Railbird Skiff

[Bradda88]

Hello,
This is my first post here, but I wanted to say how much I have enjoyed lurking in the back reading everyone’s comments.
Has anyone built a “Railbird Skiff”??? I have always loved the style since I read the article in WB#120. Alas the Philadelphia maritime museum is no more, and I am still waiting to hear from someone from their successor museum as to the plans. The Chesapeake museum has plans for a “rail bird” and should be similar as it is a “Philadelphia style” skiff. So the plans can be had… My question to anyone is; how do I loft the building molds as they did in the WB article, by making the molds (more of them) for each frame instead of on the stations given in the plans.
I know they gave a summer class at wooden boat on the railbird. Does anyone have any written material on this boat? Patterns for the building molds?? (MUHAAHAAHAA, short cuts!!!) Any info would be appreciated…
Cheers,
David

[Jon Etheredge]

Has anyone built a “Railbird Skiff”??? I have always loved the style since I read the article in WB#120.
I'm the guy building the boat in the pictures in that article. I built 6 or 7 railskiffs myself and/or with helpers while I worked at the Philadelphia Maritime Museum.



Alas the Philadelphia maritime museum is no more, and I am still waiting to hear from someone from their successor museum as to the plans. The Chesapeake museum has plans for a “rail bird” and should be similar as it is a “Philadelphia style” skiff. So the plans can be had…
While Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum offers plans for railskiffs, I would suggest that you use the 'Maurice River Skiff' plans from Independence Seaport Museum (ex Phila. Maritime museum). BTW, the name of the river is usually pronounced 'morris'.



My question to anyone is; how do I loft the building molds as they did in the WB article, by making the molds (more of them) for each frame instead of on the stations given in the plans.
The building jig that is shown in the article is more complex than you need for building a single boat. The complexity of the building jig made it easier to build multiple boats.

For a one off boat, just use the stations as they are shown on the plans.

I can try to answer your questions but I haven't been following this message board lately. I'll try to check in for a day or two though to see if there are followup messages. Or you could send me a private message if you like.

[dmede]

Jon, in case you missed it, here is a recent thread with some mention of the railbird: http://media5.hypernet.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=003994

Is this similar to the model you built for WB? Can you tell me anything else about this boat (overall dimensions, capacity, propulsion)? Whats the hull construction? etc. Looks like a rower but Im wondering how it would do with a small electric mounted off the side rail? Any pics you could post or email?

Thanks for the info on the alternate plans, could you explain why you prefer the Maurince River Skiff plans to the Railbird Skiff plans?

Thanks,
Dave

[Jon Etheredge]

Is this similar to the model you built for WB?
Lance Turner used the Maurice River Rail Skiff plans from Independence Seaport. These are the same plans that were used for the boat pictured in the WB article.



Can you tell me anything else about this boat (overall dimensions, capacity, propulsion)?
Overall length is roughly 16 feet. I don't recall the beam off the top of my head.

Traditionally, the boat was used by a 'pusher' (a professional guide) standing on the stern deck and the 'sport' (the hunter) standing in the forward part of the cockpit. In addition to the two people, the boat would carry guns and other paraphenalia used when one is hunting railbird in the marshes.

The boat can easily carry three people with their boating gear.

The boats were rigged with one or two sets of oarlock sockets. Oars were used in open water to get to or from the marsh. Push poles were generally used in the marsh while hunting.



Whats the hull construction? etc.
Traditionally, the boats are built of New Jersey white cedar planking over oak frames. You might also find boats with sassafras framing instead of oak. The boats built at the museum were cedar over oak frames with sassafras coamings and other bits.

Lance built his boat with plywood planking over oak(?) frames.

BTW, the plywood scantlings in the WB article should NOT be used. The dimensions got messed up somewhere in the editorial process and are wrong! The plans from the museum show plywood as an alternative construction material. Use the scantlings on the plans instead of the scantlings shown for plywood construction in the magazine article.



Looks like a rower but Im wondering how it would do with a small electric mounted off the side rail?
Independence Seaport has a rail skiff that was built in the Bordentown area. There are several things that are unique on this boat: it has lapstrake sides, it has a small sail rig and daggerboard slot, and there is a mount for a small outboard motor. I think that the boat was built in the early 1900's and was owned by the same family from when it was new until they donated it to the museum in the 1990's. The sail rig and outboard bracket were not in the boat when new but were added sometime later. By all reports, the outboard worked fine. The bracket is wood and fastens to the stern deck. The motor mounted over the side of the boat.

The plans for this boat are also available from Independence Seaport.

I think that an electric trolling motor would work fine.



Any pics you could post or email?

Thanks for the info on the alternate plans, could you explain why you prefer the Maurince River Skiff plans to the Railbird Skiff plans?
The photos that I have are basically the same as those in the WB article.

The Maurice River Rail Skiff has an arc bottom (curved athwartship) as well as rocker. This shape helped to prevent the boat from getting stuck in the mud in the marshes on a falling tide. The simpler boats don't have this design feature. The Maurice River boat is good under oars and push pole. It has fairly low freeboard to reduce windage but still has good capacity. It is just an all around good example of a railbird skiff.

