Tag: skiff

Paul McGuire’s models of the Julie skiff

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Model compare port

Model bow Model stern

It’s always nice to hear of people’s interest in building one of my designs, and very pleasing too when they go so far as to make a model. So I’m delighted Paul McGuire has made two of the Julie skiff rowing skiff – the first is the standard A4/letter paper size you’d get from a normal domestic printer, and the second he made by blowing the original download up so he could use a bigger piece of card.

Thanks Paul! Has anyone else made either a model or the real thing? We’d very much like to hear from you at gmatkin@gmail.com.

For more on the Julie skiff:
Sketches for a sailing 15ft Julie skiff

Complete free plans package for the intheboatshed.net flat-bottomed 15ft 6in skiff
Not forgetting the smaller versions:
Free plans for the intheboatshed.net Ella skiff now online and available to download
Sunny skiff 14ft plywood flattie plans

These boats are 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.

Sketches for a sailing 15ft Julie skiff

Julie skiff sailing version

Sketches of the proposed sailing version of the 15ft 8in Julie skiff. Click on the picture for a larger version on the drawings

I’ve been away for a few days, and took the opportunity of a couple of quiet days to noodle these initial sketches for a sailing version of the Julie skiff.

The hull remains the same as the rowing version, but is half-decked and fitted with two standing lugs, much like those many readers will have seen fitted to Onawind Blue. The sail area is 100sqft or so divided two-thirds and one-third between the mainsail and mizzen respectively. I think that’s probably quite enough for a narrow hull like this, but also that it could be quite some fun on a windy day. I should add that it’s rather a one-man boat despite its length – I suspect that it will perform best with a crew of up 300lbs.

What do you say? Is anyone out there in intheboatshed.net reader land interested in this boat? Polite answers please either to gmatkin@gmail.com – or if they’re really clean to the comments link below!

For more on the Julie skiff, click here, here and here.

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Forest & Stream skiff built in steel

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Hans-Christian Rieck has written from Germany with the news that he and some unemployed kids are building a Forest & Stream skiff in steel.

It’ll be very interesting to see how this boat works when it is launched – naturally, I have mentioned the weight issue and that the boat will need bouyancy tanks to make it safe. One should remember that steel-built barges from Germany and Holland frequently have steel-built tenders – so what may seem surprising to some of us will be quite normal for many of our neighbours.

Here’s what he says:

‘Always short of funding, I came upon your site because of the free plans. As most of our juveniles prefer steel to wood, I try to build the Forest & Stream skiff from 3 mm steel. I“ll take some photos to send you from time to time to inforn you on the progress we make.

‘Yours, Hans-Christian Rieck’

I’m always delighted to hear that my plans are being put to good use! For more on the Forest & Stream skiff and for the plans, click here.

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