25 ft Hooper Island Draketail

[Draketail]

Folks,

I am in the process of building the 25' Hooper Island Draketail as shown in Sucher's "Simplified Boatbuilding, The V Bottom Boats". My approach and resources are as follow:

My interest in boats comes from growing up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland for a while as a kid. During that time (1958-1964) I was taken fishing by various folks in everything from home-made skiffs with 5 hp Briggs and Stratton motors to 40 ft flat bottom deadrise bay work boats. Later visits to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum reinforced the interest in bay boats, while also introducing me to the 45 ft draketail, “Martha.” Something about the grace and efficiency of the draketail shape captured my imagination and stuck with me.

I also have a son who is a trained a machinist, who came to that training through small engine repair and a fascination with old, one lunger engines. So, a wooden boat with an old marine engine seemed like an appropriate project for both of us. I’m a fairly useful woodworker, my son can fabricate just about anything in metal, and if it burns hydrocarbons, he can make it run.

All of which is leads in to my desire to build a 25 ft draketail with an old marine engine. The boat is more a woodworking project for enjoyment than a screaming rush to finish a boat. Full epoxy construction doesn’t hold a lot of fascination for me. Traditional woodworking does. To that end, I’d like to stay with traditional methods as much as possible, while acknowledging that the boat will be used infrequently (we live in the mountains of Virginia). Right now, my thoughts are heart pine planking, with splines in the bottom cross planks.

We have what appears to be a 1940’s era Navy launch engine for use in the boat. The engine is a 2 cylinder “Michigan Senior Twin” converted by the Michigan Marine Motor Company of Coldwater, Michigan. The basic motor before conversion is a Hercules NXB industrial engine. I have gotten a manual from Hercules. Power output appears to be about 12 hp at 1,500 RPM. My son has gotten the motor running and it seems to be in fine shape. The attached marine transmission is direct drive (1:1) with reverse. Weight is about 375lb. The engine is presently set up for raw water cooling, which I plan to change to a closed system with a keel cooler, using raw water to cool the exhaust.

As a general philosophy, this boat is to be a recreation of a 1920’s era Chesapeake Bay work boat; a water going pick-up truck. That would mean painted exterior, turpentine and pine tar interior, little or no bright work, and a minimum of varnish. This is much the same approach I take to old woodworking tools. They are tools to be kept in good condition and used, not museum pieces to be preserved in a glass box.

In lurking around this forum, I have seen mention of the 25 ft draketail in several threads. Has anybody gotten one on the water? I'd like to hear of your experience. All comments, ideas, guidance , and warnings gratefully accepted.

Thanks

[Paul Pless]

Are you familiar with Wood Duck?
She was launched about five years ago, and was featured in WoodenBoat Magazine #136.

[Draketail]

Paul,

Thank you for the reference. I have seen that issue of Wooden Boat. Wood Duck seems a more modern interpretation of the draketail than I'm trying to create. I don't think my 12 hp gas engine will compete well with the 200+ hp diesel in Wood Duck.

I did find the archival pictures of a draketail under construction that accompanied the article to be useful.

[Jim Ledger]

It sounds like a great project.

You mention that you live in the mountains and that the boat will be used infrequently. Do you intend trailering the boat? Is this why you're thinking of splining the bottom?

[donald branscom]

Paul,

Thank you for the reference. I have seen that issue of Wooden Boat. Wood Duck seems a more modern interpretation of the draketail than I'm trying to create. I don't think my 12 hp gas engine will compete well with the 200+ hp diesel in Wood Duck.

I did find the archival pictures of a draketail under construction that accompanied the article to be useful.

I will be using a 5.5 HP Honda. Boat is 19 feet LOA.
I will post photos of my installation when finished. It is in orogress as we speak.

[Texasgaloot]

This is much the same approach I take to old woodworking tools. They are tools to be kept in good condition and used, not museum pieces to be preserved in a glass box.

This sounds like an intriguing project to me. Is the draketale as a form similar to the Chesepeake Bay Deadrises, in that there are rarely plans extant because everybody who builds them already knows what they are supposed to look like? Also, will you be using exclusively OldTools (Neander-woodworking)?

[Lew Barrett]

Sounds good to me as well, including running at leisurly displacement speeds. The old marine engines are charming when all is right with them. Looking forward to your pictures.

[pipefitter]

Bob,you beat me to it. Oyster seems to have put to sleep many myths concerning certain mixes of traditional constructions with adaptable modern materials or the thinking that adaptive, traditional constructions can't live on trailers. I got to see his 20ft sprits'l conversion up close that still looked neat and it even won an award at a boat show here in FL. for just that very thing,if I recall correctly.

