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

Johnson & Jago 2 1/2 tonner sales leaflet

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Jonson + Jago 2.5 tonner

Click on the image for a larger readable scan

Following the post appealing for a new owner to care for a Johnson & Jago 2 1/2 tonner the other day, kind intheboatshed.net reader Julian Fouser has sent me this scan of a sales flier produced by the company.

Thanks Julian!

It looks like a sweet little boat. I gather there was a piece in Classic Boat some years ago in which someone offered one of these boats named Whistler to a good home in return for a donation to the RNLI. I hope she got the care she deserved and is still around somewhere.

On the subject of Johnson & Jago-built boats, Google found me this site full of photos of a larger boat produced by the company – and this one is a Dunkirk Little Ship!

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