Sea Skiff

[Gravman]

Way back in the day there was an article in a model boat magazine about a 1/6th scale Jersey Sea Skiff. The thing that made it interesting was that the G I Joe figure worked the rudder. He also moved his head from side to side. Of course I had to build one. It was a lap strake design.

I would end up building 3 of these over the years and 2 are still going today. This is the oldest boat in my fleet. It sat for many years when we could not find a place to run it. This changed after we found the new lake in 2017.

I had an article about this model published in SSM magazine. Loren Perry was the editor in those days. I told a story about some guys that took the skiff out to get some contraband liquor from the boats waiting offshore. Prohibition was the law in those days. That explains the cargo on skiff. You could say she was a rum runner.

I added a couple of other figures to the boat. The lookout forward will turn his head and bring binoculars up to his eyes.

It was good to get the old girl cleaned up and going again. I built her a box to keep her protected now so dust is not a problem.

 

[Gravman]

Check out the monster speed control from those days. A whopping 20amp jewel.

I needed to repair the mechanism in the forward lookout. Trick is to get the binoculars to stop before they smash his face.

 

[Gravman]

She cleaned up nicely. The paint was K&B epoxy. It was two part and stunk bad but it has held up well over the years.

 

[Gravman]

 

[Uwek]

a very interesting RC-boat - and very good made
And with a history - "Rum-runner" -> very good idea

 

[Gravman]

Thank you, she is a favorite. On the first one I built I did not have the ability to solder the brass parts for the tiller. I used glue which meant that the rudder was always getting knocked loose.

This is a shot of the second skiff that is still out there.

 

[Kurt Konrath]

It is nice to see large scale work and moving bodies in the boat.