Locations – Page 46 – intheboatshed.net

A skin on frame Imp

The admirable Trevor Akin (in the skin on frame canoe in the YouTube) has built a rather beautiful and clearly successful skin on frame canoe using the lines I drew up for the Imp canoe design some years ago.

I wasn’t happy with the Imp – its strakes would never lie smoothly, and I judged it a failure even though it performed well enough as an open canoe. I don’t even know where I’d find the drawings now, but Trevor has a copy of them from somewhere and done something wonderful with them. He deserves a firm manly handshake, and certainly gets my admiration. And thanks for letting me know about the project Trevor!

He’s written about the project extensively on his weblog Eh Whatever. Here he is close to finishing the boat, and here he is again at a messabout (for Brits, I should explain this is a kind of camping party with boats).

I love this shot:

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Newly restored 1880s bateau Barbashela back on the water

Stunning 1880s bateau Barbashela is back on the water – see an earlier Intheboatshed post about her.

The bateau was designed by Captain Thomas P Leathers of Kentucky, who is remembered for owning and commanding the steamboat Natchez, and for losing a dramatic race against the steamboat Robert E Lee commanded by Capt. JW Cannon in 1870.

Barbashela was a gift to Varina Anne ‘Winnie’ Davis of Biloxi, Mississippi, and the skiff was rowed on Oyster Bayou.

The plan is that the restored boat will be returned to the bayous in the Biloxi area.

PS – Weblogger ‘Clark’ reports that offsets and a materials list for the bateau have been completed up, and that drawings are to be available in the near future. So if you admire her, you could build your very own Barbashela. Thanks Clark!