A new model of the Sunny skiff

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Sunny skiff model – download both model-making and full-scale plans here

I’ve been happy today to hear from a reader who has made a model of the Sunny skiff that she has been working on and has kindly sent them over. The model maker described the little boat as ‘a thing of beauty’, so I you can probably imagine I was very chuffed indeed.

I’m always pleased to see shots of models of my designs, so if anyone else has any to share, please send them over! I’m at gmatkin@gmail.com.

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.

Initial drawings for a low-power outboard skiff

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Initial drawings for a 15ft low-power skiff

I’m working on this semi-planing job for a friend. It’s coming out at just over  15ft by 4ft 10in, is intended for a displacement of around 800lbs, and intended for use with a 4-5hp outboard, from which I’m hoping to see 6+ mph.

If you’re interested in the design or have comments, I’d like to hear from you please!

The next stage, as usual, will be a set of drawings for making a model and later a set of free plans for building the boat using the stitch and glue technique. Watch this space…

The second Light Trow is launched in Wales and she’s looking good!

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The second Light Trow is launched in Cardigan, Wales

A gentleman called Jake has  built and launched the second Light Trow at Cardigan in Wales – and readers will have no difficulty guessing how pleased the designer is.

Working with the help of an experienced boatbuilder friend, Jake has deviated from the original in several ways, with good-looking sunken decks and a nicely curved line to the foredeck’s aft edge, but the hull seems to be unchanged.

Many thanks for the photos Jake!

Jake seems very happy with the result – he says she’s a fine-looking boat and floats and rows well. He says that although she is still not quite finished and remains as yet un-named she is still a lot of fun – and I think that shows in the photos.

Some of the sailing details are clearly visible and the rig is still to come – though my guess is that some boyancy bags will be useful in the local estuary.

I’m happy for people with experience to deviate from the plans so long as they know what they’re doing. However, if you’re a potential builder and  don’t have the required experience to change the plans, please contact me before making them – it’s too easy to get into bad trouble in boats.

For more on the Light Trow and the amazing adventures of the first Light Trow builder Ben Crawshaw and  click here and for more on the Fleet Trow on which she is based, click here.

I should point out that a Mark II updated stitch and glue version of the Light Trow is planned for later this year or early next, and when it comes it will be announced here at intheboatshedf.net.

I should add here that I am an amateur designer with no formal training or education and that my plans should be regarded as experimental. I accept no responsibility for any accident or loss that results from building or using my boat plans.

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