Marla Hooch

Before MARLA HOOCH ever touched the water, she existed as little more than a collection of lines on paper and an idea that refused to go away.

Her design came from John R. Clark of Compumarine, a small-craft design company known for creating cedar-strip boats that could be built by amateur boatbuilders. Clark’s catalog included dinghies, tenders, skiffs, fishing boats, and other small craft intended for rowing, sailing, or modest power. Rather than producing finished boats, Compumarine supplied plans that allowed builders to transform ordinary strips of wood into something both functional and deeply personal. MARLA HOOCH is a Compumarine 12-foot Power Dinghy design, a strip-planked skiff design offered specifically for small-motor use.

The hull took shape one strip at a time from western red cedar, with mahogany and pine used throughout the boat. Cedar-strip construction rewards patience. Each narrow piece contributes only a small part of the hull, but together the strips gradually create its sweeping curves. Once the wooden structure was complete, the boat was covered with fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin, preserving the beauty of the wood while adding strength and protection.

WoodenBoat magazine had helped inspire Adam to begin the project. That influence eventually brought the story full circle when MARLA HOOCH was featured in the magazine’s online Boat Launchings collection—a home-built wooden boat becoming part of the same tradition that had encouraged her construction. gave the boat a personality before she even reached the water. Marla Hooch is also the unforgettable second baseman portrayed by Megan Cavanagh in the 1992 film A League of Their Own: unconventional, underestimated, and exceptionally capable when given the opportunity to perform. It is an appropriate name for a small wooden boat that may not look imposing beside larger vessels but represents an enormous accomplishment by her builder. She looks great from a distance but up close you can see the drips of the epoxy. What a looker! A quiet trolling motor provided her power, allowing her to move through the water at the unhurried pace that seems natural for a handcrafted wooden skiff. She was not built to overpower the harbor. She was built to enter it gracefully.

On September 8, 2012, after three years of work, MARLA HOOCH was launched at Port Jefferson, New York.