First Steps and Reminiscings

I should point out that this skiff building project will be a sort of multiple experiment project. The main experiment is the boat itself. While I am using the 16 foot Brockway plans as a basis for the build, I will also be incorporating some of the best ideas I have found on the web from other builders of similar plywood flat bottomed lumberyard skiffs.

I am also intrigued by the use of polyurethane glues and adhesives for wooden boat building. I intend to use Gorilla Glue  and PL Premium construction adhesive for all gluing both above and below the water line.  Based on what I have read, both of these products are essentially waterproof should be perfectly acceptable for boat building.

Earlier this year I experimented with both Gorilla Glue and PL Premium. I glued up several small pieces of pine lumber and allowed it to fully cure.I then soaked the glued pieces in a bucket of water for 4 months. Both the Gorilla glue and PL Premium glued pieces, when removed from the water showed absolutely no sign of delamination or softening. The only way I was able to force the glued pieces apart was with a heavy hammer and prybar. Even then, the glued joints of all the pieces did not fail.Rather than the glue joints failing, the wood itself separated. It was impressive.

I have already begun constructing skiff's stem. I've cut the stem pieces from one piece of 2 X 8 southern yellow pine purchased at Home Depot. I ripped the 2 X 8 to width on the table saw and ripped the proper miter (roughly 45 degrees) on the two outside segments. I then laminated the three segments into a solid one piece stem using Gorilla Glue and clamps. What I ended up with is a stem that meets the dimensions shown in the Brockway plans with one exception. I allowed the center piece to stand proud of the miters to allow for the plywood sides when attached to terminate against the stem.

                                       This is a similar Glen-L plywood pram. It looks better built than ours.

This is a photo of a very similar BlueJay, but not ours.

The next part of thsi experiment is this BLOG itself. I've never Blogged before and have limited experience on posting anything about myself or my doings on the web. So this BLOG will be a learning tool too. I want to figure out how to post pictures of my boat building work as well as text descriptions. I have gotten so much inspiration and great ideas for building this skiff from other amateur boat builders that I thought I may be able to contribute something of my experiences, successes and failures to other aspiring builders.

 I might add that this is not my first boat experience. I grew up in New York and spent my summers on eastern Long Island in Hampton Bays. My grandfather and dad owned a tiny bungalow right on Peconic Bay between the Shinnecock Canal and Red Cedar Point. We owned a variety of old wooden and plywood skiffs in various states of disrepair. We also occasionally rented plywood skiff from a boat rental place on Shinnecock Canal named HUB's Marina. We loving called these boats "HUB"S Tubs". There were several rental marina's on both Peconic Bay and Flanders Bay at that time. I think I remember renting boats on Flanders Bay from a place called " Oscars". All f these marinas rented similar simple plywood  skiffs of the Brockway style. Heck, They may have been Brockway's for all I know.

I myself have built or fixed up several wooden boats. When my two sons were kids, we built a mall 8 foot sailing pram together. They had a ball helping to builder and an equal amount of fun learning to sail and knocking around the Peconic shoreline. Later, I purchased a worn out 14 foot plywood BlueJay sailboat, patched her up and we sailed that in Peconic bay as well.