I’ve roamed and I’ve rambled

And I followed my footsteps

To the sparkling sands

Of her diamond deserts…

Woody Guthrie

This Land was Made for You and Me

Brin picked a name for the boat and it’s a fine one. Diamond Desert. He had to go back to work, poor fella, but we pressed on.

Do we need a handrail in the rear?

We think so.


Look: a saguaro (desert) and a diamond…

A removable transom for motoring across the flats and reservoirs.

Hanging out with little Chattooga, one of the new Doryaks.

Cricket’s lettering skills are getting wicked good.

Diamond Desert is a long name so we went with small caps for most of the name.

Cutting SeaDek.

Enough of this shop nonsense. Time to go boating. Off to Utah to take Diamond Desert for a float with Brin, and set her free.

I think he kinda likes her.

Brin, at 6’6″, trying out little Jaguar.

Dawn the photographer hard at work.

And in her boat.

After the float trip Brin took Diamond Desert home and we went across the great divide to retrieve Bears Ears. I sold her in 2017, but now she’s coming home to join the Canyon Explorations fleet.

We visited Iron Meagan in Dolores on our way home. She is a badass metal worker who makes cool stuff, including oar stands for Andy Hutchinson.

Back home we got a visit from D6, AzRA’s new dory. She’s got a McKenzie-ish nose and a humpy shear line. It’ll be interesting to see how she fares in Grand Canyon.

Back to work on the doryaks: Joe Zelman painting the transom for Chattooga.


A fishy breastplate.

Shooting the nose bolt on Martini.

Jack Flash gets her name.

A lightning seat:

Zig zig zag– lightning oarlock braces.

And a very fun font for Martini. Oh so whimsical and mid-century modern.

You can’t beat this place for fun.