For the April issue of 48° North, we’re asking you — faithful reader — to tell us about the boat refit you’ve been tackling.

Whether it’s a new-to-you wooden kayak, a well loved power-cruiser, a classic sailboat, a rowboat for a local adventure race, or a round-the-buoy racer you’re trying to make faster or more modern — we want to hear what projects you’re working on!

First off, good on you. There’s no such thing as an easy refit. Wherever you are in the process between design and the last coat of varnish… you’ll know and appreciate your boat more deeply for the undertaking. One of our favorite things about boat work is that we all get started somewhere, and lots of it can be done by keen amateurs, instead of expert professionals. So, with all this in mind, please help us share your story and honor your vision and hard work.

What type of boat is it?

What’s the scope of the refit?

Are you doing most of the work yourself or having others chip in to help?

What’s your ultimate goal with this boat? Day sailing, Race to Alaska, long distance cruising?

Email 48° North editors Joe Cline (joe@48north.com) and/or Andy Cross (andy@48north.com) to discuss how we might feature your refit. We’d love to hear from many of you, but we will only be able to feature a few of your refits in this article. However, we’ll try find a way to share all the refit stories with the rest of the community eventually.

Title background photo by Melanya Nordstrom courtesy of the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival archives.