Re: [bolger] Skiffy Floats! Story and Pics link ...
In a message dated 00-11-17 00:17:12 EST, you write:
<< Hi gang! Well, I'm happy to say that you have added yet another
amateur boat-building enthusiast to your ranks. My modified Pointy
Skiff, "Skiffy", earned it's oars in the Newport Back Bay this
weekend. Pics are available at:
http://www.geocities.com/sonicwonder2000/skiffy1.html>>
It is, indeed a ..."Very Spiffy Skiffy"...enjoy, enjoy
Best regards, Warren
<< Hi gang! Well, I'm happy to say that you have added yet another
amateur boat-building enthusiast to your ranks. My modified Pointy
Skiff, "Skiffy", earned it's oars in the Newport Back Bay this
weekend. Pics are available at:
http://www.geocities.com/sonicwonder2000/skiffy1.html>>
It is, indeed a ..."Very Spiffy Skiffy"...enjoy, enjoy
Best regards, Warren
> "Skiffy" was built by me, Sonic! I know these egroup threads getOOPS! It seems as if I was the one that got confused that time. I
> really confusing sometimes!!
thought that your message was intended for me when you addressed Dale
- bad reading on my part. The salt water air must be going to my head
:))
--- Inbolger@egroups.com, "Rich Deming" <thedemings@n...> wrote:
"Skiffy" was built by me, Sonic! I know these egroup threads get
really confusing sometimes!! Anyways, thanks again for the inspiration
...
> Dale,floating!
> Glad to hear from you. Funny how your boat inspired me to build one
> and then someone seeing mine inspired them to build one also. Maybe,
> you started a trend and soon there will be thousands of PS's
> RichRich,
>http://smallboat.homepage.com/
"Skiffy" was built by me, Sonic! I know these egroup threads get
really confusing sometimes!! Anyways, thanks again for the inspiration
...
Dale,
Glad to hear from you. Funny how your boat inspired me to build one
and then someone seeing mine inspired them to build one also. Maybe,
you started a trend and soon there will be thousands of PS's floating!
Rich
http://smallboat.homepage.com/
Glad to hear from you. Funny how your boat inspired me to build one
and then someone seeing mine inspired them to build one also. Maybe,
you started a trend and soon there will be thousands of PS's floating!
Rich
http://smallboat.homepage.com/
> Your Pointy Skiff looks great! Good write-up on your launchingfor
> extravaganzas. I have built four Pointy Skiffs to date and it has
> been, for me personally, one of the best boats to build and own.
> When I receive back my pictures from the photomart, I will show a
> really cool method ( hopefully it hasn't been already thought of )
> cartopping this boat and others of theround
> " Instant Boat " fleet. A method that is simple, efficient, safe,
> versatile and is mainly for those roofracks that have square or
> cross members and are mounted on vehicles with gutters. The needfor
> straps or rope are all but virtually eliminated ( I have heard thatone
> some states/provinces may require, regardless of securing method,
> line at least extending from the front bumper area to the bow,the
> although I can not confirm this information - perhaps someone in
> group can provide some additional info in this area ).
>
> Look after her and she will provide you with countless years of
> enjoyment. Again, good job!
>
> Dale Ruth - Prince George, B.C.
Sonic,
Your Pointy Skiff looks great! Good write-up on your launching
extravaganzas. I have built four Pointy Skiffs to date and it has
been, for me personally, one of the best boats to build and own.
When I receive back my pictures from the photomart, I will show a
really cool method ( hopefully it hasn't been already thought of )for
cartopping this boat and others of the
" Instant Boat " fleet. A method that is simple, efficient, safe,
versatile and is mainly for those roofracks that have square or round
cross members and are mounted on vehicles with gutters. The need for
straps or rope are all but virtually eliminated ( I have heard that
some states/provinces may require, regardless of securing method, one
line at least extending from the front bumper area to the bow,
although I can not confirm this information - perhaps someone in the
group can provide some additional info in this area ).
Look after her and she will provide you with countless years of
enjoyment. Again, good job!
Dale Ruth - Prince George, B.C.
Your Pointy Skiff looks great! Good write-up on your launching
extravaganzas. I have built four Pointy Skiffs to date and it has
been, for me personally, one of the best boats to build and own.
