Pete Culler's 13' 6" Good Little Skiff

[NickW]

I’ve been reading John Burke’s book “Pete Culler on Wooden Boats” and am quite taken with Pete’s 13’6” Good Little Skiff. Searching the web using yahoo I’ve found very little but what photo’s I have found seem to be of different boats.

http://library.mysticseaport.org/ini...60&ChapterId=2

http://library.mysticseaport.org/ini...60&ChapterId=2

http://www.soulwood.de/category/boote/ (scroll down)

The freeboard in particular seems to be a lot greater than those shown in John’s book. Did Pete revise the plan shown in the book or do I need to get my glasses checked out.

Incidentally, the Wheelbarrow boat has the same half breadths, give or take an eight, as the GLS and a similar stem but a much flatter sheer and consequently more freeboard. I suppose it could be built shorter by simply reducing the station spacing by 1-1/2".

Nick

[Ian McColgin]

They don't look so very different as can't be accounted for by builder whim and paint job. As you study the Culler skiffs you'll begin to see some interesting subtleties, most importantly in how rocker and run are worked out for different loads.

That wheel barrow boat is way cool as an idea but one wonders as the wave making turbulence of the shape and the flat tyre.

I managed to miss meeting Capt Pete while at theology school with Robin Laggaman (the No Bull Ketch and there's a pic of him in a skiff earlier in the book) and he'd died by the time I was on Cape and even thought to look him up, but it was fun hanging with George Kelly. Fun with boats.

[Ben Fuller]

These are nice little boats well suited to smooth water or small chop. Friends of mine have one rigged for rougher water by raising the freeboard by a strake. My freeboard amidships may be a touch low; needed some blocking to raise the rowlock sockets.

There is a lot of variety in the way boats are laid out.

Mine has a single rowing thwart and I have a removable seat I put on the risers for rowing with a passenger, thus keeping the boat uncluttered.

I mostly sail without a rudder. I have found that the boat balances real well sitting on the thwart or squatting just forward of it. Heel and move forward she turns up wind, flat and aft downwind. Mine does not have a full length inner keelson; there is one into which the skeg fastens which is just right for a stretcher.

My cb trunk is low and the aft edge of the board sticks up when it is house; I have a little filler piece to use when sailing to keep splash down; of course a t shirt works just fine.

If your water suits, hard to go wrong.

Ben

[davebrown]

can you post photos of yours ben?

[SScoville]

Check this out:

http://www.concordiaboats.com/yacht_..._skiff_25.html

[NickW]

Thanks to all for your replies.

Ian - My idea of using the wheelbarrow lines was just that. I'd put a proper centreboard in and use the GLS 70 sq ft rig if I went that way. BTW whilst searching the web I came across this offering from Stewart River Boatworks http://stewartriver.com/rowingboats/goodskiff.html The dimensions given correspond to those in Skiffs and Schooners. Also in the book at p121 the beach boat appears to be the 15' 8" mid sized GLS from what I can work out from the design list at the back.

Ben - your comments are much in line with my own thoughts, a higher freeboard is needed for most waters.

My sailing area will be the rivers Avon and Stour and Christchurch Harbour, maybe in the Bay on a nice day as well trailering to Poole Harbour and the Solent. This link http://www.maplandia.com/united-king.../christchurch/ shows the general area. BTW if you pan right you'll see Keyhaven, the lair of a well known potterer.

Flat bottom boats are common in this area and usually called canoes. Information can be found here http://intheboatshed.net/2009/12/26/...poole-harbour/ , here http://www.worldseafishing.com/revie...oatreview.html , here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omQ5gFQWRBw , here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVmsIhufxTU , here http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/21...canoe/80005182 and here http://boathookbald.blogspot.com/201...ole-canoe.html .

As you will see from the last link, the original canoes were rigged for sail. The best souce of information on these is in Michael Smylie's Traditional Fishing Boats of Britain and Ireland p165.

Kind Regards

Nick

[Ben Fuller]

Nick,

I will see if I have a pic of the boat; it is pretty well buried in the boat barn right now. Wooden Boat may also have run photo when I did a piece on spritsails, I can't remember. I will also check to see if Sam and Susan Manning have their freeboard augmented GLS overboard.

[NickW]

Ben

Thanks for looking.

Nick

[davebrown]

Ben: We hope you come across some photos. Thanks in advance.

[Ben Fuller]

I will poke around this weekend. Pretty sure they are not digital, so there will be work involved. But tonight is the Bruins game....

[holzbt]

[NickW]

Holzbt

Thanks for posting the photos. Do you have any info on the boat?

Regards

Nick

[holzbt]

It's one of the Good Little Skiffs at Mystic Seaport. Just culled from some random shots I've taken while visiting there.

[NickW]

Holzbt

Thanks for that.

Nick

[Ben Fuller]

These boats were rigged out to pretty match mine ( I was working down there when the boats were built.) You will note the forward rowlock sockets which use a removable seat on the riser. The only difference was that my board sticks up a couple of inches at the very back so that there is a slot in the board there. I have a plug for it when sailing. I don't think that area is critical to the balance. I don't use a traveler; sheet is dead ended to one cleat on a quarter knee then up through the clew grommet then through a small block on a pennant made fast to the other cleat then to your hand. The friction in the clew does not give you racing boat fine adjustment, nothing that a little luff can't handle.

Ben

[NickW]

Ben

Thanks for that. Yes, the use of a slip thwart for the forward rowing position is a neat idea as is the simple sheeting.

Regards

Nick

[davebrown]

Holbtz: any chance of photographing Culler's BUtternut? Very few photos out there. I mean, none except in the book.