juniper skiff

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by Duckhunt252, Sep 6, 2015.

  1. Duckhunt252
    Joined: Sep 2015
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    Location: NE north carolina/ va

    Duckhunt252 New Member

    Hey everybody im new to this forum and hoping yall can help me out. I lived in northeast nc until joining the army and have always loved the eastern nc juniper skiffs. I want to build one about 16-17 ft long. I have seen lots of plans online but cant seem to find much as far as flat bottom skiffs with a rise in the bow that still have a completely open floor as in no frames running across it.also need help figuring out how make the correct angles for everything and how to make the jig. Any help/ info yall could give would be very much appreciated.
     
  2. gonzo
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    gonzo Senior Member

    Your best bet is to stop by the Outer Banks and chat with the old local boatbuilders. They build those skiffs "on the eye", but there should be enough of them around you can take some measurements.
     
  3. Duckhunt252
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    Location: NE north carolina/ va

    Duckhunt252 New Member

    Its going to be a little while before I get to build it and i plan to do that. It does seem like most of the old timers just built them out of memory.
     
  4. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Welcome to the forum.

    They didn't just build from memory. They built so many over the years, that they simply didn't need plans any more.

    If you're looking to build a traditional clamming skiff, you'll have to file plank the bottom over chine logs and topside frames. This does leave the bottom of the boat free of frames or floors, but these also tend to leak badly if outboard powered. Longitudinal bottom planking requires athwart frames to hold them in place.

    If on the other hand you employ plywood, at least on the bottom, you can make a much more watertight and more solid boat. You'll still have chine logs and topside frames, but far fewer leak points, because of the lack of plank seams the file plank system brings to the table. Historically, file planked bottoms were quickly replaced with fore and aft planking in power skiffs. This arrangement leaks less, but still has a high number of leak points.

    I as well as most other designers have this type of skiff available, where the guess work is removed. My plans include building instructions, as do many others so have a look around, there's literally dozens to choose from.

    [​IMG]
     
  5. tom28571
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    Location: Oriental, NC

    tom28571 Senior Member

    Duckhunt,

    There are no NC juniper skiffs that have no cross frames on the bottom. Planked boats need frames to tie the planks together. PAR's Digger is a good little skiff but is not a NC skiff. Only a builder firmly tied to traditional ways would build a skiff today with other than a plywood bottom. Its still done though and you can see examples at any of the NC Maritime Museums. Such boats are usually kept in the water year round. I've see a couple with epoxy coated file boards and synthetic sealant caulking that can be kept on a trailer. Plans for NC juniper skiffs should be available from the NC Maritime Museum in Manteo.

    There are several choices and digging around a bit before committing to one is a good path to take. The most popular current similar boat is the Simmons Sea Skiff.

    edited to add:
    This is what happens when you don't proof read. I though but did not put in the second part of that first sentence. That is, longitudinally planked skiffs require cross frames but not file or cross planked ones.
     
  6. DCockey
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    DCockey Senior Member

  7. DCockey
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    DCockey Senior Member

    North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort offers two courses for folks interested in traditional boat building. http://ncmaritimemuseums.com/beaufort/water-craft-center/boat-buliding-courses-2/


    Traditional Boatbuilding Carpentry Course

    Traditional techniques, developed to solve woodworking problems unique to vernacular boatbuilding, are taught in this hands-on workshop. Participants work as a team to construct a twelve to fourteen-foot version of a traditional “rack of eye” flat-bottomed skiff. In the process they learn how to set up the boat, spile and bend planks, plane bevels, erect framing, and explore fastening options and the characteristics of traditional boatbuilding woods. (12 hours). Course Fee: $135. Minimum age: 16 yrs. old. This course counts as a pre-requisite for Nine-Day Boatbuildin g Course. 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