[Draketail]

Thanks for all the responses. Answers in order of posting:

Jim,

Yes, the splined bottom is an attempt to minimize problems with a boat that will spend much of it's life on a trailer. Pete Culler mentions the process in his "Skiffs and Schooners." Also, I think that quarter sawn heart pine for the bottom planks will help to minimize movement with changing moisture content.

Donald,

Are you building a 19' draketail, or is it some other sort of displacement hull meant to take advantage of a low power motor? Please do post pictures.

Texasgaloot,

The Hooper Island Draketail was developed around Hooper Island, Maryland, as the first generation of Chesapeake Bay workboat specifically developed for power. The 6/1 length to beam ratio is an effort to make the best use of the low power motors available in the 1920's. The 25 ft boat I'm building has a beam of 4'2".

And the boats were indeed built by eye. What lines that are available have been taken from existing boats. The Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons Island, MD has several sets of lines for draketails ranging from 35' to 48'. The 25 ft boat seems to be about the minimum practical size.

As for the neander-woodworking, I won't be using exclusively old tools. Somehow dressing rough planks with scrub and hand planes doesn't hold a lot of fascination when there's a 24" planer available. But, I will use whatever hand planes, slicks, hand saws, etc that fit the job at hand.

Lew,

Pictures may be a day or two...... but, as work progresses, I'll certainly document the process. I hope to have the molds set up by early October. My son finally got his '48 Chevy truck out of the garage so I have a place to set up!

The 2 cyl engine does indeed sound appropriate. I've also got a 4 cyl Kermath Sea Cub of the same general displacement and power, but it just sounds all wrong.

Bob and pipefitter,

Thank you for the reference to Mike Fonville. I will look him up. The pictures Bob posted look like beautiful work

[Excalibur]

You might want to contact the Calvert Marine Museum. Using the Patuxent Small Craft Guild as volunteers, the museum's boatwright, Geoge Surgent, recently rebuillt a donated 1930s 36' Draketail. That boat is an in water exhibit, and was rebuilt knowing that she would be run, and she is run often. She uses a 25hp (i think) Gray Marine engine. I'm sure the museum can offer some insight as to how they rebuilt her. I can say a couple of words about splining the cross planks on the bottom. I help the museum rebuild a 19' crabbing skiff that was cross planked in cedar. We splined all of the bottom planks, and added 5200 to those planks at the transom that were out of the water when the boat was at rest.

[Draketail]

Excalibur,

I visited the Calvert Musuem in July. On the basis of one 'phone call, answered by George Surgent, I was treated extremely well. Arrangements were made for me to go through the archives, crawl around on the 35' Sewell draketail, and generally get good answers to whatever questions I could think of. George was not there the day I vsisted, but has agreed to let me pick his brain as I build my draketail. I believe he has a good photographic record of the Sewell rebuild. I need to go back on a Saturday when George will be there.

Have you had any problems using 5200 on the crab skiff bottom planks? From various sources, I have gotten the idea that 5200 may be "too much" glue for the job. Would a somewhat less sticky bedding compound (4200?) be better? Has the crab skiff bottom gone through wetting and drying cycles and how did the splining work?

Thanks

[Excalibur]

Excalibur,

I visited the Calvert Musuem in July. On the basis of one 'phone call, answered by George Surgent, I was treated extremely well. Arrangements were made for me to go through the archives, crawl around on the 35' Sewell draketail, and generally get good answers to whatever questions I could think of. George was not there the day I vsisted, but has agreed to let me pick his brain as I build my draketail. I believe he has a good photographic record of the Sewell rebuild. I need to go back on a Saturday when George will be there.

Have you had any problems using 5200 on the crab skiff bottom planks? From various sources, I have gotten the idea that 5200 may be "too much" glue for the job. Would a somewhat less sticky bedding compound (4200?) be better? Has the crab skiff bottom gone through wetting and drying cycles and how did the splining work?

Thanks

Excellent! Glad you had a good experience. We only used 5200 in the splines themselves, we did not use it to bond the planks to the ribs, as that would have inhibited movement in an area that sees a lot of wet/dry cycling. The rebuild was just finished last spring, so it's too early yet to tell if the 5200 will stress things too much, but so far things are fine. Since it stays in water for the season, the rest of the bottom has yet to go through a full cycle. The splining overall worked great, she's a very dry hull.

