Marisol Penobscot Biscayne Bay

[Miami Mike]

Hello All,
I guess I'm a "newbie" as they say. After years of on and off subscribing to Wooden Boat and dreaming of building one for myself I've decided to take that big step. I now am looking for a little help and advice on which vessel to make my first attempt.

Here is a little breakdown of my skills and desires. I have limited woodworking experience. A few pieces of furniture and a couple of small projects. I'm competant at reading plans and woodworking terminology and wood properties. I have excellent resources for wood as I've been in the hardwood lumber industry for over 15 years. That also gives me a few good sources for advice and machinery once the project is under way.

I am looking for a small sail boat that would be a good entry boat. I will do all my sailing in Biscayne bay and the Florida Keys. I hate to admit it but I prefer form over function. If I'm going to spend all those hours lovingly laboring over her, I want her to be beautiful when I'm done and if I can only sail her with "perfect" conditions...so be it. (I know that sounds shallow...but I'm trying to be upfront here)

I like a traditional look and preferably would like something that can have a clear finish instead of paint. Trailer or bed of my truck, either is fine. I have looked at the Biscayne Bay 14, the Penobscot 14, and the Marisol 12-1/2.

I have had a hard time finding pictures of completed Marisols, any help there would be appreciated. The Penobscot is built with plywood but I was thinking I might be able to substitute spanish cedar or mahogany and give her a clear finish. The Biscayne Bay is attractive for obvious reasons.

I would love any and all input. Opinions on these for a first time builder would be greatly appreciated.

I'm open to suggestions of other boats as well, these are just the ones that seem to fit what I'm after.

Thanks in Advance!
Mike

[Miami Mike]

Oops, meant to post this in plans/designs

[Deadrise]

I'm personally fond of the asthetics of Joel White and Ian Oughtred designs. Both have books than can be purchased through WoodenBoat online.

[John M]

Mike,

I felt the same about the style, form over function, and I chose the Penobscot 17. This is my second boat, the first being a canoe from a CLC kit. Arch Davis has a good video on building the Penobscot 14 and the plans and instructions are very complete. You could finish this bright, but they say that a lapstrake boat looks better if painted a light color, as the shadows at the strakes accentuate the lines.

You should talk to Arch Davis before substituting materials. I've found him to be very helpful.

Good luck.

John M

[Miami Mike]

John,

Thanks for the reply. I will do a search for pictures of the Penobscot painted and see if it looks like I would love it...I have to love it, LOL. On a scale of one to ten how hard di you find the building process of the 17? And on a scale of 1 to 4 your woodworking capabilities? Might help me make a decide.
Thanks: Mike

[John M]

Mike,

I've only got the bulkheads, centerboard and keel assembled on the jig. Next I'll start the sheer clamps and stringers. I find that I spend a lot of time studying the plans and thinking out every step. Rating the difficulty of the project would be relative to my own skills and judging my skills with respect to the universe is even more difficult. I'm an engineer by education, so I have had experience reading plans and diagrams. That helps. I've worked with power tools before. I've built model boats.

I've had a few questions for Arch Davis and he's been real helpful. I must say that his estimate of the cost of building is a lot lower than my costs. He estimates $1200 to $1500 without sail rig. I have over $2000 into it and I still haven't ordered the 5 sheets of 1/4" marine ply. Of course, I'm using the best materials.

For a picture of the boat go to his web site at http://www.by-the-sea.com/archdavisdesign/

Do a search for Penobscot on this forum and you'll find a fellow over in Spain building the 17. He has lots of picture of his progress.

Good luck and if you decide on the Penobscot, I'll be glad to be a resource for you.

John M

[Meerkat]

You might also find some interesting boats to consider at www.selway-fisher.com. (http://www.selway-fisher.com.)

[WFK]

Mike;

I built a Marisol skiff 18 years ago with bruynzeel plywood, Which I still own and is a delight to sail. The plans are incredibly detailed which helped, so if you have average skills I think you'd do fine. I was 23 at the time and with some help I was able to get through it. I have it stored away in a garage until I get my new shop finished. If you'd like I'd be able to take pictures with a digital camera this weekend.

