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Model-making progress and drawings of Paul Connor’s Practical Boatbuilding skiff project

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The 10ft double-ended skiff model

Paul Connor has kindly sent a photo of his model of the 10ft double-ended skiff from Practical Boatbuilding for Amateurs, together with his extensive set of computer-generated construction drawings.

There’s a good amount of background to this project. The original drawings and information from Practical Boatbuilding  are here, an earlier intheboatshed.net post on the model project is here and two threads discussing the Practical Boatbuilding skiff and Paul’s project are here and here.

For Paul, the model is a proof of concept that shows the boat can be made at full size using the clinker ply technique, but I think many people will enjoy making a model of this little boat. I hope they do.

I think the model shows two things. The point that a boat built the these old plans is practical and will be beautiful is clearly the first, but the second is that in my opinion the boat itself would be even more elegant and better in the water if made 12-18 inches longer on the same beam and draught.

Download Paul’s pdfs of the drawings here: sheet-1; sheet-2; sheet-3; sheet-4; sheet-5; sheet-6; sheet-7; sheet-8; sheet-9; sheet-10; sheet-11; sheet-12; sheet-13; sheet-14; sheet-15.

Many thanks Paul!

PS Readers interested in making a model of something simpler, might check out the free plans page!

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Stitch and glue panels drawings and coordinates for the 14ft Sunny skiff

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lines-drawing-for-dxf

I’ve just drawn up pdfs of the panels and coordinates for the 14ft Sunny skiff plans for anyone interested in this little stitch and glue rowing boat meant to be constructed from 1/4 or 3/8in ply.

I must add my usual warnings – they’re dull necessary. I am not a qualified boat designer and the Sunny skiff should be regarded as an experimental design. I accept no responsibility for any loss or damage that may occur during building this boat or in its use. You build it and use it at your own risk.

The Sunny skiff is intended for use on flat sheltered water with no strong currents. It is not intended for use with outboard power.

As the plans package is not complete, please refer to the plans for the Ella skiff and Julie skiff for additional information on building and fitting out this boat, such as where to site oarlocks, and information about inwales, gunwales and so on.

If you do decide to build this boat please build a model first and send me photos of your model and the completed boat together with a report on how the project goes and how the boat performs on the water. Whenever I am available, I will be very happy to provide help and advice if needed along the way; if I’m not around, the online forums can be very useful, but it often helps to search their archives before posting a question.

For more on the Sunny skiff, click here and here.

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Our first half-million hits

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Thames Barges

Thames barges on the Blackwater – one of the first photos
to appear at intheboatshed.net

It feels a little funny when I think of it, but some time in the next two or three days in the boatshed.net will rack up its first half million hits.

Those with long memories will recall that this weblog began in a very small way at the end of 2006, and benefited early on from the support of various weblogs and online magazines, most notably Chuck Leinweber’s Duckworks Magazine and Tim Shaw’s Chineblog.

Ben Crawshaw’s wonderful The Invisible Workshop followed as did Chris Partridge’s Rowing for Pleasure, and so did a host more I won’t mention just now because if I do this post will become too huge for words.

We’re now all part of a community of interconnecting weblogs and online magazines, and I’m grateful to all of them both for their assistance in helping readers find their way here, and for the entertainment and interest they have given us in our household. If you come to this site and happen to land on this post, therefore, I’d like to suggest you take a little time to explore the sites and weblogs, as well as the rest of the intheboatshed.net blogroll.

But I have another request: please send me pictures and stories that you’d like to share! We’re particularly interested in old boats, traditionally built boats whether old or new, in boats that bear the influences of the past, in the history and culture of boating, in influential individuals and in alternative ways of enjoying boating rooted in the past. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a proud owner or not, or a boat builder or other boat related craftsman, or even if you simply have something interesting to sell. And the occasional story about a boat-related shed doesn’t go amiss either!

Finally, I’d like to pay tribute to my family and wife Julie, who has shown immense understanding and enthusiasm over a long period. I know that I’ve been very lucky to have their support and I hope they feel the result justifies the effort and time that goes into the inthboatshed.net project.

Reach me either at gmatkin@gmail.com or by using the intheboatshed.net contact page, which you can get to using the page tab above the title line.

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