Comments on: Sketches for a sailing 15ft Julie skiff

By: Tom Condry

Tom Condry — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:23:36 +0000

I am looking to build a sailboat similar to the julie

By: Gavin Atkin

Gavin Atkin — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:12:01 +0000

I’m all for adaptations for overnighting, but whatever one does in that direction this will always be a light-weight un-ballasted flattie with fairly low freeboard, with the benefits and limitations that brings.

It’s stable enough to stand up to a sail in a small narrow hull form that’s good to row, it’s easy to build, and light enough to be (relatively) easy to move and manage on land. But on the other side, it’s not a boat for the sea except on a good weather prospect and areas of water where you know that tidal currents aren’t going to knock up some rough water.

There are many places where a boat like this would be perfectly useful: a good guide might be to look at areas of water where people use small flat-bottomed boats on a regular basis.

However, despite some of the things that are said on the forums, the flattie skiff is not usually the first choice if great seaworthiness in wind and waves is your aim. In any case, super-seaworthiness isn’t always the right attribute to look for. Huge numbers of boats are built and sold each year for use sunny days, with reasonable winds and good weather forecasts – the very conditions in which most of us use our boats…

Gav

By: Thomas Armstrong

Thomas Armstrong — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 03:17:01 +0000

Gavin, looking at the drawings before reading the comments, I was thinking this was evolving into a nice boat for modest camp cruising. I wold have expected slightly more than flatwater, like maybe upper Chesapeake, but even at the apex it can get up to 2′-3′ . Anyway she’s very clean lined and lovely for that. Look fowrard to the 19′. Need I say I like the rig? Bravo.

thomas

By: Gavin Atkin

Gavin Atkin — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 19:54:49 +0000

It’s really a boat for flat water – slow-moving rivers and thin none-too-tidal water will be fine, but if you want to travel on anything lumpier other boats including possibly the Light Trow will be a better choice.

I think the performance should be pretty good, particularly on anything from a close reach to a run or near-run. Upwind she won’t keep up with a modern bermudan-rigged plastic dinghy of the same length, but you can’t have everything. I’d far rather row this boat than try to paddle the other kind!

One of my ideas for this boat, however, is a boxed-in forward section forbouyancy and a lid that raises for camping. And yes, a well for a very small outboard mounted in-board would certainly be a possibility. You might call it a one-man camp cruiser for someone with a clear idea of the boat’s limitations.

On a tabernacle – I can’t recall seeing an unstayed mast with one. In any case, it won’t be needed, as the mast is quite small and I think will be capable of being lifted out.

Btw, the Light Trow won’t really do if you want to use an outboard. Also, be aware that there’s a 19ft version of this skiff up my sleeve also – it would be too big to row on one’s own for long but would certainly be a useful sailer supported by a small outboard.

By: Dominic von Stösser

Dominic von Stösser — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:27:23 +0000

Hmm. Definitely an interesting thought. Sort of like a sharpie-yawl. Any thoughts on what sailing performance might be like?

Definitely an interesting candidate for a sort of inland camp-cruiser, for European canals and waterways and such, especially if fitted with a teensy outboard for when lazy-me is too lazy for rowing, and simple tabernacles for dropping the sticks along ‘bridgey’ passages…

I’m assuming it’s stitch-n-tape with a few stations occupied by frames?