When I receive back my pictures from the photomart, I will show a
really cool method ( hopefully it hasn't been already thought of )for
cartopping this boat and others of the
" Instant Boat " fleet. A method that is simple, efficient, safe,
versatile and is mainly for those roofracks that have square or round
cross members and are mounted on vehicles with gutters. The need for
straps or rope are all but virtually eliminated ( I have heard that
some states/provinces may require, regardless of securing method, one
line at least extending from the front bumper area to the bow,
although I can not confirm this information - perhaps someone in the
group can provide some additional info in this area ).
Look after her and she will provide you with countless years of
enjoyment. Again, good job!
Dale Ruth - Prince George, B.C.
Rich,
Skiffy is not mine....but I will be in the water this month with PS#1,
"Chris' Craft"
Jim C.
Skiffy is not mine....but I will be in the water this month with PS#1,
"Chris' Craft"
Jim C.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rich Deming [mailto:thedemings@...]
> Sent: Friday, November 17, 2000 5:20 AM
> To:bolger@egroups.com
> Subject: [bolger] Re: Skiffy Floats! Story and Pics link ...
>
>
> Hi Jim,
> She looks good in the water! Once you have some nice oars, she will
> move right along with the only problem being to keep her tacking
> straight. I have considered putting a skeg on mine. Your transom will
> go down into the water and your bow up if you distribute the load
> evenly. Don't go bigger than a 3-1/2 horse motor on her. I have a 3HP
> and it is plenty. Wide open she just starts to plow and is not very
> efficient.
> Enjoy and congratulations!
> Rich
>
>
>
> Bolger rules!!!
> - no cursing, flaming, trolling, or spamming
> - no flogging dead horses
> - add something: take "thanks!" and "ditto!" posts off-list.
> - stay on topic and punctuate
> - add your comments at the TOP and SIGN your posts
>
>
Congratulations on a successful launch! Ditto on getting her
finished, with great good humor, even though you goofed on the
measuring! I admire your perserverance.
Welcome to the boat fanatic ranks. We're always happy to see new
faces!
Take care,
Pete Reynolds
finished, with great good humor, even though you goofed on the
measuring! I admire your perserverance.
Welcome to the boat fanatic ranks. We're always happy to see new
faces!
Take care,
Pete Reynolds
--- Inbolger@egroups.com, sonicwonder@h... wrote:
> Hi gang! Well, I'm happy to say that you have added yet another
> amateur boat-building enthusiast to your ranks. My modified Pointy
> Skiff, "Skiffy", earned it's oars in the Newport Back Bay this
> weekend. Pics are available at:
>
>http://www.geocities.com/sonicwonder2000/skiffy1.html
>
> That entire morning was spend building a Carnell-Type dolly and
> putting the finishing touches on my home-made car rack. Thanks to
> everyone for their input on my previous cartopping thread - it was
> VERY helpful. I opted to secure the rack to the car with two nylon
> ratchet straps through the doors of the car. I also added four
> heavy-duty eye hooks on the rack to aid in tying the hull down. The
> final assembly was extremely stable and I took it on steep hills
and
> the freeway (60MPH tops) with nary a problem.
> We got the the bay by about 3:30 with only 1-1/2 hours of
daylight
> left. The parking attendent was so impressed with the boat that she
> let my parents - who had been following in another car in case of
> problems - enter and park for free! I was told by the attendant
that
> it might be easier to launch the boat from the shore than the boat
> ramp. It was at this point that I was glad I took the time to make
> the dolly - it was a 100 yard hike to the water ... When we FINALLY
> got to the edge of the water, it was muddy, smelly and weed-
infested
> due to low tide and high bacteria levels for the day. We hiked back
> the 100 yards, re-cartopped Skiffy, and headed for the launch ramp.
> At the boat ramp, problems again. Low tide had left the ramp
> slippery and not safe for foot traffic. Not to be stopped, we
> dollyed the boat down one of the adjacent docks. How to get her
into
> the water though? I was so impatient I said "just throw her in",
> which is exactly what we did. BAD IDEA. I didn't have and cleats on
> the gunwales and no tie-down line so the boat began to drift away!
As
> you should be able to tell by now, this is the first time I have
ever
> been in any small boat - leave alone my own. Rank amateur here!
> Chest to the dock, I managed with outstretched hand to just reach
the
> gunwale before she drifted completely away!! After my heart
started
> beating again, I realized - SHE WAS FLOATING!!! YAY!!!