[bateaux]

Hey Draketail. I have been messing with a 73 year old draketail for the better part of 4 years - the Mary E., a 45' 6" Dukey Marshall built boat. I am lofting out her 24' daughter - Babygirl - with my students. I am morphing the Sewell design from Solomons with a 24' Chappelle Chesapeake Sharpie, she will have an engine well and an outboard 25 HP in the tail. I am tending towards Douglas Fir plywood for the hull. We are doing a flat bottomed boats (Mary E. is mostly flat, very little deadrise until the bow). Is a flat bottomed draketail sacrireligious? - maybe, but she will be great in the shoalwater around Eastern Neck Island and Kent Narrows............

[Bill Perkins]

Pipefitter ; where was the show Mike won a prize at? Maybe I can check that out someday .

[pipefitter]

Pipefitter ; where was the show Mike won a prize at? Maybe I can check that out someday .

I don't know what the prize was or if I should have said award. I went and saw Erster's 20ft sprit'sl skiff,which was one of the more tidy boats there amongst many furniture boats. He was quite busy taking folks for sails around the area. You could see the neat planking job from the interior and it was dry and the paint looked great as well. I never recall the event name but I think it was FGCSCA (Florida Gulf Coast Small Craft Assoc. ?) or something to that effect and it was in Cortez,Florida. Anyhow,I don't know if they keep record online but I remember mailing him a congrats when I read the post of the winners on the website when I saw his name mentioned. I think I even posted a mention on here at the time.
It was put on by these folks or an affiliation of these folks http://marinell.server101.com/FGCMM-Festival/

Robb White was the guest speaker at the event.

[Bill Perkins]

I do remember your post now .I thought that festival was at Cortes State park ; thanks for the link .

I kept my 23 foot canoe yawl at Cuts Edge Marina for a few years . She has a centerboard and a Tabernacle for the main mast which really allowed her to get around in that country and anchor in little hiddy holes . With the rig struck I could duck under a low fixed bridge and into or out of the Manatee river .Or I'd go the other way and head out across the mouth of Tampa Bay .

You've got some serious lightning storms down that way. Thought I was going to die one time but the whole immense anvil head slid just to the South ,going off like a fireworks display .Cortes may have felt that one actually .

There's an anchorage inside Passagrill inlet , behind a small barrier island I'd like to return to some day . I never discovered Cortes , looks interesting . I finally decided it was all just too far from Atlanta .

Maybe Ill upgrade to a new trailer and drive her down to that coast occasionally . I can only go about 50 mph safely with the boat on . The wake of passing semis causes the boat to take charge of the light pickup if I'm not careful . I'd like to sail Pine Island Sound if anchoring restrictions don't prevent me from taking advantage of my shoal draft.

[Draketail]

Greetings bateaux!

I find the reference to "your students" most interesting. What age? What class are you teaching? etc... etc... In my other life, I teach engineering and have used woodworking (specifically timber framing) to provide hands on experience for my students. Hope you're having as much fun with your students as I do with mine.

The Mary E. sounds like quite a draketail. What sort of condition is she in? Pictures?? I've not run across lines for a 24' draketail "Babygirl" in my searching. Where did the lines come from? My boat is based off the 25' draketail launch in Suchers "V Bottom Boats"

Also interesting you mention Kent Island. That's the area I want to cruise. I grew up on Blakeford Plantation at the south end of Carpenter's Island for a couple of years. We were living in one of the tennant farmer's houses while my father commuted across the bridge to grad school at the University of MD. (Try that today!)

General update on the 25' draketail:

Motor is on the stand and disassembled. All that is needed is general clean up, new plugs, a carb rebuild and paint. Since the last post, I've also found an identical motor (siezed as a core) and all the brass work, prop, shaft, through hulls, stuffing box,... on eBay at an atractive price.

Work continues on the hull shape. Bill Platt of Platt Designs is looking at the Sucher plan with an eye toward making sure it will perform well and float on the appropriate lines. He'll incorporate some of the Martha into the lines to gat more bouyancy at the stern. The estimate of weight using traditional scantlings as listed by Sucher comes in at about 1900 lb.

Materials are on hand for the strongback (24' lvl sides) with construction to commence this weekend. Yes, I know a 24' strongback is 1' short of a 25' boat. That's the longest stock the local lumber yard had. I'll extend as appropriate to catch the stem.

Progress, even if slow.

Draketail

[Bill Perkins]

I'd be interested to see the modified profile .Is the idea to produce a good planing hull , or simply support a 4 cycle outboard ? Both ideas make sense to me .

[Draketail]

Bill,

No, with a 12 horse motor, I don't think I'm headed into planeing territory.

Doing the weight and center of gravity calculations on the Sucher lines show that the center of bouyancy is way far forward. The boat wants to float stern low as drawn. Bill Platt is working on moving the bouyancy back some solve the problem.

