At last – construction drawings for the sailing version of the Ella skiff


Ella skiff model drawing

The sailing version of the Ella skiff. Click on the image for a zip file including the plans to build this little boat

I’ve really had to scrabble to find time to get this together – but here is the much awaited sailing version of the 12ft Ella skiff. There’s a lot of design work in sailing boat!

If you use these plans, all I ask in return are some photos, and reports on how the building works and on how she works in the water. However I must emphasise that I’m an amateur with no qualifications and accept no liability for any loss injury or accident that occurs as a result of anyone using or building this boat.

I should add that this is not a boat for big seas, strong winds and currents or for use with an outboard of over one or two hp. It’s a small, narrow flattie with all the limitations that go with this kind of boat. That said, in the right gentle weather conditions I think it will be great fun anywhere one can find flat sheltered water.

Download Ella skiff sailing plans version 1.2

This boat is designed to be built using the stitch and glue technique – if you haven’t done this before you might be interested in my book Ultrasimple Boat Building: 17 Plywood Boats Anyone Can Build or one of the other books on this topic available from Amazon.

PS See a model Ella sailing skiff here.



Four record-seeking rowers rescue downed pilot off the Irish coast

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‘The other guys thought I’d seen a seagull… ‘ This isn’t what you might normall expect from intheboatshed.net but I thought these rowers deserved special credit. Catch up with them at http://www.gbrow.com/

Please scroll down for:

* Plans for making a model of the 10ft double-ended McLachlan skiff
* Progress on the sailing version of the 12ft Ella skiff – free plans to come
* Griff Rhys-Jones falls out of a coracle and explains the disappearing salmon
* Mickey Mouse orders a boat kit
* King George the Fifth, the king who was first yachtsman in the land, and his
love for a boat
* Dr Strangelove goes gunning – H C Folkard’s scary wildfowling boats
* Johnny Tyson builds a 14ft Whitehall at the Boat Building Academy

Progress on the sailing version of the 12ft Ella skiff – free plans to come

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Ella skiff sailing progress 1

Ella skiff drawings – click on the image to see much more detail

I’ve been frantically working on the sailing version of the 12ft Ella skiff today – having broken my left ankle a couple of weeks ago, drawing this little boat has been a huge relief from the tedium of spending each day on the sofa. Of course it’s no consolation for losing much of the summer sailing season, but I hope I’m making the best of it!

Anyway, I thought I’d share today’s progress. As I think I’ve said before, this will be a lively little boat but I hope folks out there will find it appealing. The next  jobs, are to nest the panels and draw up the sail.

If you’re interested in this little boat, please email me at gmatkin@gmail.com or use the comment link below.

PS – The free plans for this boat are now here.

For free plans for the rowing version of this little boat, click here.

Ella skiff sailing progress 2 the sails

The sail