> I quickly boarded her center thwart and put my home-made 2 piece
> 7-1/2 foot oars into their locks. Then I TRIED to row. I don't
know
> if you remember the first time you rowed a boat but it is
definately
> an acquired skill. I flailed around the docks for a few minutes to
> the cheers and heckles of amused onlooking skippers. It then
struck
> me why I was having so much trouble - my oars were way too long.
> Payson recommends a 6-1/2 foot oar for Pointy Skiff, but since
Skiffy
> has a wider beam, I thought I should make the oars slighly longer.
I
> had come too far to be stopped by lack of propulsion damn it!
Then,
> the brain flash. The oars were two piece, so why not separate them
> and use one end as a paddle? Eureka - propulsion! Inefficeient
> propulsion, but propulsion nonetheless.
> From that point onwards, our whole family enjoyed the remaining
45
> minutes of daylight. First I went out alone. Then, accompanied by
my
> girlfriend and my dad. Now for the shocker. My mother has always had
> a phobia about water. She has never been able to boat in any open
> body of water except in big cruise ships. She was fourth up. For
> the first 2 minutes, it sounded more like she was on a roller-
coaster
> ride than a boat ride. I thought for sure I was going to have a
> puke-cleanup job waiting for me prior to heading home! Then
something
> miraculous happened; my mother started smiling. Her face started
to
> glow as she actually started to ENJOY herself!! A 56 year old
> phobia, cured in 20 minutes ... never underestimate the power in
> amateur boat-building :)
> So how did Skiffy perform? No leaks is about all that I can
say.
> Due to the lack of adequate propulsion and a fairly stong current,
I
> was able to get a great workout, but not really able to guage the
> performance of the boat much. To be honest with you, I don't
> really have much experience to guage the performance with. This
> weekend, I'm going to cut the oars down to 6-1/2 feet, attatch some
> tie-down cleats, and try again. I might even go get an engine! All
I
> know is that I am HOOKED, HOOKED, HOOKED. Looking forward to
building
> my next boat...
>
> Sonic
--- Inbolger@egroups.com, "Rich Deming" <thedemings@n...> wrote:
Just wanted to let you know that you were the inspiration for me
building Skiffy. I visited your boating pages and, after seeing your
PS, I knew I had to build one! Thanks again.
> Hi Jim,will
> She looks good in the water! Once you have some nice oars, she will
> move right along with the only problem being to keep her tacking
> straight. I have considered putting a skeg on mine. Your transom
> go down into the water and your bow up if you distribute the load3HP
> evenly. Don't go bigger than a 3-1/2 horse motor on her. I have a
> and it is plenty. Wide open she just starts to plow and is not veryRich,
> efficient.
> Enjoy and congratulations!
> Rich
Just wanted to let you know that you were the inspiration for me
building Skiffy. I visited your boating pages and, after seeing your
PS, I knew I had to build one! Thanks again.
--- Inbolger@egroups.com, "Rich Deming" <thedemings@n...> wrote:
Just wanted to let you know that you were the inspiration for me
building Skiffy. I visited your boating pages and, after seeing your
PS, I knew I had to build one! Thanks again.
> Hi Jim,will
> She looks good in the water! Once you have some nice oars, she will
> move right along with the only problem being to keep her tacking
> straight. I have considered putting a skeg on mine. Your transom
> go down into the water and your bow up if you distribute the load3HP
> evenly. Don't go bigger than a 3-1/2 horse motor on her. I have a
> and it is plenty. Wide open she just starts to plow and is not veryRich,
> efficient.
> Enjoy and congratulations!
> Rich
Just wanted to let you know that you were the inspiration for me
building Skiffy. I visited your boating pages and, after seeing your
PS, I knew I had to build one! Thanks again.
> My modified Pointy Skiff, "Skiffy", earned it's oars in the Newport BackCongratulations!
> Bay this weekend.
Congratulations -- good loking boat!
Jamie Orr
-----Original Message-----
From:sonicwonder@...[mailto:sonicwonder@...]
Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2000 8:22 PM
To:bolger@egroups.com
Subject: [bolger] Skiffy Floats! Story and Pics link ...
