Paul Fisher

Paul Fisher is a distinguished British naval architect and boat designer, best known as the founder and principal of Selway-Fisher Design, a firm renowned for producing affordable, buildable plans for traditional-style wooden boats using modern construction techniques like stitch-and-tape, cedar strip-plank, and plywood. Born in the mid-20th century, he developed a passion for boats during his youth on the Thames in the 1960s, designing his first vessel at age 15. Fisher earned a Bachelor of Science in Naval Architecture and Shipbuilding from Newcastle University in 1974, followed by over a decade in the boat-building industry. In 1982, he established Selway-Fisher in Devon (now based in Lydney, Gloucestershire), where he has created more than 400 designs spanning canoes, dinghies, dayboats, pocket cruisers, sailing yachts, motor launches, junks, and even steam vessels—emphasizing seaworthiness, simplicity, and modest budgets for amateur builders. A member of the Royal Institute of Naval Architects, Fisher has authored books on wood boat construction and sailmaking, and his plans are praised for clarity and supportiveness in forums like WoodenBoat. He has extensive sailing experience around the UK coasts, including racing in Dragons and IOR fleets on the Clyde, and occasionally designs replicas for film productions. As of 2025, Fisher remains active, offering digital files for CNC cutting and continuing to influence home boat-building communities worldwide through outlets like Duckworks and Fyne Boat Kits.