Building a Skiff.

[vpsihop1]

At least i think its a Skiff. 48" wide at center, 70" at the oar locks, lots of side flair. 12.5 feet long. Sides at the oar locks are 20" tall but since they're rolled out and down , maybe 17" tall? I'll see once i flip her.

So first boat, does the rowers seat need to be stationary or can i do the strapped down Yeti cooler with a seat? Otherwise i need to build a rowers seat.

Help me build this thing out, what do i need? Gonna get the adjustable foot brace from Hyde i think, the simple Dierks side anchor, no pulleys yet, rod storage?

Thanks in advance!

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[rangerrich99]

I'm not a boat builder, and I know less than nothing about skiffs, but I do know a little bit about rowing a jonboat. I'm guessing that if you want to be able to row with any authority, you're going to need to build a proper seat.

Looks good so far, btw.

 

[vpsihop1]

Thought so, not a boat builder either. Makes sense to have something fixed to row from. I'll save the yeti for the front seat.

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[bazzer69]

In twenty two years of rowing a drift boat I've never felt the need for a adjustable foot rest. If the rowers seat is made from poly type one inch strapping and is long enough fore and aft you can shift your butt position a little each way to suit what you are doing. I frequently stand when rowing to give my lower body a bit of a stretch. Most drift boats have a set of three or four holes to position the oarlocks to be comfortable with your arm length, oar length and type of stroke you are doing. Your side "flare" which boaters might call " Tumble Home" ( not my name) seems a bit excessive, but since you have already built it it can't be changed. Make sure the bottom of the hull is plenty thick and has stringers running for and aft to stiffen and reinforce the hull. Don't use a Yeti for a seat unless it's bolted down. Of course if you intend to use a motor then the transom needs to be nice and strong. The same for the anchor mount.
This style of skiff is as old as the hills and you can't go much wrong.
Good effort, I've built a couple of wood drift boats and enjoyed every minute of building and using. But for sheer durability aluminum can't be beat.
Cheers

 

[vpsihop1]

In twenty two years of rowing a drift boat I've never felt the need for a adjustable foot rest. If the rowers seat is made from poly type one inch strapping and is long enough fore and aft you can shift your butt position a little each way to suit what you are doing. I frequently stand when rowing to give my lower body a bit of a stretch. Most drift boats have a set of three or four holes to position the oarlocks to be comfortable with your arm length, oar length and type of stroke you are doing. Your side "flare" which boaters might call " Tumble Home" ( not my name) seems a bit excessive, but since you have already built it it can't be changed. Make sure the bottom of the hull is plenty thick and has stringers running for and aft to stiffen and reinforce the hull. Don't use a Yeti for a seat unless it's bolted down. Of course if you intend to use a motor then the transom needs to be nice and strong. The same for the anchor mount.
This style of skiff is as old as the hills and you can't go much wrong.

Thank you, good info. I thought the tumble home was a bit excessive, but really mild water here in Michigan, don't need high sides at all really. Curious why it would be exessive, what are the cons? I did to be alittle more stable and more leverage on the oars, also less wind resistant, looking into oar locks, thanks again

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[weiliwen]

To paraphrase from Crocodile Dundee, "That's not a skiff, THIS is a skiff." This guy built a work skiff from hand in 37 episodes. He's a trained Boatwright, so he knows his stuff, and it's wonderful to watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C22Crc7XHoI

 

[vpsihop1]

Damn work! Can't wait to watch this.

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[bazzer69]

If the Tumble Home is excessive then the boat might be unstable if you transfer your weight to the gunwhale , but there is another old saying " if a boat looks right she'll go right" From what I can see yours looks pretty right
By the way, the simplest seats might just be thwarts that are basically planks that run from side to side. The rowers seat could be the same with a raised rope section in the middle for comfort.
Baz


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[vpsihop1]

Good idea, would add stiffness also, thanks

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[jds108]

Note that you'll want your seat lower than the oarlocks so that the oars clear your legs on the return stroke.

I've never built a boat myself, but my 50 qt cooler put me up too high to row on in the 10' pram I used to use.

 

[vpsihop1]

Note that you'll want your seat lower than the oarlocks so that the oars clear your legs on the return stroke.

I've never built a boat myself, but my 50 qt cooler put me up too high to row on in the 10' pram I used to use.

Good point, didn't think about the height of the oar locks in relation to the seat.

Does anyone know what angles work with oar locks? I'm fabricating blocks and might need to tilt them in a bit because of the amount of flair I have

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[deceiverbob]

Good point, didn't think about the height of the oar locks in relation to the seat.

Does anyone know what angles work with oar locks? I'm fabricating blocks and might need to tilt them in a bit because of the amount of flair I have

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I would think you would alright without having to tilt the block for the oarlock sockets. Banks dories had a lot of flare and they didn't have anything special in the way of oarlocks. Most of them had thole pins. If you have your locks already you could clamp them to the gunnels and insert an oar or a mock up(pvc pipe) and check to see range of motion. With the beam of your boat your going to need fairly long oars so you can reach the water without lifting your hands too high. I use 8 1/2 foot oars on my rowing skiff with a 52" beam.

This is my skiff pulled up on the beach

 

[vpsihop1]

Beautiful boat! Thank you for the tips that's a great idea about the clamps and pvc pipe, I'm sure I can mess with the height of the oar blocks and my seat to get the right angle.

This is all great info, thank you so much everyone

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[Tailwalk7]

Wow thTs awesome


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[vpsihop1]

So far so good, hatches, seats, gunnel, oar locks coming!

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[vpsihop1]

Fishing has been too good to work on this consistently, but got the gunnels started.

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[vpsihop1]

Gonna keep updating this. Mods please let me know if this is not ok. Thanks!

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[wee hooker]

I've built several skiff, canoes and kayaks in the past. Mostly from others plans but a few from my own design.
I can tell you that the relationship of the oar locks to the seat in every plane, for/aft, height can make or brake a design. If the locks aren't in the right position, your going to be banging into your own body and or staining muscles unnaturally. Oar length plays a role here too. Best thing is to measure those relationships from another boat then translate them into your design. Also suggest you "test row" a prototype setup in your yard before (!) you commit to anything.


Ps. I like what your doing with foam panels. I always used cedar strips or stitch and glue ply.

BTW, could just be the angle but I'm thinking your seat is going to be to high unless you raise your oar locks well above the gunnels. Remember you need to be able to bring the oar handles low as you lift the blades out of the water.

 

[vpsihop1]

Thank you regarding the seat. I can still drop the seat, this is why I'm finishing the gunnels and oar locks first, then I'll adjust the seat height, it's not glued down yet. Also, this is plascore, not foam. Comes as a plastic honeycomb with polyester veil that is heat fused to the honeycomb. I treat it like plywood, this was a stitch glue boat.

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[wee hooker]

Thank you regarding the seat. I can still drop the seat, this is why I'm finishing the gunnels and oar locks first, then I'll adjust the seat height, it's not glued down yet. Also, this is plascore, not foam. Comes as a plastic honeycomb with polyester veil that is heat fused to the honeycomb. I treat it like plywood, this was a stitch glue boat.

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Good move on the seat. I'm sure you'll find the sweet spot.
I look forward to more pics. I always said that building a boat was about as much fun as a man can have with his cloths on!

Yes, my bad for calling it foam. While all my personal projects have been in in epoxy and glass covered ply/ cedar, I have had some experience with compost cores on a friends projects. Pretty cool stuff!

p.s. Getting ready to start a project myself this winter. Not a drift boat but this "sport boat" well suited to my location/use.

Robb White, Boatbuilder, Thomasville, Georgia