Hi gang! Well, I'm happy to say that you have added yet another
amateur boat-building enthusiast to your ranks. My modified Pointy
Skiff, "Skiffy", earned it's oars in the Newport Back Bay this
weekend. Pics are available at:
http://www.geocities.com/sonicwonder2000/skiffy1.html
That entire morning was spend building a Carnell-Type dolly and
putting the finishing touches on my home-made car rack. Thanks to
everyone for their input on my previous cartopping thread - it was
VERY helpful. I opted to secure the rack to the car with two nylon
ratchet straps through the doors of the car. I also added four
heavy-duty eye hooks on the rack to aid in tying the hull down. The
final assembly was extremely stable and I took it on steep hills and
the freeway (60MPH tops) with nary a problem.
We got the the bay by about 3:30 with only 1-1/2 hours of daylight
left. The parking attendent was so impressed with the boat that she
let my parents - who had been following in another car in case of
problems - enter and park for free! I was told by the attendant that
it might be easier to launch the boat from the shore than the boat
ramp. It was at this point that I was glad I took the time to make
the dolly - it was a 100 yard hike to the water ... When we FINALLY
got to the edge of the water, it was muddy, smelly and weed-infested
due to low tide and high bacteria levels for the day. We hiked back
the 100 yards, re-cartopped Skiffy, and headed for the launch ramp.
At the boat ramp, problems again. Low tide had left the ramp
slippery and not safe for foot traffic. Not to be stopped, we
dollyed the boat down one of the adjacent docks. How to get her into
the water though? I was so impatient I said "just throw her in",
which is exactly what we did. BAD IDEA. I didn't have and cleats on
the gunwales and no tie-down line so the boat began to drift away! As
you should be able to tell by now, this is the first time I have ever
been in any small boat - leave alone my own. Rank amateur here!
Chest to the dock, I managed with outstretched hand to just reach the
gunwale before she drifted completely away!! After my heart started
beating again, I realized - SHE WAS FLOATING!!! YAY!!!
I quickly boarded her center thwart and put my home-made 2 piece
7-1/2 foot oars into their locks. Then I TRIED to row. I don't know
if you remember the first time you rowed a boat but it is definately
an acquired skill. I flailed around the docks for a few minutes to
the cheers and heckles of amused onlooking skippers. It then struck
me why I was having so much trouble - my oars were way too long.
Payson recommends a 6-1/2 foot oar for Pointy Skiff, but since Skiffy
has a wider beam, I thought I should make the oars slighly longer. I
had come too far to be stopped by lack of propulsion damn it! Then,
the brain flash. The oars were two piece, so why not separate them
and use one end as a paddle? Eureka - propulsion! Inefficeient
propulsion, but propulsion nonetheless.
From that point onwards, our whole family enjoyed the remaining 45
minutes of daylight. First I went out alone. Then, accompanied by my
girlfriend and my dad. Now for the shocker. My mother has always had
a phobia about water. She has never been able to boat in any open
body of water except in big cruise ships. She was fourth up. For
the first 2 minutes, it sounded more like she was on a roller-coaster
ride than a boat ride. I thought for sure I was going to have a
puke-cleanup job waiting for me prior to heading home! Then something
miraculous happened; my mother started smiling. Her face started to
glow as she actually started to ENJOY herself!! A 56 year old
phobia, cured in 20 minutes ... never underestimate the power in
amateur boat-building :)
So how did Skiffy perform? No leaks is about all that I can say.
Due to the lack of adequate propulsion and a fairly stong current, I
was able to get a great workout, but not really able to guage the
performance of the boat much. To be honest with you, I don't
really have much experience to guage the performance with. This
weekend, I'm going to cut the oars down to 6-1/2 feet, attatch some
tie-down cleats, and try again. I might even go get an engine! All I
know is that I am HOOKED, HOOKED, HOOKED. Looking forward to building
my next boat...
Sonic
Bolger rules!!!
- no cursing, flaming, trolling, or spamming
- no flogging dead horses
- add something: take "thanks!" and "ditto!" posts off-list.
- stay on topic and punctuate
- add your comments at the TOP and SIGN your posts
Jamie Orr
-----Original Message-----
From:sonicwonder@...[mailto:sonicwonder@...]
Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2000 8:22 PM
To:bolger@egroups.com
Subject: [bolger] Skiffy Floats! Story and Pics link ...
