Crabbing Skiff Construction Photos

[JimRockfish]

Here are more progress photos on the Simmons Sea Skiff 18. Unfortunately, I still have to work for a living, so I get a little bit done as I can. I scarfed 2 pieces of 4 x 8 Okume 9mm (3/8) marine plywood together for the bottom (same as the garboard strake in the picture) and then cut it down the middle If you look closely at the stem, you'll see where the next laps will hit all the way up. The holes will get plugged. Fun! Jim

[salty sam]

Nice job. Always enjoy seeing a good marine project come together. Will you glass it over to keep maintenance to a minimum? That will be a treasure to keep in the family. Keep the pics coming!

John

[JimRockfish]

John - Thank you and funny you should ask about the fiberglass. There are two camps on the fiberglassing wood-boats issue. One says that marine Okume has virtually no shrinkage - unlike the older boats - so it adds a layer of protection and will hold-up forever. Another philosophy is that fiberglass and wood are not natural together and long-term, you're better off with good marine paint over 3-4 coats of epoxy-resin. The epoxy is what really seals it up and provides the protection. However, I'm still debating about fiberglassing the hull. I need to make up my mind soon because you generally do it before you add the main strakes. A friend is opposed to it and another guy I know that built a Simmons is very happy that he glassed the hull. So I wrote to the master, Ed Verge, at Cape Fear Community College, NC. He's currently on break. Ed teaches classes on how to build the Simmons Sea Skiff at Cape Fear, nearby Wilmington, where T.N. Simmons built these boats. Ed is a fine man and I'm anxious to learn what he has to say. I'll let you know! Jim

[seastallionmate]

Jim,

I also have looked into building on of these boats. My son was born this year and I thought that this would be something I could do over the next couple of years to have a little skiff that we can enjoy together and that I will eventually pass to my son. How have you found the plans from Dave Carnell and the Cape fear museum? Are they thorough. There are some excellent articles in the Wooden Boat mag where Ellis Rowe shows his version based on the Carnell plans. Then again I am sure that you have seen them if you have made it this far. It looks great so far!

Have you decided the power? I am very interested in this project so keep it coming!

-D

[Tom Powers]

Good looking project. Take your time and do it right. Don't forget oar locks. With those lines it ought to row pretty nice. I would strongly recommend that you glass the outside of the boat. Is it going to be lap joints or smooth. If lap joints, at least use cloth and epoxy on the bottom lap.

I have three home made wooden boats all of them are glassed over using West Epoxy. Two of them are plywood on oak frames. The boats are 24, 22 and 10 years old.

Even with that if it is stored out side plan on having to paint it every year. Several years ago I built a 24x8 foot shed just for storing boats. Of course everything else ended up in there with the boats.

While you are at it. I would coat inside the plywood that you are going to use for the bottom of the boat with a double layer of 10 oz cloth and epoxy prior to installing it. It will give you many more years of life and help with the maintenance.

Tom


PS BMail me if you have specific questions.

[JimRockfish]

Dave's plans are good but also buy the back issues of Wooden Boat. I think you can find the Simmons Wooden Boat issues online, maybe through their Website because I have seen the articles online. A Google Search doesn't get them. I've talked to Dave Carnell several times but he advised that he never actually built one of these boats. He's also now way up there in age. I took a Simmons Sea Skiff class through Wooden Boat School in Brooklin Maine this past summer. It was only one week but it gave me the confidence to get started. They aren't teaching the Simmons class again until next year and then it will be a 2-week course. You will need help with some of the basics but this is my first boat too, so you can do it - no problem. It's not hard. Just take your time. You need to learn about epoxy. I use West System and the school swears by it for marine apps. You buy the epoxy and pumps from West Marine (no relation) and it's simply one pump of resin and one of hardener, which gives you a 5-1 ratio. That's it. And you mix filler that they sell and use it after expoxying the joints and before joining them. You need to build a strongback. I used a 2 x 10 and made 3 sawhorses to lock it down on. Then you cut notches in the strongback acccording to Dave's plans for the floor timbers to sit in. You need to learn how to cut bevels on the floor timbers and along the transom edges but that's easy. You need a place and the know-how to scarf wood to make strong continous sheets of plywood. When you do it once, you know it but it has to be done right. One pain in the tail is the frames but once you get one right, the rest are cake, just tedious to measure and cut. You should learn how to scribe lines and for the frames, hold the wood against the laps and follow the lines up and around and then cut on the lines. Takes a little practice but again, not hard. Frames go up the insides of the laps - vertically and are screwed through the outside. I've taken pics along the way and will be happy to share them and what I know so far. There's another guy who sent a reply that I'm getting ready to respond to, who has a lot of experience. So they are out there. Go for it! Jim