    2015 Course Dates: January 24 – 25,March 14–15, May 16–17, August 22–23 and November 14–15


    Nine-Day Boatbuilding Course

    Each student builds a traditional flat-bottomed skiff or a small round-bottomed boat over
    a one-week period. Participants will build their own flat-bottomed skiff or small expert’s
    guidance. Students must discuss the boat they wish to build with the instructor before
    the class begins and receive his approval. They take home their boats, which will be
    ready for primer, at the end of the course. The course price includes the cost of all materials. Tools are supplied, but participants are encouraged to bring their own
    battery-operated drills (including charger) and palm or orbital sanders. (64 hours). Course Fee: $1,770. Minimum age: 16 yrs. old. 9 a.m.– 4:30 p.m

    Please Note: A Boatbuilding Carpentry Course is a pre requisite for this course (either Traditional or Contemporary). The extra materials (excluding sails) required for a sailing
    craft add $750 to the course fee. (By pre-arrangement only, a discount of $1,000 is
    available for those wishing to take the course but not take home a boat.)

    2015 Course Dates: January 31 – February 8, June 13 – 21 and September 26 –October 4​
    .
     
  8. DCockey
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    DCockey Senior Member

    Standard practice around the Chesapeake has been to build flat bottom skiffs with cross planking and no frames across the bottom.
    CMM Skiffs.jpg
    According Mike Alford in Traditional Work Boats of North Carolina "Most of the flat-bottom boats indigenous to North Carolina are like second type, with the bottom planks running from side to side."
     
  9. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    I have to admit I don't know much about the NC skiff, but assume it's built one of the two typically traditional ways, with: file or longitudinally planked bottoms. Again, file planked bottoms don't need full frames, just topside "intermediates" landing on the chine log and sheer clamp. These boats leak badly if outboard powered, as the athwart seams are oriented 90 degrees from optimal and wrack from engine torque, which just opens them up pretty quickly. Longitudnally planked bottoms fair much better, as the grain and seams run in the load path directions, but because of the number of seams, still tend to leak if outboard powered, just not as quickly as a file planked bottom. Longitudinal planked bottoms require athwart frames.

    As to the subtle difference in the lines of a NC skiff, compared to others, like clamming skiffs, I'd have to do some research, but I'll bet there's not a lot of difference, except in freeboard and maybe bottom rocker. Freeboard can be changed pretty easily and my Digger has this option available, simply by adding another strake or if a straight plywood build, several inches more side panel height. Rocker is speed and to a lesser degree use dependent, which you'll need to define a bit more. As designed Digger (a pretty typical clamming skiff) can scoot to over 30 MPH with a small engine (20 HP), but this is also the speed they pound unmercifully (unavoidable with this type), so I recommend speeds are kept to 25 MPH or less.
     
  10. tom28571
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    tom28571 Senior Member

    PAR,

    The most common traditional work skiff seen in coastal NC is in fig 6 of teh link that David gives above: http://ncmaritimemuseums.com/wp-cont...56-reduced.pdf

    Some have more pronounced flare and some have higher bows and some have the motor on the transom, but this is typical of what is seen moored, waiting on the fisherman to take it out.
     
  11. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    The link didn't work Tom. Are these the file planked boats with the well mounted just forward of the transom?
     
  12. tom28571
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    tom28571 Senior Member

    Yes that is the one. You can use the link on David's post which does work. My copy and past does not work. Don't know why.
     
  13. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    I tried the link, but just get a course schedule and description, no boat pictures. Can you post a picture, though I'm pretty sure I know what it is.
     
  14. DCockey
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    DCockey Senior Member


  15. tom28571
    Joined: Dec 2001
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    Location: Oriental, NC

    tom28571 Senior Member

    Yes, click on David's link. Michael Alford wrote a good description of most of the local traditional Carolina work boats. Since these boats were mostly built in the user's backyard without plans, they have a wide range of attributes. Many of the earlier juniper power skiffs were strip built from chine up which allowed the distinctive Carolina Flare to develop over time. All evolved from earlier non-power boats.
     
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