sea trial

[njcoaster]

Tried my self-design 12 foot skiff in a local pond. More tender than I expected. Might be best as a one-man boat. Narrow, slightly V'ed bottom, (32 inches at widest) with flaired sides. Widest point of the shear is 42 inches. Seems to have some secondary stability, but two people might make each other nervous in it.

I put in the seats about 12 inches off the bottom for comfort, but find that my oar handles hit my thighs because of the low freeboard. I need to raise oarlocks. I put side mount types on, but I think I would prefer the top mount type. Anyone have a good source? I figure in raising the oarlocks, I can bring them farther outboard, too.

Rows nice and fast. I think I put the main thwart a little too far back, as the boat will eventually curl to one side if I try to see how far the momentum will carry me.

Any rules of thumb on seat heights, height of oarlock above seat, and distance from seat edge to oarlock? Should I lower seat to imrove stability?

I will never design my own boat again, oh Poseidon. I only pray I can correct these little problems.

[Matt Middleton]

Depending on how much flair you've built into the hull, it may be that it becomes more stable with another person. As you add weight, the waterline risaes and the waterline beam increases. Maybe you could experiment with ballast to test the theory.

Also, lowering the seats, if an option, may reduce tenderness and help with the oar/thigh clearance problem.

Good luck!
Matt

[Ian McColgin]

FerSur lower the seat. No harm in having your legs a bit straighter and other things being equal, lowering the weight is all to the good.

Some of us have a harder time standing from a low point as we gain our dotage. But if you bring your feet back to under of even behind (forward from the boat's point of view) of your butt, and roll on to the balls of your feet with a hand on each gunnel, you'll stand easy.

G'luck

[AngWood]

Try 9 inches for a seat height--I think that's pretty standard in such boats.

[Keith Wilson]

Hey, it can happen even with plans you buy. I have a canoe built to a Tom Hill design that really feels like it wants to pitch me in the water if I sit on the seat. I'm pretty sure it's close to the shape shown on the plans, and the seats are a little lower than designed. When I sit on the bottom it's fine. I'll try lowering the seats a couple of inches - actually, I'll take the seats out and sit on a box or something to test it, since lowering the seats isn't that easy.

In your case, 12" seems like a pretty high seat for a little rowing skiff. You could take it out altogether and experiment with different heights until you get one that rows well, doesn't bump your knees, and feels stable. Directional instability is often helped vastly by a small skeg if you don't have one, or a slightly larger one if you do.

[ 04-29-2003, 02:23 PM: Message edited by: Keith Wilson ]

[videoguy]

Hi Nj On my last dory I raised the seats up to
8 1/2 in . I think it is a little to high.The boat I built prior to this one felt more stable.the seats were 7in.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid10/p618d8a5c8fa0b0af88051249cacec85a/fe08adf3.jpg
this boat is 20 feet long with a 48" beam. smile.gif smile.gif Phil

[htom]

Distance between the edge of the seat and the oarlock is usually 12", sometimes a bit less, 11", rarely 10" or more than 12".

Seat height, 8"-10", more as the beam and freeboard go up. Some of the smallest boats go down to 4"-6", just barely enough to keep your bottom dry.