Hi gang! Well, I'm happy to say that you have added yet another
amateur boat-building enthusiast to your ranks. My modified Pointy
Skiff, "Skiffy", earned it's oars in the Newport Back Bay this
weekend. Pics are available at:
http://www.geocities.com/sonicwonder2000/skiffy1.html
That entire morning was spend building a Carnell-Type dolly and
putting the finishing touches on my home-made car rack. Thanks to
everyone for their input on my previous cartopping thread - it was
VERY helpful. I opted to secure the rack to the car with two nylon
ratchet straps through the doors of the car. I also added four
heavy-duty eye hooks on the rack to aid in tying the hull down. The
final assembly was extremely stable and I took it on steep hills and
the freeway (60MPH tops) with nary a problem.
We got the the bay by about 3:30 with only 1-1/2 hours of daylight
left. The parking attendent was so impressed with the boat that she
let my parents - who had been following in another car in case of
problems - enter and park for free! I was told by the attendant that
it might be easier to launch the boat from the shore than the boat
ramp. It was at this point that I was glad I took the time to make
the dolly - it was a 100 yard hike to the water ... When we FINALLY
got to the edge of the water, it was muddy, smelly and weed-infested
due to low tide and high bacteria levels for the day. We hiked back
the 100 yards, re-cartopped Skiffy, and headed for the launch ramp.
At the boat ramp, problems again. Low tide had left the ramp
slippery and not safe for foot traffic. Not to be stopped, we
dollyed the boat down one of the adjacent docks. How to get her into
the water though? I was so impatient I said "just throw her in",
which is exactly what we did. BAD IDEA. I didn't have and cleats on
the gunwales and no tie-down line so the boat began to drift away! As
you should be able to tell by now, this is the first time I have ever
been in any small boat - leave alone my own. Rank amateur here!
Chest to the dock, I managed with outstretched hand to just reach the
gunwale before she drifted completely away!! After my heart started
beating again, I realized - SHE WAS FLOATING!!! YAY!!!
I quickly boarded her center thwart and put my home-made 2 piece
7-1/2 foot oars into their locks. Then I TRIED to row. I don't know
if you remember the first time you rowed a boat but it is definately
an acquired skill. I flailed around the docks for a few minutes to
the cheers and heckles of amused onlooking skippers. It then struck
me why I was having so much trouble - my oars were way too long.
Payson recommends a 6-1/2 foot oar for Pointy Skiff, but since Skiffy
has a wider beam, I thought I should make the oars slighly longer. I
had come too far to be stopped by lack of propulsion damn it! Then,
the brain flash. The oars were two piece, so why not separate them
and use one end as a paddle? Eureka - propulsion! Inefficeient
propulsion, but propulsion nonetheless.
From that point onwards, our whole family enjoyed the remaining 45
minutes of daylight. First I went out alone. Then, accompanied by my
girlfriend and my dad. Now for the shocker. My mother has always had
a phobia about water. She has never been able to boat in any open
body of water except in big cruise ships. She was fourth up. For
the first 2 minutes, it sounded more like she was on a roller-coaster
ride than a boat ride. I thought for sure I was going to have a
puke-cleanup job waiting for me prior to heading home! Then something
miraculous happened; my mother started smiling. Her face started to
glow as she actually started to ENJOY herself!! A 56 year old
phobia, cured in 20 minutes ... never underestimate the power in
amateur boat-building :)
So how did Skiffy perform? No leaks is about all that I can say.
Due to the lack of adequate propulsion and a fairly stong current, I
was able to get a great workout, but not really able to guage the
performance of the boat much. To be honest with you, I don't
really have much experience to guage the performance with. This
weekend, I'm going to cut the oars down to 6-1/2 feet, attatch some
tie-down cleats, and try again. I might even go get an engine! All I
know is that I am HOOKED, HOOKED, HOOKED. Looking forward to building
my next boat...
Sonic
Bolger rules!!!
- no cursing, flaming, trolling, or spamming
- no flogging dead horses
- add something: take "thanks!" and "ditto!" posts off-list.
- stay on topic and punctuate
- add your comments at the TOP and SIGN your posts
Hi Jim,
She looks good in the water! Once you have some nice oars, she will
move right along with the only problem being to keep her tacking
straight. I have considered putting a skeg on mine. Your transom will
go down into the water and your bow up if you distribute the load
evenly. Don't go bigger than a 3-1/2 horse motor on her. I have a 3HP
and it is plenty. Wide open she just starts to plow and is not very
efficient.
Enjoy and congratulations!
Rich
She looks good in the water! Once you have some nice oars, she will
move right along with the only problem being to keep her tacking
straight. I have considered putting a skeg on mine. Your transom will
go down into the water and your bow up if you distribute the load
evenly. Don't go bigger than a 3-1/2 horse motor on her. I have a 3HP
and it is plenty. Wide open she just starts to plow and is not very
efficient.