[wolfietuk]

Have you looked at the Haven 12 1/2?

Rick

[Miami Mike]

Thanks for all the input.

I ordered the Haven 12-1/2 book form WB last year and after going throught it decided the skill level was above my own. I love that boat, I just think it's too much for my first try.
Thanks for the sites. I feel like I'm close to making a decision and I will let you guys know what I decide. I am going to have to order a back issue of WB to see the Marisol. I thought I had it in my old collection but when I got it all dug out I didn't.

Thanks: Mike

[manel]

Mike,

I’m building the Penobscot 17 in Barcelona, Spain. My woodworking skills was “0”, I had no experience at all about sailing and I was a complete ignorant about woods, but still the project is going on. In adittion i had to learn in english a terminology that I didn’t know even in spanish. I think you don’t have to renounce a project because you think is beyond your skills. You will learn as you do. If you been in lumber industry and you have good sources of advice you have half way walked. I think you can build any of the boats that you mention. I found that making good joints and really fair curves is the most important thing to learn, and requires practice. Once you learned this, I think you can build anything.
The plans and the building manual makes very clear to understand the function of every step and every piece of wood, and gives excellent explanations about every detail of the process.
Maybe you have to consider that for a clear finish , you need to achieve a much better job than if you paint it.

Manel

you can see some pictures at: http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?show_all=1&id=4291925237&start=1

[ 06-08-2002, 07:43 PM: Message edited by: manel ]

[Steve Lansdowne]

Clear finishes can show scratches fairly easily, and many folks comment on the Forum that "bright" (clear) finishes of varnish require so much maintenance that owners of such boats spend more time than they might like in varnish maintenance (and thus less time on the water). On the other hand, if the boat is stored under cover or inside, this would likely be less of a problem. It seems to me that many folks enjoy boat building so much that they don't build just one, so maybe eventually you'll build all 3 boats!

[Billy Bones]

Well you might look into the Pooduck skiff (http://media5.hypernet.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=004865) which I have just built and enjoy greatly.

I trust you won't be too disappointed if it looks good and performs well too.

Happy hunting!

[Scott Rosen]

Some general thoughts.

The place to start in the Miami area is with the designs of Commodore Munroe, one of the original settlers of Coconut Grove, and a highly respected and original designer whose boats were well suited to the waters of Biscayne Bay. He has some great sharpie designs, shallow draft, stable and some could be adapted to plywood construction if that was your preference.

Another thought is a cat boat, because of the shallow draft and large amount of room.

[Miami Mike]

Thanks for all the responses.

Manuel, that is exactly the kind of inspiration I needed. I had not considered the Penobscot 17 but after seeing your photos and reading your post, I am going to look into it. I wonder if anyone knows the increase of difficulty in choosing the 17 over the 14. Manuel be careful with that home made table saw...looks dangerous.
The suggestion of painting to cover my lack of perfection is a great point and the first argument for a painted finish that makes solid sense to me. I noticed the Paduck is painted as well.
I've always admired the lines of Munroe's boats and theres a half model here in the Historical Museum of his EGRET that I love.

Thanks for the help, I'm almost there.

Mike

[Matt Middleton]

Hey Mike
Here's one along the same lines as Egret. It's Reuel Parker's Eastern Shore (http://www.parker-marine.com/eastpage.htm) design.
http://www.parker-marine.com/east16re.jpg
At 16', it's in about the size range you mentioned, and it seems a good fit for your geographical area. Between the neat hull and the unique rig, it would be a real attention grabber in a world of cookie-cutter boats.
On the topic of form over function- don't underestimate the effects of different finish treatments. Simple things like a bright finished rubrail or a single contrasting stripe under the gunwhale can make a world of difference in a boat's looks. With this in mind, it's a good idea to see as many completed examples of a particular design as you can, just to see what some of the possibilities are.
Good luck

[wolfietuk]

Mike I chose the stitch and glue method because of my lack of experience in boats. I cant say that I am displeased with the boat, but I wish I had gone with something like the Haven. I really do not like messing with epoxy. I cant even get into it if I am watching the kids. The skills you will develope with this kind of construction will not help much with building a traditional one later. If you want experience build a nutshell pram or similar first.

Rick