Tag: plywood boat

A reader builds a model Julie skiff

New reader Roland Beverley got in touch yesterday with these pictures of a model Julie skiff that he’s made. Plans for both the real and the model Julie skiff are on the free plans page – see the tabs above.

Here’s what he wrote:

‘Hi Gavin,

‘I just discovered http://intheboatshed.net/ while searching for some free model plans. I am itching to build my own boat but don’t currently have the space. I used to build model aircraft and boats in my teens, so thought I’d dust off my skills and build a new bath/pond toy for my son (who is 6).

‘My Julie Skiff is made from 1/16in balsa with a 1/4in transom (in case I ever mount an outboard!). It is waterproofed with 3 coats of cellulose dope and modified with rowlocks from a picture hanging kit and oars from Sainsbury’s bamboo skewers (paddles already provided!). All of which I had lying about (some items for many years). To waterproof inside the rope locker, I’ll use a spray can of lacquer to ensure its well coated and may coat the outside too.

‘I am very pleased with it, though you’ll notice there are dents in the bow where I should have spread the load from the clamps used to hold it while the glue dried – lesson for next time. Also the playmobil pirates are a little small – but I know my son won’t mind that. He’ll probably use lego people and turn it in to a battleship 😉 He returns from his grandparents’ tomorrow – I hope he likes it!

‘Thanks ever so much for the excellent free resources!’

And thanks to you Roland – it’s always great to hear about these boats being built, either as models or as the full-sized item.

Philip Risacher’s Ella skiff dream photos

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Reader Philip Risacher sent me these photos of a great 1/10th scale model he made of my Ella skiff design – and I am of course completely charmed. Here’s what he says:

‘I started the model about four years ago, but it lay as a brown cardboard model until a few weeks ago when reading through Ben Crawshaw’s blog got me back in the mood to build myself a boat. Of course the “everything needed to build a full size boat” is not yet within reach, but luckily my eyes fell on my little Cheerios box skiff and my brain said “oohh, that could be quite beautiful.”

‘So I started back at it, first gluing on some mahogany gunwales, then sealing the whole thing with shellac, painting, thole pins, Samson post, and the hand made oars complete with Turk’s head knots and eyes to scare the sea monsters away.

‘Just this weekend I brought her out on the lake to take some pictures, you’d think she were big enough to sit in, but alas it is only an illusion. I hope some day to make a boat I can sit in. Thank you for the great design(s), so kindly shared with us out here in dream land.’

Here’s the giveaway:

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See more shots here.

Ella skiff plans are here.

A sailing Ella skiff in Catalonia

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Catalonia-based writer and sailor Ben Crawshaw (of Light Trow fame and theinvisibleworkshop) has got in touch to say that together with friends a chap called Bosco has built this example of the sailing version of the my 12ft flat bottomed Ella skiff design in his area – so far, Ben has only managed to photograph the boat but plans to sail it soon.

I had no idea – and my jaw dropped when I heard about it, and then sagged even more when I looked at the shots. (Click on them to see a much larger image, by the way.)

Folks are telling Ben that the little boat sails well, but I will of course be very interested in his verdict.

The photo shows that she has been built pretty robustly in the local style, but I can’t say I’m complaining! She looks great to me. Plans for the Ella skiff are here.