Building a Wooden Boat 2023: Sail and Oar Skiff 

How well will the house paint hold up to the water over time?

i mean people did it for millenia, why couldn't you with modern tooling :D

Thank you! I always appreciate your comments. Feedback is invaluable. I'm fortunate to have viewers so engaged with this project. Couldn't do it without you!

Thanks for the kind words. Truthfully, I'm mediocre at best, but can become very motivated when I get the bug. Sounds like you've been through it all with your sharpie. Very informative. I love hearing these kinds of first hand accounts. Interesting point about the trunk. I hadn't considered that. A sealed cap would solve the issue, but I know some boats require an open top trunk to accommodate a larger board.

i also would like to know more particulars on the mast and spars. It looks like the later are 1 1/4" dowel, but the mast? A couple of 2 x 4s glued together and rounded off?

Or maybe the bending stressed the wood enough to accentuate the planing "ripple"?

Thank you. The fleet probably measures100ft of hull if you include Kayaks and the Boston Whaler haha. I have too many boats.

Very nice. What type? 12 seems to be the magic number for small recreational boats. I love my bigger boats, but tend to have the most fun in the small ones.

@@cumberlandrover I'm building sort of a cross between Jim Michalak's Mayfl12 (flatiron skiff) and his Skat (catboat). In Missouri a sailboat under 12' with no motor doesn't require registration which makes them very attractive : )

@@geneberry7114 Interesting. The mayfly has some wild rocker for its length. Looks fun. No registry does sweeten the appeal haha. In Ky any non-powered vessel is registration exempt. I guess we're lucky.

Inspiring. Got the sharpie book thanks to this video. Will attempt a spring build. Any other books you suggest? Also, did you show us how you built your mast step?

@@mxDuzt Good luck to you! The Sharpie Book is pretty comprehensive. I cut the seat with a 2in hole saw where the mast passes through. The step is made from a pine 1x4, and also cut with a 2in hole saw. It's screwed to the keelson with 4 #8 deck screws. It's best for the holes to be a little larger than the mast. You can make a tight fit using a leather collar, tape, etc. Before fastening the step in, pass the mast through the hole in the seat and mark the step location on the keelson. Also, it's important to rig the halyard in such a way that it holds the mast down, preventing it from jumping out of the step. My halyard runs through a fairlead on the seat (mast partner), and aft to a cleat on the daggerboard trunk.

Very nice! I'd like to eventually experiment with a canoe or pirogue build. Personally, I prefer the initial stability of a boat.

Yes, I have bigger boats for that, but, if I end up one day with the Viola as my only boat, I may have to explore "training wheels"..@@cumberlandrover

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. Excellent questions, and I appreciate the feedback. Keep in mind: I'm no expert, and have no special knowledge other than a good amount of experience tinkering around with boats. I've built several, 3 that I consider very successful. I would recommend taking a look at The Sharpie Book by Reul Parker before starting a build. That is an excellent primer on this type of craft that includes detailed building methods and sample plans. More free board would be nice. Mainly at the bow. An extra 3 inches would be perfect. Regardless, a skiff this small is really only suited to protected waters, and even then, there's always a way to find trouble ;) To my knowledge, the best way to gain this height is by using plywood joined with butt blocks (on ends to achieve 12ft length). Or, instead of a single 12in wide board for each side, use 2 8in wide boards butted together on edge (or a 10 and a 6 for example). This is how my 15ft skiff was planked. It ads a considerable amount of work and complexity. Vertical frames mast be used to tie the planking together. I would say 1/4 in is too thin for solid wood. Fewer joints is better for this style of build, as it can be a pain to fit and make tight. I like the lowest plank to be wide enough that the joint with the plank above it is above the waterline. I would not recommend 4in wide boards. Some skiffs are built with planking that narrow, but have to be caulked with cotton (which must be continually maintained) If you want the boat to last as long as possible, maybe marine ply would be best. I honestly don't know. My understanding is that there is not a major difference between the adhesives used on exterior grade ply and marine. The main thing is that the glue be waterproof. I've been successful using exterior ply on several small boats (just painted regularly). I know they won't last forever. Coat with epoxy, and/or fiberglass tape the seams, and exterior plywood will probably last a lifetime.

Not a problem at all. The videos don't expire, and neither do the comments! I actually used Titan Tibond to edge glue the transom stock. (I think Tibond 2. Whichever is waterproof.) It's also a good idea to alternate the grain on the upper and lower boards. Look at the half circle (partial sections of tree rings) of the end grain, and set them facing opposite directions. Yes, big clamps! Glue and Clamp overnight. Wipe any excess glue thoroughly while wet. It's a pain to sand when it dries. I'm seriously wanting to get some plans out for this skiff, but it's going to be awhile. It's a big undertaking, and I'm busy enough as it is. Good luck to you!

I've done some sewing of sails, but not this one. It was purchased from Chesapeake Light Craft a while back for an old project. I may end up sewing a new lug sail for this boat. I think it would benefit from just a tiny bit more sail area.

@@cumberlandrover I really like this boat and am thinking about a copy for our calmer inland NC waters. Was the reasoning for the Lug sail shape because of your experience with them? I'm using a LOM for a Goose currently and think that sail would look nice on your Sharpie.

Very interesting! I will have to look into that type.

I'm not familiar with that term, what does it mean?

can you share any contact option then i will explain all of.@@chrisgardner3606

​@@chrisgardner3606search engine optimised. "SEO Optimised" is a dumb way to say it as it says optimised twice

​@@chrisgardner3606 search engine optimization. Basically he wants money to make this video easier for people to find by using hash tags, keywords, and submitting links to the different search engines, each with its own price most likely, and when it doesn't work to increase the traffic substantially enough to justify the hundreds spent on it, he will basically defend his actions by saying something like "I never promised anything more than an X % increase in views," or another loophole he devised to get out of refunding the exorbitant amount he charges.