Also, the 25' lines have lots of tumblehome from about station 6 on back. The shear line is inside the chine for beginning at about station 6. On a hull with a maximum beam of 4' 2" a little more moving around room towards the stern may help. Martha's shear doesn't come inside the chine until somewhere near station 8. The 35' Sewell draketail at the Calvert museum has a similar plan view.

[bateaux]

I teach boatbuilding in Chestertown at a school that focusses on LD kids. It is a true Eastern Shore shade tree boatbuilding program- nuthin' fancy, but it works. We have built or rebuilt 9 boats from a 16' railbird skiff / draketail cross we lofted last winter (I call her a Morgnec Kayak) to the 1933 45' Mary E. which was in WoodenBoat (in the currents section I think) in July 2005. Mary is presently moored at Deale on Rockhold Creek in Anne Arundel County, as I signed her over to her builder's son this summer. Plans are for Mary to become part of a local museum down at Deale. The kids and I have also lofted a 16' Smith Island Crab Scrape and a 21' log canoe. We have also constructed two 12' Bevin's skiffs and an 18' CLC Peace Canoe (ours is a war canoe). In addition, we rehabbed a couple of Rock Hall built boats - one a 12' cedar crab skiff, the other a 21' pine on oak frame deadrise. The lines for Babygirl are my own drawn up from a model I put together based on a Howard Chappelle drawing of a 24' sharpie and Mary E.'s own lines. You can see Mary and some of the other boats we built on my website. http://redlionstudio.com/

[donald branscom]

Paul,

Thank you for the reference. I have seen that issue of Wooden Boat. Wood Duck seems a more modern interpretation of the draketail than I'm trying to create. I don't think my 12 hp gas engine will compete well with the 200+ hp diesel in Wood Duck.

I did find the archival pictures of a draketail under construction that accompanied the article to be useful.

200+ diesel? The sherrif's dept. in Sausalito Ca uses TWO engines in their new boat larger than that. But you know there have been budget cuts.

[Draketail]

All,

Let me state right here that I appreciate erster's candor. All I can do is smile at myself and the term "profile lust". Busted! I was looking for input from a builder boats of a similar purpose and have gotten what I asked for. So, please leave erster alone. He's given me what I asked for.

erster,

I would indeed like to continue this discussion with you. I will send you a pm with my e-mail so we can continue out of the public forum.

Now then, to address some of the comments in erster's answer:

This project did indeed start as a "look alike fantasy". I am not a boat builder (yet), but was working from what I assumed was a reputable source (Sucher's V Bottom Boats). The pages on the 25' draketail list a 12 hp Palmer engine as an appropriate engine.

Strangely, engine maintenance long term on my 12 hp Hercules NXB based Michigan Marine doesn't worry me that much. My son is a machinist and excellent fabricator of odd parts. The same engine was also used in John Deere LA series tractors in the 30's and 40's. Parts are available, and Hercules still exists and will service the motor..

I am working with Bill Platt to refine the hull shape into something more workable. Obviously, more work is needed.

My thoughts on heart pine were to address movement issues on a trailered boat. I came to this forum looking for advice on planking materials. I believe I need to continue the discussion with erster as to what appropriate planking would be. I've a bit to learn yet.

In response to: "But this little jewel puzzles me. How can you have no brightwork and a minimum of varnish? ", the answer would be "I can't". What I was trying to convey was the idea that the boat would be painted as a working waterman's boat. And I expect that paint would also be better on the interior than pine tar.....

More to learn! I'll keep asking questions.

Thanks,

Draketail.

[michigangeorge]

Draketail, keep us informed - you are getting a good start on what will likely be a fun project.

[Stinkbug]

As oyster said heart pine can be very heavy, and I wonder where you intend to find boat quality heart pine. Most of the "heart pine" Ive seen labled as such these days has some heart in each board, but contains a lot of sap wood as well as heart. Take great care in choosing your lumber. I also do not follow your sic " it will be more stable for a trailered boat " logic. Maybe Im missing something, but you cant get a wood any more stable than PLY wood.If you are adverse to going the plywood route, I would think a quality cypress lumber might be a better choice- speacially since shell be living on a trailer and dont need to worry about the cypress standing in and taking up water, thereby making the boat even heavier. What ever you choose give the whole thing a good dose of cuprinol when your done, and Id soak the end cuts prior to assembly, since your not concernened with a fast build. Im also not sold on holding the whole thing together and keeping out the water with a bunch of gobs of 5200 or the like. That kind of construction is for house carpenters, not boat builders. Make your pieces fit- tight, and you can dab on a bit of epoxy if you feel the need. Better yet since you want it to be like an old timey hull, simply use dolfinite bedding compound.Personally Ive never been sold on juniper for planking a hull. It is too brittle, and if you bang it wrong, god forbit underweigh, youll be in trouble.It looks like a fun project, but I dont see how building a drake tail can be very "simple". Maybe sucher knows some stuff I dont.Good luck.

