Gardner's Clamming Skiff

Many years ago (circa 1989) I built a model of a small flat-bottom boat I have always dreamed of building, but I cannot recall where I found the lines and offsets.

Trust me, I have worn Google search and Woodenboat back-issue search out...

Recently, I've come to wonder if it was Gardner's Clamming Skiff which I may have gotten out of a long lost copy of his book: Building Classic Small Craft.

Would anyone have a copy of those lines and offsets I could look at before buying a new copy of the book?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

Welcome to the forum.

Gardener's clam skiff is a pretty simple thing and modeled fairly well, for the modern boater. It's entry is finer than most and it's stern sections fatter too, which will be helpful with the new 4 strokes. It doesn't have the capacity of the older style of clam skiff, but most aren't trying to haul a half a ton of sea food back to shore any more either.

Clam skiff designs abound (I have one too). Gardener's book is cheap and the offsets are included. It's probable the offsets are online, though you'll want the detail the plans also provide. Get the book, you'll do fine.

 

Thanks Par,

I just want to see the lines before I buy the book again - I already have enough books laying around taking up space (which is why I have no clue where the first Building Small Craft is hiding) and, I don't want a boat similar to or just like the boat I am thinking about - I want the boat I built the model of.

It was about the most perfect small boat for my needs, that I have ever seen, and the lines were beautiful, in my opinion.

 

I don't know if a clamming skiff can be "beautiful", but they can be dressed up.

This is my version of the venerable clam skiff.

http://boats.woodenboat.com/?p=3934

The Gardner skiff isn't much different in shape, though it does have a more pronounced bow profile.

I think this is a Gardner:

 

The bottom photo is close but the boat I am talking about was 15'-4" length, if I recall, and no way did it have an outboard in a well, which that photo appears to show.

The skiff I am talking about was a cross-plank-flat-bottom plywood boat on built-up wood frames, that looked very sturdy and work-boat-like. I don't believe the bow swept as high as in the photo you posted (the photo looks like some kind of modified dory something-or-other?).

But it was pure, unmitigated beauty, to my eyes, and would be easy for a non-professional boat-builder with just a few tools, to build and maintain, and could be propelled by a small outboard motor, and could be pulled on a small inexpensive boat trailer by a Honda Accord.

Nevertheless, I just thought I would see if someone could post a photo or scan of the lines from the book so I don't have to buy the book before finding out I am wrong about where I saw the boat I am talking about.

I have spent literally hundreds of hours looking for the boat I am talking about, but as we get older, our memory kinda starts to get fishy...

 

I can have a look for you next time I go to the library, might be a little while though.

In the meantime, is it the boat in the attached pic? It's described as the Northeastern clamming skiff, by John Gardner, out of the book More Classic Small Craft You Can Build.

http://flyanglersonline.com/features/nativewaters/nw100404.php

 

THAT IS THE BOAT!!

The frames and stem in the photos on the link are exactly what I remember, but I am not so sure about the transom...

Funny, I want to use the boat for fly fishing in Matagorda Bay and south...

 

Karl, you don't want a cross planked type of build on a powerboat, unless you're into constant leaking. A plywood bottom is far more stable and much more water tight. The plywood will also make for a lighter boat too. Admittedly, a file planked bottom is easy to do and very little waste, but trust me, this build method on any boat driven over displacement speeds (6 MPH on this boat) will eventually "crank" the planks, starting leaks. In fact. the usual resolution to a leaking, file planked powerboat bottom is, to apply a layer of plywood.

 

Par,

You beat me to the punch -- I intend to use plywood for the bottom but that question wasn't going to come up until after I get the lines and offsets. I'll need to decide on a plywood thickness for the bottom, and I was going to ask for advice on a few other departures from the plans that I have in mind.

I'd like to put a floor in the boat, on top of the frames, but I am not sure about how to accomplish that or what I have to take into consideration.

Any suggestions?

Thanks again,

 

The Gardner clam skiff is a good candidate for a taped seam build, instead of the stick and plank method he shows in the plans. The advantage of a taped seam build is, the boat will be lighter (by quite a bit), it'll have far fewer pieces to cut and install, not to mention buy and it'll be more water tight with sealed seams. The disadvantage will be a much higher "goo factor", by which I mean you'll use epoxy and 'glass tape to make the joints, rather then nails and screws. A taped seam build wouldn't need to have frames (at all), so the bottom of the boat would be obstruction free. You can still place some along the sides, if you like, though they wouldn't be entirely necessary.

A floor in a skiff of this size is possible, though you're just adding more weight. Reducing weight, especially in small craft, is a constant battle. I'd recommend a set of slats, instead of a side to side hunk of plywood. Something fairly light, such as cedar, spaced longitudinally will do and keep your feet above any boarding water too. These slats could lift out for cleaning as well.

Have a look at Glen-L's "Power Row Skiff" design. It's a glue and screw over stringers, but lighter and fewer parts than a Gardner.

On a boat of this size, as a pure taped seam approach, a light version might have a 1/2" bottom, with 3/8" sides. A medium duty version would have a 3/4" bottom with 1/2" sides (the light version of my skiff is this way) and a really heavy duty version might be 1" on the bottom (two layers of 1/2") with 1/2" or 5/8" sides. My skiff's heavy duty version has 3 layers of 1/2" on the bottom (and transom), with everything else (literally) being 1/2" plywood.

 

I like the idea of the sawn frames because, well, I like the look of them, and I am pretty certain that with chine logs and the rest of the framing (that I recall), it would make for one heck of a rigid hull. The extra weight isn't going to bother me because I am not looking for a speed boat, and it will be trailered. 99.9% of the time it will be me, my fly fishing gear, and a cooler, and that's it...

Regardless of how I attach the plywood to the frames, I do believe I would like to epoxy glass the entire exterior of the hull. If I can do that with a 1/2" bottom and 3/8" sides it might be a nice compromise, weight wise.

I have a lot to learn and figure out so I know it will be an adventure!

 

PAR,

Presuming I want to retain the sawn frames and epoxy glass the exterior, how would you recommend I fasten the plywood elements to the framing elements?

 

Glue and screw is the typical approach. The screws are redundant if epoxy is used, but a common belt and suspenders method.

 

What other methods are there?

 

There are dozens of different building methods. For my skiff build, there's only two, a true taped seam build or the combination taped seam/glue and screw approach.