Enjoy and congratulations!
Rich
Congratulations.....boat looks great...good job.
Jim C
Jim C
> -----Original Message-----
> From:sonicwonder@...[mailto:sonicwonder@...]
> Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2000 8:22 PM
> To:bolger@egroups.com
> Subject: [bolger] Skiffy Floats! Story and Pics link ...
>
>
> Hi gang! Well, I'm happy to say that you have added yet another
> amateur boat-building enthusiast to your ranks. My modified Pointy
> Skiff, "Skiffy", earned it's oars in the Newport Back Bay this
> weekend. Pics are available at:
>
>http://www.geocities.com/sonicwonder2000/skiffy1.html
>
> That entire morning was spend building a Carnell-Type dolly and
> putting the finishing touches on my home-made car rack. Thanks to
> everyone for their input on my previous cartopping thread - it was
> VERY helpful. I opted to secure the rack to the car with two nylon
> ratchet straps through the doors of the car. I also added four
> heavy-duty eye hooks on the rack to aid in tying the hull down. The
> final assembly was extremely stable and I took it on steep hills and
> the freeway (60MPH tops) with nary a problem.
> We got the the bay by about 3:30 with only 1-1/2 hours of daylight
> left. The parking attendent was so impressed with the boat that she
> let my parents - who had been following in another car in case of
> problems - enter and park for free! I was told by the attendant that
> it might be easier to launch the boat from the shore than the boat
> ramp. It was at this point that I was glad I took the time to make
> the dolly - it was a 100 yard hike to the water ... When we FINALLY
> got to the edge of the water, it was muddy, smelly and weed-infested
> due to low tide and high bacteria levels for the day. We hiked back
> the 100 yards, re-cartopped Skiffy, and headed for the launch ramp.
> At the boat ramp, problems again. Low tide had left the ramp
> slippery and not safe for foot traffic. Not to be stopped, we
> dollyed the boat down one of the adjacent docks. How to get her into
> the water though? I was so impatient I said "just throw her in",
> which is exactly what we did. BAD IDEA. I didn't have and cleats on
> the gunwales and no tie-down line so the boat began to drift away! As
> you should be able to tell by now, this is the first time I have ever
> been in any small boat - leave alone my own. Rank amateur here!
> Chest to the dock, I managed with outstretched hand to just reach the
> gunwale before she drifted completely away!! After my heart started
> beating again, I realized - SHE WAS FLOATING!!! YAY!!!
> I quickly boarded her center thwart and put my home-made 2 piece
> 7-1/2 foot oars into their locks. Then I TRIED to row. I don't know
> if you remember the first time you rowed a boat but it is definately
> an acquired skill. I flailed around the docks for a few minutes to
> the cheers and heckles of amused onlooking skippers. It then struck
> me why I was having so much trouble - my oars were way too long.
> Payson recommends a 6-1/2 foot oar for Pointy Skiff, but since Skiffy
> has a wider beam, I thought I should make the oars slighly longer. I
> had come too far to be stopped by lack of propulsion damn it! Then,
> the brain flash. The oars were two piece, so why not separate them
> and use one end as a paddle? Eureka - propulsion! Inefficeient
> propulsion, but propulsion nonetheless.
> From that point onwards, our whole family enjoyed the remaining 45
> minutes of daylight. First I went out alone. Then, accompanied by my
> girlfriend and my dad. Now for the shocker. My mother has always had
> a phobia about water. She has never been able to boat in any open
> body of water except in big cruise ships. She was fourth up. For
> the first 2 minutes, it sounded more like she was on a roller-coaster
> ride than a boat ride. I thought for sure I was going to have a
> puke-cleanup job waiting for me prior to heading home! Then something
> miraculous happened; my mother started smiling. Her face started to
> glow as she actually started to ENJOY herself!! A 56 year old
> phobia, cured in 20 minutes ... never underestimate the power in
> amateur boat-building :)
> So how did Skiffy perform? No leaks is about all that I can say.
> Due to the lack of adequate propulsion and a fairly stong current, I
> was able to get a great workout, but not really able to guage the
> performance of the boat much. To be honest with you, I don't
> really have much experience to guage the performance with. This
> weekend, I'm going to cut the oars down to 6-1/2 feet, attatch some
> tie-down cleats, and try again. I might even go get an engine! All I
> know is that I am HOOKED, HOOKED, HOOKED. Looking forward to building
> my next boat...
