Hello everyone, I am new here and new-again to boats in general. I used to live in Seattle and while I never owned a sailboat, I did get to sail with friends now and then and always loved it. I built a small stich-and-glue rowing skiff, and then about 1/3 of a Stevenson Weekender before life circumstances got in the way and I had to let go of the unfinished boat and materials because I had no place to store them.
Years later, I live in Kentucky near Cincinnati. I've never completely lost the urge to sail, and for whatever reason I've started thinking about boats again. I still have the Weekender plans and wouldn't mind building that boat again, but my garage may not be big enough. Also, I've decided that this time around I want to think about a boat that I can take into the rivers as well as the lakes around me since I no longer have Puget Sound, Lake Union, and Lake Washington nearby. It will need to be trailerable by midsize car, and able to be stored in a single garage. I've even considered a sailing canoe rig that can be transported on top of a car, but I would prefer a sail boat that can be rowed as needed. I'm no craftsman, but if I take my time and invest in the tools I don't have, I know I can build most kits. I'd like to be able to get it done over the winter, but I know from experience it always takes longer than expected.
Anyway, thanks I hope to spend a lot of time here. Suggestions and advice appreciated.
The first question you ask yourself should probably about how big of a boat you can realistically manage in the available workspace. Consider beam as well as length, because you need room to work all around the boat. Hopefully, your workspace would be someplace at your home where you can come and go without having to make an expedition out of it.
Maybe the second question you should ask yourself is about the number of people you want to have along for sailing. For example, a Northeaster Dory at 17' might be okay for a couple of passengers plus you, the Skerry at 15' maybe good for one passenger plus you, and the Passagemaker Dinghy at less than 12' won't work so well that way, the space forward of the midship thwart being a bit tight for adults, though she'll carry quite a load under oars, and I'd have one or two grandchildren along that way when they were small, which they no longer are. Guess I will now have to live long enough to take greatgrandchildren sailing with me. <;-) (I have a Passagemaker, but I've not experienced the other boats mentioned.)
Maybe the third question is whether you mean to boat in rivers with significant currents, which might be a big factor in determining whether you want the ability use an outboard motor. Of the three boats mentioned above, only the Passagemaker is really meant to use a motor, and my experience with that is that you can realistically have sail plus oars or motor plus oars but not sail plus motor on the same outing. As for motors, the Southwester Dory (at nearly 19' a much more substantial project) has a realistic three way capability if you build the optional motor well, and might be a splendid expedition boat for someplade like Kentucky Lake. Jimmy Skiff II would work that way for you on a smaller scale, as well.
I like meadeam's idea of building a scale model, if one such is available for the boat you're considering, is a good one. It's less difficult to visual this stuff in 3D. Also, I'd encourage you to spend a lot of time looking at the photo galleries to get some idea of how people use these girls. There are lots to choose from!
Lots to ponder, and I wish you all joy of your pondering! Thinking about messing about in boats is almost as much fun as actually doing it, though perhaps not as adventurous.
After more deliberation, I think I need more room onboard than the Skerry offers. I have to be able to take both of my kids out even if they won't be with me everytime. We're fairly compact people; I am 5'11 150lbs and my kids at 12 and 13 are still under 5 feet tall. Realistically, the Southwester would probably be the best choice for the three of us, or myself and an adult companion. My workspace is exactly 25 feet long, and 10 feet wide at it's narrowest due to a support post. There wouldn't be much room to walk around the bow and stern, or to move the boat without opening the door once it is assembled to its full size. I would have some room on both ends for tools and additional workspace including a bench and/or some rolling tables. The weekender was around 20' and I did most of that in a tiny garage, but I rolled it in and out on a frame with caster wheels.
I bought the study plans for the Southwester. It is a much more substantial project that the Skerry or Northeaster, and would take longer to get on the water. Feels like a big commitment, but what a fantastic looking boat.
If by "sailing" you mean being out on the water (not necessarily propelled by sails), it is hard to beat a Peeler Skiff. The peeler is rugged, stable, comfortable, and can easily carry 4-5 adults.
We built her from a CLC kit in 2014 and keep her on a saltwater mooring off Narragansett Bay from May through October. This Spring my grandson and I repainted her for the first time (except for annual antifouling bottom paint). She shows absolutely no signs of deterioration after 10 years of saltwater and gravel beaches.
The kit is well-designed and pretty easy for a first-time stitch and glue builder. We've certainly gotten a lot more than our money's worth out of her.
Thanks for the thoughtful replies. I keep coming back around to the Skerry for some of the reasons mentioned by Gramps, and the fact that it sounds like a great row boat as well as a sailboat. It will fit in my workspace in all dimensions with room to walk around. I have some cleanup to do, and a motorcycle to sell, but I could probably fit a Northeaster Dory or similar sized boat. I didn't want a motor this time around, but I will keep considering it. I'll be solo sometimes, and other times with 1 or both of my two kids. They are 12 and 13, and quite compact. I know the Skerry would be tight with all three of us, so I will careful consider that. I did order the scale model and am lookiing forward to building it while I ponder and get my workspace in order. Construction would start in the fall. My workspace is heated, though I am a little concerned about using epoxy in the space as it is the drive-in basement of my house. I'll need to carefully consider ventilation as well.
Your children will get bigger. Mine did, anyway. If you can manage building the Southwester Dory, which, I agree, has a lot more pieces, I think you'll be glad you did, especially if you mean to include routine use of a motor in your expedition planning. Maybe setting it up at something of a diagonal to your 25 x 10 space would give you enough room around the ends to work on it. Chalk it out on the floor and see what you think.
