Building an old skiff

Some folks on here know of my involvement in the design, construction and testing of advanced marine vehicles. SES, ACV, SWATH, hydrofoils, and hybrid combinations of them. So what did I recently build at our shop?....this crabbing skiff, intended to replicate one for the 1920s, engine and all. Local boat building legend with many such skiffs built over the the last 60 years was the man that enabled my idea. Engine is a 1926 Universal Fisherman that I restored.

Finishing up plumbing today. In the water soon.

 

What a great build!

 

+ 1 to Bluebell's comment above.
Can you post some more photos please Bill?
And tell us a bit more about that interesting single cylinder inboard engine?

 

Yeah, tell us about that one-lunger...I see a ballast resistor so no magneto?

Universal Motor Co. - everythingaboutboats.org https://everythingaboutboats.org/universal-motor-co/

 

From your link:

"In 19?? the Fisherman (Model WM / WMG / WMGR) 1 cylinder / 67.6 cu in / 8 hp @ 1,200 rpm was introduced. This engine was fitted with a splash lubrication system, and a “Cuno Timer” ignition. The Cuno Timer was an aftermarket contact breaker / condenser ignition module which was fitted by several engine manufacturers instead of magneto ignition. The Fisherman was still listed in the 1940 catalogue, and is listed in other sources in 1948."

I'll post some more pictures of the Fisherman and a couple other antique marine engines I have.

 

Fuel to carburetor is gravity fed only, so I had to squeeze as much tank as I could inside that little console/motor cover. I knocked the tank out this morning....ended up 5.5 gallons total volume which ends up a little over 5 gallons net. I'll bet that Universal will run all day on 5 gallons.

 

Annotated pics and some questions.

 

Pretty good annotation..a passing grade ;-)

That's a priming cup on top of the head. A small gasoline dispensing can is available for priming that. There is no oil pump; bearings are splash fed. The grease cup is on the raw water pump because its a gear pump; you give the grease cup a couple turns before an initial start so that the pump will prime itself with water. That "vent" is a garden hose connection so that I can run the boat on the trailer to test, flush etc.

 

So you don't open the relief petcock while cranking it? Yeah, I can see using it a fuel prime. And so that water pump PTO gear doesn't have slinger disks on it to get oil up on the cylinder walls?

Maybe not

Universal Fisherman One-Lunger Project - The WoodenBoat Forum https://forum.woodenboat.com/forum/building-repair/179330-universal-fisherman-one-lunger-project/page5

 

Nope...those priming cups were a "feature" on many, if not even most, of early gasoline engines. There were even some spark plug designs that incorporated the priming cup.

I have an early 1920s Gray Marine 2-cylinder 10HP going in another retro-build project.It has a priming cup on each cylinder. And fully exposed external rockers, valve springs and pushrods that have to be manually oiled as you run the engine.

 

Can you post a photo or two of this engine as well please?

 

Be happy to. I'm currently out on the west coast involved in sea trials of a new craft but I'll post some more pictures of my old marine engines when I get back to the office (MD), if I don't have any on my cell phone.

 

This early Gray twin was actually produced by World Motors for Gray. Gray Marine had a long history of, and excellent reputation for, marinizing various engines and selling them under the Gray Marine name. Plan for this one is to go in a 20' Chesapeake deadrise skiff. The engine needs a cosmetic restoration but runs fine.

 

She's a beauty Bill...

 

Thanks, John..I appreciate that. Isn't it funny the vessels you and I build for a living compared to what we'll mess with for a hobby?

Maybe I should try building a wood SWATH next.....