[JimRockfish]

They recommend no more than 40 hp and most people use a 30 hp on the 18. The boat is only about 500 lbs. finished using 9mm wood, 1100 lbs. with 2 people, gear and fuel. Wooden Boat uses 6mm to save money (not that much difference, maybe $20) but Simmons used 9mm. I'm going with the Evinrude ETEC 40 because I'm partial to Johnson-Evinrude. I know that will generate a lot of debate because it's a personal issue. I'm told that you do not want to over-power it, esp. if young people are going to use it because it will fly with a 40. Jim

ps - in an earlier post I said that it will do 40mph with a 40hp. Correction. It will do about 40mph with a 30hp and approx 50mph with a 40hp.

[JimRockfish]

Tom - Thanks for the tips. I really like what you said about glassing both sides of the bottom. Now that make sense because I've read that glassing the bottom exterior (only) keeps water from evaporating inside. Great timing for me! Thanks also for the offer of assistance. Here's a question about painting. When I was in West Marine recently, an older salesman who seemed quite knowledgeable, told me that there is a new 10 year paint. Do you know about this? I'm keeping the boat on a small farm on MD Eastern Shore mostly for my grandsons use. That way, I can take care of it and they have something fun to do when they visit. I'll teach them about maintenance along the way. I'm building a big boat shed like yours as well. HAPPY NEW YEAR! Jim

[JimRockfish]

Tom - Forgot. Yes, this is lapstrake construction. Three more laps after I finish the bottom. In the top pic, you can see the gains - 2 ft. along the top edge of the garboard strake for the next lap. I'm using copper nails with burrs (riveting) with West Systems epoxy between the laps. I went through Jamestown Distributors online for the riveting hardware. Jim

[seastallionmate]

Jim,

As far as the power have you had to make any corrections in the motor well for the 40etec. I know that the simmons was originally designed when 25hps were the max.

As far as the back issues, I have copied them from the issues I checked out of the anne arundel county public library, they also have two of the three issues online (missing the nov/dec issue.

I have worked with the west system before, doing repair work on the sport-fish that I work on.

Have you figured where your putting the helm (side or center)? I like the side helm like built in the Wooden boat issue. The one change that I think that I will make is in the foredeck. I like the foredeck built on the project pictured below (from Paul Sykes)

Keep the pictures and info coming!

[JimRockfish]

Sea - Yes, the plans call for a transom opening of 17" wide but I made it 20 5/8" to accomodate the larger motor. I'm likely going with original, side-mounted steering since a primary use is for trot-lining. The center console does look better. We have relatives vistiing for the next week, so I can't do any work until they leave but I'm not in a hurry. I enjoy dabbling when the mood strkes me and I just ordered fiberglass for the bottom, 6 oz. for the inside and 10 oz. for the lower hull up to the garboard. Paul's a very nice guy. Jim

[bill peterson]

Jim

looking at your photo's brings back some wonderful memory's; I built my boat also, a 19 foot clark craft center console. conserning the fiberglassing i fiberglassed inside and outside and from what i remember do the edges two or three times, thats where the water will attack first. to apply the fiberglass i used a method call roll and tip, roll it on with a roller then come back with a dry brush an tip it. this leaves you with a nice even finish

[JimRockfish]

Bill - I appreciate the advice. Yesterday I ordered 4 oz. cloth for the bottom-inside - to reduce weight and 10 oz for the bottom-outside, up to the garboard. Tom Powers also provided some useful guidance, so I think I'm almost read to go... once I get the fiberglass. Jim