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Bill Gay’s Julie skiff
I’m really chuffed today because the great news this morning is that Bill Gay has built and launched the first Julie skiff. From what I can see she still needs some work, including knees at the stern (they’ll add a lot of strength) and the breasthook (which will add some strength and provide a place to attach the essential painter), painting and some drain plugs for the boxed-in areas, but she’s looking good and will look even better (and go faster and further) with the batteries in the middle of the boat.
‘After three weekends of hard work the Julie Skiff saw the flats of the Intercoastal of Fl today. What a great boat. It will be great to fish, clam and camp out of for years to come.’
Thanks for the report and the photos Bill! She looks like a winner to me. To download the plans Bill used to build this 15ft 7in rowing skiff, click here.
Congratulations! You must be so proud!
Congratulations also to the builder!
Result!
Chris
Yup! She floats and looks pretty good. I hope BIll’s just the first of many happy builders.
Gav
well done ,Gavin &Bill.
Congratulations Gav!
Really pleased to see another of your designs afloat.
Ben
Congratulations Gavin and Bill.
Bill's Julie skiff looks excellent.
Please can I ask Bill what thickness of plywood he used and how heavy (light) his outboard is?
Many thanks.
Bill doesn't respond much to emails I've found. I can say that he used 3/8ths ply.
His outboard is a very light electric model – though in the photos he had batteries in the stern of the boat. In practice one would put them somewhere forward to balance the boat nicely fore and aft.
I'd guess a 1hp outboard would be practical, though again you'd be best putting some kind of balancing weight (a person?) in the forward part of the boat. Set up like that, you'd likely have a very efficient outboard arrangement.
Another trick people find useful is to stick a piece of hose on the handle of the outboard so they can sit at or near the middle of the boat. I'd be worried about it falling off and losing control however.
Really, though, this is a rowing boat!
Gav
I like gavin’s comment “Yup, she floats”. It reminds me of a time when a friend and \i built a 10 foot plywood row boat. His father came by to seewhat we were doing. He was a real boat builder of the old school who would never think of using plywood. I was kind of proud of what we had accomplished. I decided to ask him; “Well, do you think she’l float?” His reply, “An iron Bakepot will float”. Right then and there we decided to name her “Bakepot”. My children and others had a lot of fun in that boat. I am now getting ready to build another for my grand-children. She will becalled “Bakepot Too”