Loon

McGowan-Designed Loop Cruiser 

Some boats come off a production line. This one started as a request to Annapolis Royal naval architect Laurie McGowan: a small, efficient outboard cruiser that could genuinely handle North America's Great Loop. McGowan's "Loon" design was the result, first proven in the open-cockpit Falcon. For this build, the design was refined further — a beamier hull, a motor bracket to open up the aft cockpit, and a hardtop over the center cockpit so it could double as an all-weather gathering space with room to stand.

Home-built in St. Andrews, New Brunswick from Okoume marine plywood with tri-axial sheathing, she's the second hull off this design — and the craftsmanship shows. She's in "as new" condition, finished to a level you rarely see on a production boat, and ready to cruise today.

Layout & Accommodations

Below, there's sleeping room for four, with a pair of forward berths and enough headroom under the hardtop to stand comfortably. Aft, a compact galley offers a sink and a refrigerated icebox, and an LPG heater keeps things warm on cool Maritime mornings — everything you'd need to actually live aboard for a stretch, not just day-trip.

Power & Performance

A Yamaha 40 HP outboard, low-houred and well maintained, moves her along at an easy 8–10 knot cruise with plenty in reserve, sipping fuel at close to a gallon an hour. Twin tanks tucked under the aft cockpit seat give her real range for a boat this size — the kind of efficiency that makes a Great Loop run, or a long summer on the Nova Scotia coast, genuinely affordable.

Electronics & Systems

She's equipped for serious cruising: radar, chartplotter with sonar, VHF, and a traditional steering compass as backup. Power away from the dock comes from a solar array charging a healthy AGM battery bank, with a dedicated engine-start battery, a proper breaker panel, and LED lighting throughout. Standard ground tackle and dual bilge pumps round out a boat built to go the distance.

Why This Boat

For anyone searching for a small, fuel-efficient cruiser with real craftsmanship and a real story behind her — not just another hull off the line — this one is worth the trip to see.