>
> Sonic
>
>
>
> Bolger rules!!!
> - no cursing, flaming, trolling, or spamming
> - no flogging dead horses
> - add something: take "thanks!" and "ditto!" posts off-list.
> - stay on topic and punctuate
> - add your comments at the TOP and SIGN your posts
>
>
In a message dated 11/16/00 11:17:11 PM Central Standard Time,
sonicwonder@...writes:
<< My modified Pointy
Skiff, "Skiffy", earned it's oars in the Newport Back Bay this
weekend. >>
This is a great "yarn" (not an internert term). Please keep us informed of
further developments.
Bill in MN
sonicwonder@...writes:
<< My modified Pointy
Skiff, "Skiffy", earned it's oars in the Newport Back Bay this
weekend. >>
This is a great "yarn" (not an internert term). Please keep us informed of
further developments.
Bill in MN
Hi gang! Well, I'm happy to say that you have added yet another
amateur boat-building enthusiast to your ranks. My modified Pointy
Skiff, "Skiffy", earned it's oars in the Newport Back Bay this
weekend. Pics are available at:
http://www.geocities.com/sonicwonder2000/skiffy1.html
That entire morning was spend building a Carnell-Type dolly and
putting the finishing touches on my home-made car rack. Thanks to
everyone for their input on my previous cartopping thread - it was
VERY helpful. I opted to secure the rack to the car with two nylon
ratchet straps through the doors of the car. I also added four
heavy-duty eye hooks on the rack to aid in tying the hull down. The
final assembly was extremely stable and I took it on steep hills and
the freeway (60MPH tops) with nary a problem.
We got the the bay by about 3:30 with only 1-1/2 hours of daylight
left. The parking attendent was so impressed with the boat that she
let my parents - who had been following in another car in case of
problems - enter and park for free! I was told by the attendant that
it might be easier to launch the boat from the shore than the boat
ramp. It was at this point that I was glad I took the time to make
the dolly - it was a 100 yard hike to the water ... When we FINALLY
got to the edge of the water, it was muddy, smelly and weed-infested
due to low tide and high bacteria levels for the day. We hiked back
the 100 yards, re-cartopped Skiffy, and headed for the launch ramp.
At the boat ramp, problems again. Low tide had left the ramp
slippery and not safe for foot traffic. Not to be stopped, we
dollyed the boat down one of the adjacent docks. How to get her into
the water though? I was so impatient I said "just throw her in",
which is exactly what we did. BAD IDEA. I didn't have and cleats on
the gunwales and no tie-down line so the boat began to drift away! As
you should be able to tell by now, this is the first time I have ever
been in any small boat - leave alone my own. Rank amateur here!
Chest to the dock, I managed with outstretched hand to just reach the
gunwale before she drifted completely away!! After my heart started
beating again, I realized - SHE WAS FLOATING!!! YAY!!!
I quickly boarded her center thwart and put my home-made 2 piece
7-1/2 foot oars into their locks. Then I TRIED to row. I don't know
if you remember the first time you rowed a boat but it is definately
an acquired skill. I flailed around the docks for a few minutes to
the cheers and heckles of amused onlooking skippers. It then struck
me why I was having so much trouble - my oars were way too long.
Payson recommends a 6-1/2 foot oar for Pointy Skiff, but since Skiffy
has a wider beam, I thought I should make the oars slighly longer. I
had come too far to be stopped by lack of propulsion damn it! Then,
the brain flash. The oars were two piece, so why not separate them
and use one end as a paddle? Eureka - propulsion! Inefficeient
propulsion, but propulsion nonetheless.
From that point onwards, our whole family enjoyed the remaining 45
minutes of daylight. First I went out alone. Then, accompanied by my
girlfriend and my dad. Now for the shocker. My mother has always had
a phobia about water. She has never been able to boat in any open
body of water except in big cruise ships. She was fourth up. For
the first 2 minutes, it sounded more like she was on a roller-coaster
ride than a boat ride. I thought for sure I was going to have a
puke-cleanup job waiting for me prior to heading home! Then something
miraculous happened; my mother started smiling. Her face started to
glow as she actually started to ENJOY herself!! A 56 year old
phobia, cured in 20 minutes ... never underestimate the power in
amateur boat-building :)
So how did Skiffy perform? No leaks is about all that I can say.
