoodenBoat magazine, Nov/Dec 2016. Hope WoodenBoat doesn't mind my reproducing it here-Thanks, WoodenBoat!

8/31/16

More photos of an owner built Lumber Yard Skiff, this time from  Texas. Chris Jasper sent these in, with the following comments - 

"I attached more pictures you can use if you want to. They are pictures of when we took the boat out for the first time. The boat handled great and surprisingly had plenty of room for my family of 5. My 2 year old twin girls loved it! The sides are high enough that they can't fall over deck and we could let them walk around freely. The front and back decks allow plently of room to stand and fish and the boat is very stable. Thanks again for the design. We look forward on enjoying this boat for years to come. "

8/4/16

Here are some photos and comments from Steve Heller on the 16' LYS he built. Steve is from Michigan and enjoys fishing for lake trout, as you can see. Thanks, Steve.

Hi Walter,

First, What a boat!, What adventures we have enjoyed on it!  Thank You!

I'm leaving my house 4 or 5 mornings each week early 4 thirty am or so that puts me on Lake Michigan around 5am with my lines down for Lake Trout.  I launch in the Harbor of Frankfort, (on the end little pinky knuckle of the left had...hold it up like a mitten)  That early hour and watching the weather, I've had great success on the open water with  my LLS 16'.  I'm very cautions, now I appreciate how seaworthy a craft this is!  The US Coast Guard inspected me from bow to stern and I passed just fine.

The photos are of my daughter Kendall and I on Father's Day Weekend.  She flew in from her home in Jackson Hole, Wyo for Father's Day weekend.  To head out in our new boat!   We had a nice catch and then managed to enjoy a nice swim!  The trout was excellent on the grille that evening!

I'm on the water all the time with this boat and all's well with it.  I wouldn't change anything about this project

If anyone is just thinking of building this boat, just do it....I'm so thankful I did!

Steve Heller

8/2/16

Here's a recent comment on LYS plans and the finished boat...

Walter, I just wanted to complement you on the plans and specifications that you have developed for the Lumber Yard Skiff.  This is the first boat that I have taken on.  I built it along with my 76 year old father.  We learned a few leasons along the way but in general the project was straight forward and relatively easy to do. I looked at and even ordered the plans for the Sweet Caroline from the Glen L site and found the sport skiff to be much easier to construct.  I appreciate the beam and the shear on the sport skiff.  A nice, easy project to complete.  Well built and should last a long time.

Thank you for the refinement of the plans and the support you provided during the build.

Jim Everett

7/7/16

Here are a few more photos of John Lodico's 16' LYS on launch day. Click on the right of the photo for the next one.

6/20/16

Here's a photo of a recent 16' LYSS build. John Lodico built the boat this spring on Cape Cod, the launching was 6/18/16. Boat looks like it's going pretty good. Nice job, John.

Here are a few photos of Steve Heller's recent build of a nice 16' LYS. This boat is up in Michigan, hope he sends a photo of the fish he's planning to catch.

Here's a link to a 2007 LYS build - the builder just forwarded it to me. I believe this boat was built in Canada, and is still being used. Here's a quote from the builder - "I have had the boat in the water many times. I am really impressed with how stable this boat is and how easy it is to handle."

The other day I found these 3 Polaroid photos of the original Lumber Yard skiff, dated 5/14/93. So I scanned them and here they are. Looked pretty good new...

posted 2/24/16

Here are three photos of a 20'LYS built recently on Cape Cod, along with a comment by the builder -posted 2/20/16

I'm not sure if you remember me or not but I bought some plans from you a little over 2 years ago. I would just like to say thanks and I thought I would share some pics with you of the finished boat. The boat performed excellent and is certainly not anywhere close to the typical lumberyard skiff.

Here are three photos of a 16' LYS being built by Steve Heller in Michigan.

Here are a couple of photos of a 16' LYS built out of aluminum. It was built in Maine in 2003, that's all the info I have on it.