Category: Techniques

Paul Connor builds a model of the double-ended skiff from Practical Boatbuilding

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Paul Connor’s model of the double-ender from
Practical Boatbuilding for Amateurs

Intheboatshed.net reader Paul Connor is building a model of the attractive double-ended 10ft skiff from Practical Boatbuilding for Amateurs, which we posted some time ago.

The original post is here and a follow-up photograph of a similar boat built in the traditional way and seen at the Beale Park Boat Show is here.

At the time I described the plans as presenting a challenge, and said I was tempted to create a computer model in order to work up plans for building in ply epoxy. I’ve never got around to it, but Paul has taken up the gauntlet and is forging ahead with a sophisticated computer model from which he’s building the scale model (see above) and plans to go on to build the real thing.

Software-wise, he used Catia v5 for his initial modeling and a trial version of Rhino to develop the plank surfaces, and intends to make plans available for others wishing to make the model.

I think this is an interesting project and I will be very interested to see how it goes. In the meantime, Paul is posting his progress at the Wooden Boat Forum.

A challenge for boatbuilders: a sweet 10ft clinker-built double-ended skiff

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Drawings for building a model of the 14ft stitch and glue Sunny skiff

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Drawings for making a model of the Sunny skiff

I’m pleased to say that we’ve now got a pdf file of the drawings needed to make a simple model of the Sunny skiff ready to be downloaded and printed out.

If you’re interested in her, I’d strongly suggest making a model. All you need to do to make a model is to take a printout, stick it to a piece of cereal packet, cut out the various panels and make up the model with sticky tape. Here’s one example of how this kind of model can look; here’s a second example made by the excellent Ben Crawshaw; and here’s a third example made by Woody Jones, and complete with little wire figures made to scale.

The two stern panels aren’t a mistake, by the way – there was a bit of space left and because it’s often useful to double up on stern thickness (because it’s good to have it robust) I thought the opportunity to have double-thickness stern too good to miss. In the model, as in the real thing, doubling the stern is optional unless you’re making a sailing boat or using an outboard.

If anyone out there makes a model of this little boat, I’d be very grateful to see them, and to be able to post them here at intheboatshed.net!

Plans for the full-sized boat are to come!

PS Woody made a model overnight, so good for him:

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Modern sailing canoe Sara is for sale

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Sailing canoe Sara is for sale

I’d like to draw attention to a crop of interesting posts over at the Albert Strange Association website.

The first is a rather sad announcement but represents a great opportunity for someone. Due to poor health, ASA technical secretary Rick Powell has reluctantly decided to sell his 15ft, 4ft 6in beam sailing canoe Sara, which he designed and built a few years ago. She’s said to be a modern take on George Holmes’ Ethel concept; her construction involves ply-epoxy planking with strip-planked curved bilges, oak trim, hollow mast and boom, and built-in buoyancy. She has lots of stainless steel fittings Ronstan fittings, and comes complete with cover and road trailer.

ASA site editor Dick Wynne says she has been sailed just four times, and that her performance matches her good looks. She’s on the market at what seems to me to be a very reasonable price.  See more here.

The ASA site is always well worth a visit, but at the moment there are some corking stories about some legendary boats, including Eel,  Betty (the Strange boat that won the 1927 Fastnet Race), and Sea Harmony.

PS Dick tells me he’s very concerned about the loss of mud from the River Thames, which has led him to moor his boat away from its usual spot at the Greenwich Yacht Club’s moorings. There’s an interesting Wikipedia entry on the subject.

Do you have an interesting boat for sale? Please tell us about her: gmatkin@gmail.com .

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