[ 01-25-2005, 04:09 PM: Message edited by: Jon Etheredge ]

[Bradda88]

Thank you for the information. I've been unable to get anything from the Independence Seaport Museum except an answering machine(the museum store dosn't have them but I am trying the library).no one has called back yet but i'm sure I'll get through sometime. I would like to try one of the boats and if it works out well my father-in-law and I would like to build a few of them. We live in Thailand and these boats would do well in the marsh and river country near our home. This would also be our first try at building with "plans". I would be interested in learning more about the molds for production of a few skiffs. Thanks again for the feedback.
--david

[Jon Etheredge]

Thank you for the information. I've been unable to get anything from the Independence Seaport Museum except an answering machine(the museum store dosn't have them but I am trying the library).
Plan sales were handled by the library when I worked at the museum so it sounds like you are on the right track.



This would also be our first try at building with "plans". I would be interested in learning more about the molds for production of a few skiffs. I think that the book <U>Building Small Boats</U> by Greg Rossel would be very helpful to you. The WB store sells the book.

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http://www.woodenboatstore.com/store/images/325111.JPG
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Adding molds that are not shown on the plans is very simple. You will need to loft the boat full size (the lofting is very easy for this boat). After the lofting is done, you can draw a straight line in the half-breadths and profile views at any location where you want to add a mold. Then you can pick up the heights and half-breadths from these views and transfer them to the body plan to draw a picture of the new mold. If this explanation sounds like gibberish, you should get a copy of the Rossel book and all will become clear smile.gif

Let me know if you have more questions.

[Steve Lansdowne]

Lance Turner is either too busy or too modest to share his Railbird Skiff site, so I'll do so.
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/lannyandnellie@sbcglobal.net/album?.dir=/mail&.src=ph&.tok=phSuVaCBZv4rGW_r

[Bradda88]

Hi,
Thanx, I think I can do it. Lofting should be fun. I did read the book( a good one at that). Thanks for the help. I'll get back to you if I have anymore questions.
cheers,
david

[Lance]

The Railbird Skiff that I built was the result of reading the WB #120 article several years ago. Jon Etheredge featured in the article was the master boat builder at that time for the Philadelphia Maritime Museum and was instrumental in advising me on what materials and tools I would need to begin the skiff. The plan set that I received from the museum contained three versions of the Railbird Skiff. (1) Jackson Railbird Skiff for sailing. Uses a daggerboard and measures 14.7.5 in length by 1.8.7 half breath centerline to sheer. (2) Vannaman and Blew Railbird skiff 15.4.3 by 1.8.2 half breath centerline to sheer. Floorboard is not full length but has raised forward grating and aft grating. Curved stem rabbet with one stem slightly different in size. Also the original boat that the lines were taken from shows a large plywood pad under rear deck for outboard motor bracket. (3) Vannaman and Blew Railbird skiff 15.4.3 by 1.8.4 again center line to sheer. Floorboard is full length with curved stem rabbet and both stems are exactly the same in size. This is the Railbird that I built. There was also a modified version featured in the plan set that has a straight raked stem rabbet. The skiff I built has 1/4" Aqua Tek ply on bottom, sides and decking. Frames are of Doug fir with ply gussets. Laminated stems, rubrail, and toerail from mahogany. Coaming, keel, and oarlock pads from white oak. Sides and bottom have 6 oz. cloth and three coats of epoxy. I should say that the lines of the skiff I built were taken from railbird skiffs built by New Jersey boatbuilders Vanneman and Blew and drawn by D.W. Dillion

[Jon Etheredge]

Vannaman and Blew Railbird skiff
Oops, I may have caused confusion here.

The library staff will know the plans as the Vannaman and Blew Railbird Skiff. In the boatshop, we called it the Maurice River rail skiff. They are the same boat/plans.

[muscongus]

Hello,
I built one from plans from the CBMM for the Biddle Rail Skif. I really love this boat. Here's a photo of the original in the museum and of mine afloat.
http://www.frontiernet.net/~muscongus/Ashore.jpg

http://www.frontiernet.net/~muscongus/Original.jpg

[muscongus]

...and under construction in the shop.
http://www.frontiernet.net/~muscongus/Skiffbuild.jpg
http://www.frontiernet.net/~muscongus/Skiffinshop.jpg

[Jon Etheredge]

Good looking boat there Muscongus!

As Lance mentioned, the straight rabbet line on your Biddle Rail Skiff is a variation that is shown on the Vanneman and Blew plans as well. The original Vanneman and Blew boat has a curved rabbet line which introduces a slight curvature across the width of the side planks as they approach the stem. The curve is nice to my eye but it is a very subtle thing.

I think that Josef Leiner worked up the variations (straight rabbet, ply planking, etc.) that are shown on the Vanneman and Blew plans in concert with Dave Dillion. I believe these are intended as simplifications for the amateur builder. But the original boat is simple enough so I'm not convinced any further simplification is really needed.

[ 01-28-2005, 10:35 AM: Message edited by: Jon Etheredge ]