Looking to build a boat but don’t know where to start? How about this little gem from the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding? This H.C. Hanson 28-foot Forest Service Boat is a good percentage of the way there and is looking for the experienced or novice boat builder to finish the build. 

It is currently on sale for $14,625.

H.C. Hanson was a well-respected naval architect in the Pacific Northwest in the early- to mid-20th century. Throughout his 65-year career (1907 – 1972) he is thought to have designed upwards of 3,000 vessels, resulting in over 18,000 builds. His focus was in military and workboat design and he worked for the US Government during both world wars.

Many of his designs cross the threshold from workboats to classic Pacific Northwest yachts; several of which have become regional legends like Pacific Yellowfin. The Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building has built several of his Forest Service boats. H.C. Hanson originally designed these to be rugged power launches for the U.S.F.S. in the late 1950s. The original design was for a 26-foot tug; the school launched their first Forest Service Boat in 2012.

That first 26-foot boat was built for an owner in Traverse Bay, Michigan and was delivered there in 2012. In 2013 the school began another Hanson Forest Service Boat. Traditional Large Craft Instructor Tim Lee redrew the 26 that had been completed the year before to stretch it to 28 feet. The stretched design allowed for the engine box to be located outside of the pilothouse and for a slight extension of the house itself.

Built like its predecessor as a cruising tug, it is built from aromatic Port Orford Cedar from southern Oregon over white oak frames. The boat is designed to be powered by a 54 hp Yanmar diesel engine and she has an 8-foot beam, a 4-foot draft, and displaces roughly 5 tons.

And sure, it isn’t finished yet, but can’t you see the potential in this diamond in the rough? At less than $20,000 as-is, this is the perfect sweat-equity project. Whoever finishes this boat out will have an amazing deal on a Northwest pocket cruiser that will turn heads in every harbor from Port Townsend to Juneau.  

Check out her listing from the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding here, or vie her sale price listed here along with several other finished Boat School projects.

See more photos of the hull being built between 2013 and 2014 over at the NWSWB Flickr page.