Choosing the right boat

Builder's Forum
1

I am doing some initial research and trying to decide whether I should try and build a boat, and narrow down which kit would be the best choice for my circumstances.  There is a huge range!

I have never built a boat before, have done some basic woodworking but nothing very significant.  I have never used or owned a router, but have sawed, nailed and glued a few bits and pieces.  I’ve used epoxy, but only for repairing small fairings, and nothing like the scale of work required to build a kit.

I am a recreational rower, but of the larger fixed seat wooden boat with several rowers in the coastal tradition rather than light sliding seat.  I have also done a very small amount of helping to sail one of these.

I am now at the stage where to complement this activity in the larger boats, which is very dependant on being able to get crew together, I would like to have my own boat which I can handle on my own to allow solo outings.

The primary mission is rowing, both for quick rows around he harbour, and also for longer day trips that would cover a few miles and a few hours.  But I would also like to have the option of playing with a sailing rig and educating myself a little more to build on my meagre skills.  I do not expect to be out in rough weather, but I do not want to be worried about power boat wakes or being caught out if it gets a little bit choppy or windy either, so a reasonable amount of seaworthiness is a must.

At first I was looking at rowing designs like the expedition wherry, but am now more inclined to the row/sail combination, and the two I find myself looking at the most are the Jimmy Skiff II and the Tenderly.

Am I on the right track given my background and the mission I have outlined?  Any feedback would be gratefully received.  In particular which of these two is the most capable and best suited to performing well on long rows, and beig safe and easy to develop some sailing skills.

I definitely like the look of the Tenderly, but the JS II looks a bit bigger.  Am I right that the Tenderly is a more difficult build, and a bit more substantial? Or is the JS II more practical with buoyancy and a bit more length and room.

I have probably gone on a bit too long, so will leave it at that, but any suggestions about how best to narrow down the choice of boat, and whether I could build it, would be great, and if anyone has tried both these and has opinions either way on ability that would be good. If you think i should be considering something else entirely, let me know too!

2

The lug rig of the Tenderly would seem a better proporsition for switching between sailing and rowing vs. Jimmy Skiff II.  I imagine the the Tenderly is a bit trickier to build.  Given the kit, though, it shouldn't be a whole lot tricker than the Passagemaker Dinghy; we tackled that as complete boatbuilding neophytes without much woodworking experience, and everything came out really well. That Lapstitch business is like...magic.  I should think, without knowing, that (1) the pointy bow makes it some trickier and (2) the resultant curves are a bit more difficult to pull together, is all.

.....Michael

3

   Everyone will have an opinion, and in the end your own will matter the most.  But given the qualities and uses you describe, I think you've overlooked what would be my top recommendation - the Skerry. Very seaworthy, great for a solo person, easy to change from sail to row (even while out on the water), plenty of room for some extra gear (this last is true of all options).  Most importantly, (maybe someone has better words for this) based on your DESIRE to row, I think you'll be much happier with a ROWING boat that can easily be sailed, rather than a UTILITY boat that can be rowed and sailed.  Nothing against the other desings, and they certainly aren't slugs when compared to a common commercial dinghy, Jon boat or basic aluminum rowboat, but I think you'll sorely miss the "glide" that the Skerry will provide with each stoke, as compared to the Jimmy Skiff II or Tenderly. Anyway, IMHO

As to your ability to build any of the CLC designs - a first time novice could build almost any of them with time, patience, a willingness to learn and the help of the CLC staff and this forum.  Maybe a small mistake or two will be made in the beginning, but everything is fixable, but your techniques will rapidly improve and even by the end of your first build you'll feel like a pro.  I had much other prior (non-wood) boat experience, but my first wood boat build was a NE Dory (like a Skerry that ate its Wheaties) - done with no problem.

Good luck.  Bubblehead

4

Choosing which boat to build is half the fun, and it can take a while.  I spent three years trying to decide which sailboat to build and only two years building it.

You have gotten good advice in the posts above, and all of the boats mentioned are great designs well within the capability of a first time builder. 

I would especially highlight two comments made above.  If rowing is your primary use, I would look very hard at the Skerry (and maybe also the NED).  I also agree with the comment that a Lug rig is a great choice for a sail and oar boat.

You have not mentioned and logistical issues regarding your build.  How big is your build space?  Where will you store the boat?  How will you transport/launch your boat?  All of these are importatnt and should be considered in your boat choice.

If you are looking for something a bit smaller and lighter that can be car-topped, you might consider a Mill Creek 16.5.  They can be equipped with a  Piantedosi rowing rig which can be removed for sailing and/or two person paddling. 

My last point is to not worry if the design you choose does not end up being the perfect boat.  You can always build another.

5

Seawood,

Finding a good used boat that meets your needs is probably cheaper than building one. That being said, the challenge and pleasure of building your own boat can be priceless. Ultimately, building my Peeler Skiff took a year and involved my oldest friends (a couple), my eldest daughter and son-in-law, and a very talented grandson. The whole experience was so rewarding that I cannot wait to convince my wife to let me do it again.

As far as skills and experience are concerned, Chesapeak Light Craft is a great company to deal with. Their kits are well-designed and well-engineered --- and their manuals and customer support are top grade. You could not work with a better group of people.

Cheers,

Dick

6

   

Thanks for all the constructive feedback, much appreciated.

The primary task is definitely rowing, so I am very interested in the recommendation of the skerry being a better rower than the JS II.  Is that because of the lighter weight, or the hull design?

I am not sure why I overlooked the skerry, but I have now had a good look an it does seem that that might be a very good choice.

It seems light and easy for one person to handle, and not too complicated a build in comparison to some of the others.  It looks very nice too, although at 15 feet it is the longest of the options I have looked at.  Thinking building one as a rowing boat, with a view to adding a sail the following year, would be a good way to dip my toe in the water. Saw the Skerry Raid as well but that seems a bit more complicated to build.

I have found a really interesting channel on Youtube, Skerry Keleren, which has lots of videos of a French-built skerry being launched very easily by one person, and lots of sailing.  No rowing though.  It looks really capable and impressive.  There were a couple of things that seemed a little bit curious, they always seem to put 40kg of ballast in beside the daggerboard in two big water cans.  Would that be just a sailing thing.

One of the videos there https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjosY4M4080 is well worth a watch, looks like great fun, but is did get me wondering a little about how little freeboard there seems to be in a couple of shots there with two guys on board. On the other hand there are other videos there with it sailing in choppy water quite comfortably.  They are certainly all inspiring to watch.

I am going to download the pdf study manual and have a good look, I think the skerry is my lead contender now.  Any further feedback welcome, and if anyone has any links to video of it in rowing action that would be good too, havent found any.

7

Here's a short video I found of one rowing:

https://youtu.be/R0Jmr0Hr0OY

You can see the long glide which others have mentioned above.

I wouldn't worry to much about the apparent low freeboard you noticed in that one video.  Those fellows look to be pretty good sized, and I expect they are pushing the 450# rated capacity.  Plus, which, they appear to be causing the boat to heel so that the sail will "fall into shape" on one tack, which makes the freeboard look less than it really is.

John's description of the design states that she "combines elements of traditional working craft of the British Isles and Scandinavia, with a little bit of American Swampscott Dory thrown in."  My first thought on looking at it is "gunning dory", given the narrow flat bottom and long overhangs.  Those had a reputation for being very able, riding like ducks when things got lumpy.

Should be a great rowboat and fun to sail, if you can manage the 15' length.

.....Michael