Aug27
A challenge for home boatbuilders: a sweet 10ft clinker-built double-ended skiff
This sweet 10ft clinker-built double-ended skiff looks extremely difficult to build, at least to me – but it’s wonderfully pretty nevertheless
Click here for the rest of this post
Click here for photographs of a similar boat.
15 Comments »Boat plans and books of plans, Cruising yachts, Free boat plans online, River boats, Small boats, Techniques, Traditional clinker, Uncategorized
Chris Partridge Aug 29th 2007 at 06:16 am 1
It would be easy to build in strip plank, wouldn’t it?
Gavin Atkin Aug 29th 2007 at 06:34 am 2
Easier, though still not easy. I’m tempted to model one up using CAD for epoxy lapstrake, but even that will be tricky.
I just think that anyone who can build this in clinker and make it tight with these hard bends would more than earn my respect. Anyway, I’d love to see someone do it!
Gav
Steve Taylor Aug 29th 2007 at 04:15 pm 3
If you’re tempted to do a CAD model, I’d be tempted to build it… if only I had more time!
It would certainly be interesting to see a bit more ‘shape’ than that suggested in the drawings accompanying the original article.
Steve
David Ginger Dec 14th 2007 at 06:43 pm 4
Fibre Glass ?
I mean like make a plug roughly that shape with pseudo clinker ?
Gerry Apr 24th 2008 at 07:50 am 5
Jay Benford has a very similar design in one his books complete with plans.
http://www.tillerbooks.com/Small_Craft_Plans.php
http://www.benford.us/scp/11peapod.html
Richard Allan Jan 3rd 2010 at 01:01 pm 6
Where are plans available for the double ended 10ft skiff ?
Gavin Atkin Jan 3rd 2010 at 02:42 pm 7
It’s here: http://intheboatshed.net/2007/08/27/a-challenge-for-home-boatbuilders-a-sweet-10ft-clinker-built-double-ended-skiff/
Gav
Richard Allan Jan 4th 2010 at 10:19 am 8
A further look through the site leads me to think the 10ft skiff plans are in a book called “Boat Building for the Amateur”. Does anybody know the author and publisher ?
Gavin Atkin Jan 4th 2010 at 12:57 pm 9
Details are at the Amazon site here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Practical-Building-Amateurs-Adrian-Neison/dp/1929516134/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262609760&sr=1-5
Richard Allan Jan 4th 2010 at 01:50 pm 10
Thanks for “info” on Skiff book , have done the deal with Amazon and maybe over a year or so it will turn into a proper boat
Gavin Atkin Jan 4th 2010 at 02:02 pm 11
Well done – do please let us know how you get on!
Gav
Eric R Evans Mar 27th 2010 at 02:38 pm 12
Hi, I have downloaded the plans to make a model of this boat and would welcome some advice as how to achieve the bending of the planks and clamping them in place, Would steaming them be the answer?.
Many thanks for making them available.
Eric
Paul Connor Mar 30th 2010 at 07:33 pm 13
Hi Eric,
I think the answer to your question depends mostly on two things: 1) what scale are you considering? and 2) what style of construction are you planning on using? If you’re planning on glued plywood lapstrake construction, I would suggest taking a look at the files on the following pages (if you haven’t already)
http://intheboatshed.net/2009/08/07/plans-for-making-a-model-of-the-10ft-double-ended-mclachlan-skiff/
http://intheboatshed.net/2009/06/10/model-making-progress-and-drawings-of-paul-connors-practical-boatbuilding-skiff-project/
That model was 1/8 scale and assembled with cyanoacrylate glue (aka superglue). I cut and permanently assembled all the parts of the keel, stem and sternpost out of 3/32″ model balsa first and then temporarily glued them to the model building jig for planking. The planks were 1/32″ model aircraft plywood, and I just taped the expanded plank sheets to the plywood sheet and cut them out carefully with an x-acto knife – you could also use a box cutter. To get them seated properly on the jig you have to bevel the landings on the stem, etc. but you can do that pretty easily bye eye since the balsa is very soft. To clamp the planks in place I used a small pair of vice grips and an assortment of binder clips, but it was a bit tricky to get everything set up. I’d recommend doing no more than one plank at a time and alternating sides. No steaming was necessary, but you want to be sure that there’s adequate glue and that the glue has set properly, since the planks will spring out if unclamped too soon. The inwale and outwale were also cut from hobby balsa, and these might benefit from steaming into place before gluing – mine cracked after they were in.
If you’re planning on a different scale, you should be able to scale those sheets to whatever you’d like. I had a little trouble finding 1/32″ ply, so I think 1/8 is about the smallest you can reasonably go unless you up the planking thickness.
If you’re planning on a more traditionally built model, I’m not sure I can help you too much. I would think that at 1/8 scale it’ll depend on the material you use – balsa will probably have to be steamed, as shown by my cracked gunwales – but stronger or more elastic woods might not. Anything larger than that (say 1/4 scale) will probably need steaming, but I’m not sure. Something else to consider is that most hobby woods will probably be quite dry and may have been kilned, which makes them a little harder to bend.
Anyhow, I hope that helps. If you have any other questions please feel free to ask.
Regards,
Paul
Will Howard Jun 7th 2010 at 07:19 am 14
I’m planning on attempting to build this boat, difficult curves and all. I went to the Beale Park boat show recently and picked up some tips from people who’ve taken on similar projects, so I’m fairly well armed.
The planks will be steamed in my Barn, and I’m intending to solve the problem of the boat’s difficult angles by steaming them for longer than normal, and giving them a resin undercoat once they’re done, just to make sure they hold the flexibility.
I’d love to show you the pictures once I’ve finished, Gavin, and can I say what a wonderful resource your posts have been – they’ve steered me on the right course from the start!
Gavin Atkin Jun 7th 2010 at 11:57 am 15
I’m delighted to hear it Will – and I will be very pleased to publish anything you send me about the project. Gav