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ffi-

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

that would be wasted; it wouldn't make her go muchfaster and would only add more weight and bother.

If you object to small motors because they don't haveany reverse, just remember that you can fill that void byturning them around 180 degrees. When you do, slowthe motor down to idle, and don't hesitate once youstart swiveling it around. Ned Grade, a New YorkEnglish teacher and the owner-builder of the 7 -foot 9-inch Elegant Punt included in my first book, InstantBoats, was teaching his young son how to do this withthe mini-motor he had hung on her transom. He got asfar as "This is how to..," when they found themselvesup to their necks in water. He had paused just longenough at 90 degrees hard over to flip her in one quickmotion, furnishing a prime example of the old sawabout he who hesitates.

Let's collect the makings and get one of these PointySkiffs in the water.

Materials

. Two sheets ~-inch 4-by-8-foot AC exterior ply-wood. One sheet %-inch 4-by-8-foot AC exterior 4-plyplywood for bottom. (If you can't get 4-ply, use ~-inchAC exterior 5-ply or, alternatively, use two sheets of !,i-

The Pointy Skiff was designed with the workingfisherman in mind, but she serves the pleasure-seekingboater just as well. Loaded with a couple of tubs of bait,spare gas, two grown men, and the usual mishmashthrown in, her ample freeboard and her 4-foot 2-inchbeam ensure safe pass~ge from dock to mother shipeven in a moderately steep chop. Or you can substitutethe average family picnic for the above load and headfor a nearby island.

I planned to use her for fishing myself, but I droppedout of lobstering just about then and shelved the plansuntil I got my activities a little better organized. I gave aset to the Region Eight Vocational School in Rockland,but I had completely forgotten about that until one dayI saw their prototype sitting on a fisherman's float.

She was built twice as heavy as needed, starting witha VB-inch crossplanked bottom instead of the %-inchplywood called for and proceeding with heftier seats,extra framing-the works. But she looked as she wassupposed to. Ironically, it turned out she had beenbought by my brother-in-law, who has never had a kindword for anything Phil Bolger designed. When he said,"It's the best skiff I ever owned," weight and all, Idecided not to press the matter.

The Pointy Skiff rows well with 6- to 6J.7.-foot oars,and a 2 or 3 h.p. outboard drives her easily. More than

11 ()

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A3J/

NEW BOATS TO JOIN THE ORIGINAL FLEET114

With the side panels upside down on the floor,they are fastened to the forward and midframemolds and to the stem, then to the after frame

mold, and finally to the transom.

inch glued together; don't use %-inch marine grade-itcosts an arm and a leg.) Three or four clear 12-foot 2 x 4sto make up gunwales, chine logs, drag strips or skids,and framing.. One pound each, *-inch, I-inch, and 1 \-8-inchnumber 13 bronze anchor nails. One-half pound, 1-inch number 13 or number 14 smooth-wire coppernails. One box, I-inch number 9 brass or bronze screws.Two pounds Weldwood dry powder glue or a marineglue of your choice.. One pint epoxy resin with hardener. Twenty-fivefeet of 3-inch fiberglass tape. Two quarts each, plywoodprimer and finish paint.. One set Wilcox, Crittenden oarlocks and side

plates.

Layout and Assembly

Bending the nail points over on the forward-bottominternal butt strap.

When laying off the parts for assembly, note that thenumbers 1 through 16 on the drawings are keyed to thenumbered list of the parts accompanying the plans, andnot to the order of assembly.

My building procedure varies somewhat from thelayout of the parts' patterns shown by Bolger on theplans. Bolger's plans indicate that the forward and aftersections of the side panels would be traced on separateplywood sheets, cut out separately, and then buttedtogether. This procedure would use the plywood mostefficiently but at an increased expenditure of time.Instead, butt two sheets of plywood together first. Markboth long edges of the plywood sheets at I-footintervals and draw lines across with a straightedge.

Note that the interval at --- ~---side panels is 0-11-4, or 11 j,7. inches,inches used elsewhere.

Next, mark off on the lines, -

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FFT116 NEW BOATS TO JOIN THE ORIGINAL FL

to be right for bracing your feet against the face of thenumber 3 bulkhead. I recommend setting a few cleats,say ~ inch by 1 Y2 inches by 6 inches, at distancessuitable to accommodate the various leg lengths ofmale. female, and juvenile rowers. Any boat rows very

hard and is not really safe, either, if the rower's feetslide. For convenient oar storage, I cut holes in thenumber 2 bulkhead to receive them.

If frequent use of a motor is likely, I would fasten a~-by- 7~-inch motor board to the transom.