A grandfather's labour of love — hundreds of classic plans scanned from vintage magazines and books, free for all who build.
All plans are free. Files are served directly from /boatplans/ and its subdirectories.
Grandpa's Archive began as one man's passion project — collecting, scanning, and preserving boat plans from vintage American magazines and out-of-print books. What started as a few dozen scans has grown into one of the largest free collections of classic small-craft plans on the internet.
The archive focuses on plans published before widespread digital distribution: Popular Mechanics, Science and Mechanics, Boat Builder Handbook, and many others. These plans represent an era when ordinary people built their own boats in garages and backyards across the country.
Hundreds of plans covering sailboats, canoes, kayaks, rowboats, hydroplanes, houseboats, inboard cruisers, dinghies, and more. Plans range from simple one-day builds to ambitious multi-year projects.
If you have scans of old boat plans — from magazines, books, or family documents — please send an email. High-resolution PDFs are preferred. All contributors are credited unless they prefer anonymity.
New plans are added regularly. Subscribe by email to be notified when new batches are uploaded.
Hosting, domain renewal, scanner maintenance, and the occasional vintage magazine purchase are ongoing costs. If you've found value here, consider making a small donation or purchasing a printed plan book from the shop.
"Build something with your hands. There is no other satisfaction quite like it."
— R. Hall, founder