Due to the lack of adequate propulsion and a fairly stong current, I
was able to get a great workout, but not really able to guage the
performance of the boat much. To be honest with you, I don't
really have much experience to guage the performance with. This
weekend, I'm going to cut the oars down to 6-1/2 feet, attatch some
tie-down cleats, and try again. I might even go get an engine! All I
know is that I am HOOKED, HOOKED, HOOKED. Looking forward to building
my next boat...
Sonic
amateur boat-building enthusiast to your ranks. My modified Pointy
Skiff, "Skiffy", earned it's oars in the Newport Back Bay this
weekend. Pics are available at:
http://www.geocities.com/sonicwonder2000/skiffy1.html
That entire morning was spend building a Carnell-Type dolly and
putting the finishing touches on my home-made car rack. Thanks to
everyone for their input on my previous cartopping thread - it was
VERY helpful. I opted to secure the rack to the car with two nylon
ratchet straps through the doors of the car. I also added four
heavy-duty eye hooks on the rack to aid in tying the hull down. The
final assembly was extremely stable and I took it on steep hills and
the freeway (60MPH tops) with nary a problem.
We got the the bay by about 3:30 with only 1-1/2 hours of daylight
left. The parking attendent was so impressed with the boat that she
let my parents - who had been following in another car in case of
problems - enter and park for free! I was told by the attendant that
it might be easier to launch the boat from the shore than the boat
ramp. It was at this point that I was glad I took the time to make
the dolly - it was a 100 yard hike to the water ... When we FINALLY
got to the edge of the water, it was muddy, smelly and weed-infested
due to low tide and high bacteria levels for the day. We hiked back
the 100 yards, re-cartopped Skiffy, and headed for the launch ramp.
At the boat ramp, problems again. Low tide had left the ramp
slippery and not safe for foot traffic. Not to be stopped, we
dollyed the boat down one of the adjacent docks. How to get her into
the water though? I was so impatient I said "just throw her in",
which is exactly what we did. BAD IDEA. I didn't have and cleats on
the gunwales and no tie-down line so the boat began to drift away! As
you should be able to tell by now, this is the first time I have ever
been in any small boat - leave alone my own. Rank amateur here!
Chest to the dock, I managed with outstretched hand to just reach the
gunwale before she drifted completely away!! After my heart started
beating again, I realized - SHE WAS FLOATING!!! YAY!!!
I quickly boarded her center thwart and put my home-made 2 piece
7-1/2 foot oars into their locks. Then I TRIED to row. I don't know
if you remember the first time you rowed a boat but it is definately
an acquired skill. I flailed around the docks for a few minutes to
the cheers and heckles of amused onlooking skippers. It then struck
me why I was having so much trouble - my oars were way too long.
Payson recommends a 6-1/2 foot oar for Pointy Skiff, but since Skiffy
has a wider beam, I thought I should make the oars slighly longer. I
had come too far to be stopped by lack of propulsion damn it! Then,
the brain flash. The oars were two piece, so why not separate them
and use one end as a paddle? Eureka - propulsion! Inefficeient
propulsion, but propulsion nonetheless.
From that point onwards, our whole family enjoyed the remaining 45
minutes of daylight. First I went out alone. Then, accompanied by my
girlfriend and my dad. Now for the shocker. My mother has always had
a phobia about water. She has never been able to boat in any open
body of water except in big cruise ships. She was fourth up. For
the first 2 minutes, it sounded more like she was on a roller-coaster
ride than a boat ride. I thought for sure I was going to have a
puke-cleanup job waiting for me prior to heading home! Then something
miraculous happened; my mother started smiling. Her face started to
glow as she actually started to ENJOY herself!! A 56 year old
phobia, cured in 20 minutes ... never underestimate the power in
amateur boat-building :)
So how did Skiffy perform? No leaks is about all that I can say.
Due to the lack of adequate propulsion and a fairly stong current, I
was able to get a great workout, but not really able to guage the
performance of the boat much. To be honest with you, I don't
really have much experience to guage the performance with. This
weekend, I'm going to cut the oars down to 6-1/2 feet, attatch some
tie-down cleats, and try again. I might even go get an engine! All I
know is that I am HOOKED, HOOKED, HOOKED. Looking forward to building
my next boat...
Sonic