Hopefully I don’t have to say how useful the notes and the drawings are – otherwise the various components could confuse a person. The knees and breast hook will add to the rigidity, of course.

Gav

I, too, made a cerealbox model. Turned out OK. I was very interested to see how it became more rigid as I finally managed to get the parts fitted. Too, I need to add the knees and the breast hook. (I was assembling without looking at your drawings!)

I live on a river in the southern US, and have been looking for an inexpensive – relatively – way to get on the river. I hope to build a Julie skiff in the next few months. One question: you mentioned a sailing verion of the skiff. Do you have such a plan completed? I have considered building a small sailing craft, something simple to sail – for a novice.

It’s good to hear from you.

How much epoxy you use depends very much on how much you like to use.

Here in the UK epoxy is terribly expensive, and we make our fillets about as wide as a table-spoon will form, use fairly light-glass on the bottoms of light boats and apply it fairly thinly everywhere else. On that basis, I guess I might use four-five litres. In other places epoxy is much cheaper, and in my observation some people tend to use it more generously, which of course produces a heavier if stronger boat. Others, however, may be looking for a lighter-weight boat, and so use less.

I’m glad you enjoyed making the models. You couldn’t let me have some photos of them I could put on the site could you please?

I like to encourage model making, partly because it’s fun, partly because it encourages confidence and partly because it helps people to see how the boats go together.

Gav

http://www.lifeguardart.com depicts the men and women of the South Jersey beach patrols using the version of the Jersey beach skiff that originated in Atlantic City and environs. It is round-bilged and fuller-bodied than the flat-bottomed Seabright skiffs used up on the northern beaches. It is also heavier by 50 lbs. and not self-bailing.

Also check out the http://www.lifeguardraces.com galleries at http://web.sendtoprint.net/proofbook/galleries.asp?CouponID=Lifeguard

Thanks Jim! Some of the Lifeguardart images are superb – this seems to be an amazingly photogenic sport.

Gav

I agree with Paul!

Gav

I think virtually any of the free flat-bottom skiff plans you might come across on the internet might easily be adapted to aircraft plywood model construction. If I may ask, what is the model for? Some info would help figure out what exactly would fit the bill, but Mr. Atkin’s free Julie Skiff built at 1/8 scale would come in at just under two feet and he has model sheets (not sure exactly what scale) here:
http://intheboatshed.net/2008/10/15/intheboatshednet-skiff-now-we-make-a-model/
If that’s doesn’t seem quite right, you can design your own with the Carlson Chine Hull Designer, found here:
http://www.carlsondesign.com/#Fun_Shareware
Whatever you choose, just print out sheets and tape them to the model plywood (or balsa wood) and cut them out. Be careful when printing or the scale might not come out as you want – not that it should matter much, since as long as the sheets are all the same scale everything should go together without much trouble regardless of what the scale actually is.

Good luck on your model, and I hope you keep us informed.

Regards,
Paul Connor

Here’s his email to intheboatshed.net:

Hi

Dave Martin
Boatbuilding Programme Manager
Falmouth Marine School

46′ LOA, macduff 1937 and in reasonably fine fettle below the water line, one curiosity I’ve never satisfied is the arrangement aft of the prop, seen a few pics of other fifie/zulus in this area, and none have anything like what we have, steelwork running between prop and rudder, not 100% certain wether it should be there or not, would be interesting to hear others comments

http://bf494.co.uk/media/users/mark/SNV10161.JPG

Gav

There are more pics in the galleries here: http://www.jsrowing.org/32.html

I’ll also take another look at my copy of Gardner!

I had not only send my question to Gavin, I had also put it up on the Yahoo “roughstuffrowing” group, where Walt responded in just over an hour:

“These boats are modified Jersey Skiffs. They are built by Bob Asay and ex-Jersey lifeguard. They are self bailing bats designed to row through surf and allow the wash to leave the boat. Specifically they are built for use in lifeguard tournaments, have had the original box keel of the Jersey skiff replaced by a flat bottom. When I was rowing with Bob Asay in the last few years while he was building my boat he described them as a surfboard with free board. They are quite fun and there is a huge following of folks on the east coast of the U.S. who use them for racing and fitness. You can see more about these boats at the Jersey Shore Rowing Association web site.
By the way, Bob has only built about 120 of these boats but is still producing them in Fort Pierce, Florida at about 7 to 10 a years depending on orders. They are custom built by his hand and last I heard they were about $10,600 a piece. However, Dave Healy at the Jersey Shore Rowing Association has a near new AND PRATICALLY UNUSED one posted for sale on that web site for about $7,500 for the boat only. Shipping may be difficult if you are in the Netherlands but can be done I am sure.”
(http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/Roughstuffrowing/messages/245?threaded=1&m=e&var=1&tidx=1)

The Jersey Shore Rowing Association has some more summer like images on their website also, like: http://www.jsrowing.org/mediac/400_0/media/2$20APP$208-9-07$20HEALY$20TOWNS.jpg

But another factor is that some boats are more of a joy to sail than others. There’s no one perfect boat, true, but some boat builder compromises have given us boats that don’t perform too well and some boat owners may have never ever had a perfect moment on the water or been on a sail that made them want to whoop and holler.

Pat
Desert Sea

Gav

thomas

I think she’s a smaller boat than the one in the Beale photos, but a VERY close relation nevertheless.

I’m very sorry to hear about the Duck. I hope it all gets moving again soon. I thought she looked well along the road when I saw her, but I know that these things are like ducks themselves – all serenity above the water line but furiously busy down below where you can’t see what’s going on.

Gav