Chalking it out on the floor is a good idea. I am (slowly) preparing the space now, and I'll do that when I get the floor opened up. I have a few hurdles to clear that could take a some weeks to finish, but then I'll be ready to order. Hopefully this fall.
In the meantime I have the study plans for all three dories, and have assembled most of the Skerry scale model. I think I'll order the Northeaster model as well. Getting a sense of the process and comparing them side by side will help. Rigged for sailing, the Southwester is $2500 more than the other two. I'll need a trailer as well, so that has to be considered in the total cost.
Thanks for the input. I am actually enjoying the decision process and looking at pictures and video of all the fantastic boats that have been built.
I moved to Steubenville from Tacoma just 4 years ago, just up the river from you!
For those that do not know, the Ohio is essentually a very long lake. I have had trouble sailing it but have turned heads while doing so. The lakes around here are small and very tacky, but you can get up to lake Erie or Chesepeake with a days drive for some good sailing.
I built the skerry. It is possible for two people to car top it and I wanted this possibility to use it not only as a sail boat but a river boat that had a shallow draft and could be portaged in a pinch by 2 people.
I have 6 kids and 2-3 go sailing with me often. 4 is a little tight and near the weight capacity for the skerry.
If you want a good boat that is adaptable to many different conditions (that you do not plan on putting a motor on) and configurations the skerry is a great one to start with.
For overnights I would go with the Guilder, Fareing, or Southwestern Dory. The latter being the one I would consider mostly because of the inclusion of a motor mount in the ccenter of the boat. This is needed at times on the ohio and lakes.
Lastly, if I had a trade off boat it would be the light house tender peapod. a balance of the above with higher capacity.
The skerry will meet your needs for now, if you wish ping me and we can meet up at a lake in the middle (salt fork?) and you can test out the skerry. I have made some mods and would reccomend more/less from those experiances.
Thansk dmiddad for the helpful info. I'm planning on sailing and/or rowing in the Ohio after learning the boat and getting comfortable sailing again. Down in Louisville there is apparently a fairly decent sailing community. Other than that, I plan to get in a couple of the smaller rivers in my back yard for point to point down river rowing trips. I'm not sure the smaller rivers will be wide enough to put the sail up. Brookville Lake is less than an hour away, and is 5000 acres. For bigger water, I'll go down to Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. And of course the ultimate will be to trailer up to Lake Erie, or Lake Michigan. I'm just over 200 miles from either shore, so a bit of a trip but I will make it as often as possible. I love Lake Michigan, I've never been in Lake Erie. I have a sort of bucket-list dream to cruise the Great Lakes. I was born in Superior, WI and got to spend some summers in the Apostle Islands. I've always wanted to sail there.
Any reason why you wouldn't consider the Northeaster rather than the Southwester? I don't want an engine on this particular boat, and the Northeaster seems kind of like a sweetspot between the Southwester and Skerry. Also, very similar in price to the Skerry if a bit more work to build.
I would reccomend the motor. I have augmented the skerry with a rig for a small trolling motor becasue people in the Ohio can act like jerks who have never seen a sailboat before. Between the heavy commercial traffic, tight channels, and recreation traffic it can be hard at times to be 100% sail. The oars are handy but I have found the trolling motor to be nice in a pinch. Additionally it makes navigation in and out of boat launches easier as they are not designed for sail around here and some are so tight that it is difficult to oar.
The thing I would change most on the skerry is what the major difference is with the guilder. Side benches. (I have added removable side benches but this is still a WIP.) the southwester has this design and can have the potential for MASSIVE storage, something I have come to appreciate with the skerry that has no storage. I like a tidy boat without a lot floating around, add a few people let alone kids and the whole thing gets untidy quickly. Lines getting caught in stuff and people give me particular heartburn.
For the low draft the Skerry and the Noreaster are the right choice, they are lighter and for rowing do not carry a draft (bring a cut pool noodle to shove in the daggerboard slot) The skerry is more similar to riverboats and handles well down some really good rapids. (I can't find pictures of me going down the rogue river in Sothern Oregon, but I really wouldn't have tried it in the larger boats.) That said there is not much of that kind of water in Ohio.
Another reason I would consider the southwester is that it looks to be more easily modded. As I sail and discover what I want/need this is an important thing to consider.
Ultimatly the decision is up to you, I trully do love my skerry and the only thing I wish it to be is a larger boat! It is a very flexible and versitile boat that fits the niche I wanted which was similar to yours. The larger boats were also considered but decided against partially due to size. Build one and then you will know what you want (thanks Kurtk!) I know that I have dreams of a "Super Pocket" to take on week long trips on the lakes and possibly even the open ocean. Would not have thought about how that should look without the individual building, modding, and sailing with the skerry.
Again, if you want to meet up and test her out happy to connect!
Thanks dmiddad, I may take you up on that offer. I don't have any sailing friends yet.
Next week I am driving up to Lake Michigan to stay in a cottage on the beach for a couple days. It is partly a recon trip to see what it will be like to trailer a boat up there. It costs a fortune to stay in the cottage, so that certainly won't be a reoccurring thing, but I'm hoping to scope out the sailing and camping options. I'm waitlisted for a chartered sail as well. The place we are going is about the closest part of the lakeshore we can reach and still be 70 miles away from Chicago. Nothing against Chicago, just not the vibe I'm after for this kind thing.