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Skiff

Joined
Dec 25, 2024
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Hello everyone. I am need of some help. I need to get my hands on this craft. This is the skiff from the Endeavour. It would be around 150mm in length. I have checked the usual suspects, but no dice. IMG_0342.jpeg
 
This can be seen as an opportunity to expand perspective and skill set.
Rather than assembling already completed components, it could involve adding a bit of sweat equity.
A synthesis of the techniques in the above three threads shows one HOW to get a skiff.
Several old general ship modeling books have a couple of pages devoted to carving a boat from a small block of Sugar Pine.
If it is a wood component and tool problem, you could contact Ev at the Lumberyard and see if a timber set from there is a possibility. Get lots extra to allow for multiple attempts for the learning of it. I am betting that the planking would be best done using archival paper or card and maybe the Lumberyard can help with that. A hand fretsaw, files, micro sanding block, a chisel and a gouge or two . this project is not at all tool heavy.
 
Do you know if the drawing you posted is based on historic information of her skiffs? John Gathrey and Joseph Banks. both had private skiffs on board in addition to her other three boats. I would be surprised if there is any detailed information on what either one of them looked like, sizes, etc. Hope someone finds details. There are several contemporary plans of skiffs on the RMG Collections website but they are late 19th century when keels were seen on some the contemporary drawings. Still might be useful. They have others but not available on-line so a guess as to how appropriate they would be. From what I could research skiffs generally, not always, featured a flat bottom with no keel and a squared-off transom unlike the drawing you have. Like most things in our hobby, there are very few absolutes. Cutters were predominantly lapstrake built, not carvel built which does seem to match up with the drawing you have. If you know the lengths of the two skiffs, a yawl or cutter drawing might work if you modify the drawing to have more of a flat bottom, reduce the breadth and leave off the keel. There are about 2000 contemporary English cutter plans on the RMG website.


Allan


18 foot cutter full scale.JPG
 
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