intheboatshed.net

After gardening for much of the day, this evening I’ve spent a couple of happy hours tidying up and sorting out the plans for the intheboatshed.net Julie skiff.

So tan-tara! With an imaginary fanfare, tonight for the first time I offer you - a download of the finalised plans for the rowing-only version of the Julie 15ft 7in flat bottomed skiff for plywood stitch and glue construction, including my explanatory essay on her design and purpose, and notes on her construction.

I think she’s a sweet little boat and I’m very much looking forward to seeing some examples afloat. I still plan to develop a sailing rig, plans for a more traditional chine-log style construction, and I’m thinking also of both longer and shorter versions - the shorter will be aimed at creating a small easy to build skiff capable of being built in a British-style garage.

Download: intheboatshed.net Julie skiff plans

See all posts so far on this boat:

Complete free plans package for the intheboatshed.net flat-bottomed 15ft 6in skiff
intheboatshed.net skiff - drawings and coordinates for stitch and glue
intheboatshed.net skiff - photos of our model, and maybe yours too?
Intheboatshed.net skiff - now we can make a model
Intheboatshed.net skiff progress
Early drawings for a 15ft 5in lightweight flat-bottomed American-style skiff

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Tom Hill’s 14ft Babson Island skiff

Views vary about the boat plans that have appeared in Woodenboat magazine, but I’m rather in favour of the trend. Boat plans that appear in magazines add to the sum total of happiness in the world, they help to make the case that real people can build boats and they provide beginning boatbuilders with a new way into building small boats.

And, as a long-serving magazine and newspaper journalist,  I think it’s welcome evidence of magazine publishers coming to grips with the age of the Internet.

So here’s a link to plans and instructions for building the Babson Island 14 skiff designed by well known author, expert builder and small boat designer Tom Hill,  and presented by Woodenboat. I can’t see anything extreme or strange about it, and it’s full of craftsman-like detail.

PS - I’d like to remind readers that about 18 months ago Woodenboat plugged intheboatshed.net - see the story.

Don’t miss something good - subscribe to intheboatshed.net.

I gather there are moves afoot to charge the Royal National Lifeboat Institution commercial rates for using its communications equipment. If, like me you think this isn’t right, please sign this petition on the issue.

In a country where the Lifeboats are the one essential rescue service manned by volunteers and supported wholly by charity, I think this proposal is an unnecessary blow to a great institution that should be dear to the heart of every boat owner.

What proposition am I asking you to sign? It’s simple and harmless enough: We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Protect the RNLI from paying licence fees for using Maritime radio frequencies.

The story from the petition organisers is that Ofcom wants to bring ‘market forces’ into maritime and aviation communications, and that RNLI will have to pay £250,000 a year. Apparently, smaller search and rescue charities fear they may have to close. See a report published a few weeks ago by the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

I’m hoping that none of this is true, and that if it is Ofcom will come to realise that what it wants to do simply isn’t politically acceptable while the Lifeboats remain dependent on charity alone.