Drawings for making a model of the sailing version of the 12 Ella skiff

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Ella skiff model drawing

At last – here’s a set of drawings for building a model of the sailing version of the 12ft Ella skiff. Full drawings are to come when I’ve written my usual builders’ blurb…

The pdfs in the download below (fixed now – sorry for any inconvenience) are all the same size and – if this works out as it should – when printed out everything should be in the same scale on paper. Model-makers should then be able to use the printouts as templates to create a 1/12 or so scale model, including spars and sails.

One point that may not be obvious and which I haven’t explained is that included in the drawings are four panels whose purpose may not be obvious. In fact, these attach to the side decks, frames and bottom immediately before and aft of the central thwart. They’re intended to add some low-down bouyancy in a knockdown, and help to keep the amount of retained free water to a minimum on righting.

Have fun… If you do build the model, I would be delighted to advise if you get stuck, and would be most grateful for photos please!

Ella skiff sailing version model

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Faroese rowers racing on BBC Television

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Faroese rowersFaroese rowers working hard

The past few weeks have been an amazing time for interesting boats on BBC Television – and the latest sighting, racing Faroese rowing boats on an episode in the Coast series, is available on the BBC iPlayer.

I can hardly believe I’ve beaten the usually alert Chris Partridge of Rowing for Pleasure to posting about this, but the programme shows the interesting and elegant boats in action and includes an interview with a group of attractive if powerfully developed Faroese women rowers. It’s noticeable that their English is excellent – and we’re told that they learn the language using the Internet.

Way up north of Scotland, Orkney and even Shetland, the Faroes are remote but these days far from isolated, as the presenter points out.

Like their tall, blonde rowers, the Faroese craft are clearly the result of the Viking era, and even the modern fishing boats in the harbour show a close kinship to Viking ships.

Click here for a photo of a Faroese women’s rowing team taking part in a race.

Click here for a Flickr gallery of Faroese boats.

Click here for still more photos of Faroese boats on the Wikimedia Commons.

800px-Fuglafjordur_fishing_boats,_Faroe_Islands

Modern motorised Faroes boats still show their evolution from Viking ships: taken from the Wikimedia

The steel-built Forest & Stream skiff makes further progress

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Skiff turned over

Total with 5 m motor punt behind Fore Bulkhead for buoyancy aft bulkhead 2

Over in Germany, Hans-Christian Rieck has written  with news and photos of the steel-built Forest & Stream skiff he’s making with some unemployed kids.

I should explain that steel-built dinghies are common on the German and Dutch coasts, and that many sea-going and coastal barges are equipped with them.

Here’s what he says:

‘Hello Gavin,

‘As you can see in the pictures, the boat is now in her normal upright position and we are starting the interior work. You can see the bulkheads for the bouyancy are in place and are awaiting welding. The frames are still with their metal profiles which keep them at the right distance, but the welding will soon be over and they will then be removed.

‘I think within the next two weeks the metalworks wil be over an then the painting an the woodwork will start.

‘Yours

‘Hans-Christian’

The boat behind the skiff is a 5m motor punt project completed some time ago.

Thanks for the photos Hans-Christian!

For more on the Forest & Stream skiff and for the free plans Hans-Christian is working with, click here.

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