This is an amateur boat-building project that I started in August of 2005 in NJ USA as a hobby, for the love of sailing ships, boat building and sailing. Funding for the project is coming from my savings.

“Little Leon” will be a 16’ sailing model of the 120’ brigantine “ Leon,” built in Norway in 1880. Her hull is constructed using the strip plank method and fiberglassed inside and out. “

She is the result of building a number of wooden ship models and often having the thought, “Wouldn’t it be great to build a model big enough that I could actually sail in it!”

Many modifications have been made, and many more will be made, so that this ship will not be a "real" scale model of Leon - but she will look a lot like the picture when she’s done.

The boat is being built in a one-car garage in a residential area, and it will be stored in the back of the house when it is finished. The masts will pivot down to make storage and trailering possible.

If you click on the other links you will see a comprehensive, pictorial history of Little Leon construction.

Construction began in September 2005. The hull was finished in October 2006. Designing and creating the spars, rigging and all but one sail were finished in the first half of 2008.

In 2009, we have sailed Little Leon in the Delaware River at the Ben Franklin Bridge, and in Swartswood Lake, Newton, NJ. We have plans to take Little Leon to the Chesapeake in Maryland in October.