[Stinkbug]

oystes right about that length to beam ratio.

but what he doesnt mention is that what really matters is the beam at the waterline. that simmons boat he shows is known as a "tippy" boat for just that reason. the hull has a lot of flare, which is great for reserve bouancy and getting interior space, but it doesnt add a darn thing to the stability of the hull as it sits in the water.

remembering the lines of a draketail in my head, seems she doesnt have a lot of flare and indeed has tumblehome aft, which translates to a broader beam at the waterline. i think youll be fine.

On a hull with a maximum beam of 4' 2"

I missed this earlier- thats damn skinny- I think the 6-7 foot range would be plenty wide at the waterline- for some reason thats what I was thinking you said the design called for. You dont need 8 or 9 feet to feel stable- thats only true for a "modern" 25 foot boat that has a lot of flare to her topside.

[bateaux]

A Hooper Island Draketail IS an oversized canoe. My 45 footer, Mary E. , Deale, MD., 1933, is 9 feet wide. Cedar on oak frames. She weighs 6 tons, and in a sharp cross sea she is nothing but a bigassed canoe. But I love her anyway.

[mcdenny]

Draketail, I'm with you on the "look". The Eastern Shore & its workboats is one of the prettiest places around for people who share the addiction.

I have a 25' x 5'11" launch with 6 hp; weight with 2 crew is 2,000 pounds. It's round bilged and doesn't look anything like a draketail but its quite similar under water. It was designed a century ago to utilize an engine very similar to yours (10 hp and ~500 lbs).

6 hp (electric) drives the boat 9 mph with a 12 x 12 prop turning about 1100 rpm. This is an S/L of 1.6 and the bow rises a bit at this speed. Your 12 hp antique engine ought to be fine.

I'm with Erster, though, on the very narrow beam. Your design sounds like a scaled down 40 footer but you can't crew it with scaled down people. It will feel really tippy!

The very narrow beam is to get the most out of modest power. You have plenty of power to push a wider boat to 9 or 10 mph.

Most people's sense of "normal" would be a 8 or 9 foot beam on a 25 foot boat. I can assure you a 25 x 6 boat looks skinny.

[Bill Perkins]

I admire your equanimity Draktail , and look forward to seeing your "powered canoe " here sometime in the future . I guess the crew stayed forward of the engine when underway in the original boats , and the early engines were significantly heavier than yours ?

[bateaux]

The is an Aubrey Bodine pic of 2 guys tonging off a 25' draketail in some rough water (circa 1935). The narrow boat (all of 4 foot at the beam max) seemed to be working for them............

[Stinkbug]

The is an Aubrey Bodine pic of 2 guys tonging off a 25' draketail in some rough water (circa 1935). The narrow boat (all of 4 foot at the beam max) seemed to be working for them............

them fellas that participate in the log rolling contests seem to do alright too.


until one of em goes into the water

[Draketail]

Folks,

Just for context, I thought I'd post the applicable comments about the 25' draketail from Harry Sucher's Simplified Boatbuilding, the V-bottom Boat, copyright 1974:

_____________________________________
"25' Hooper Island Draketail

The 25-foot model as shown in plate 76 is typical of the smaller size of Hooper Island launch, and due to the characteristic small beam-length ratio, it represents about the minimum size that is of practical use. While representing a powered canoe with somewhat restricted interior room and carrying capacity, it was a type used as a handy utility boat that was cheap to build and which would make very good speed with a small, economical engine. Most of these small hulls were built as pleasure fishing boats.

Powering Hooper Island Launches

The early Hooper Island boats were powered with one or two cylinder two-cycle engines of 5 to 15 hp. with which they made speeds of about 7 to 12 knots, according to installation."
__________________________________________________ _____

Bateaux,

I thouroughly enjoyed the art on your web site. Brought back all sorts of memories from living in Centerville, MD.

Stinkbug,

Looks like I will be going with cypress planking, carefully fitted. Where do you find cuprinol these days? As for the heart pine, the source of good stuff is from a friend who re-saws old timbers.

To the rest of the interested onlookers:

Progress continues with Bill Platt on refining the hull. Looks like we are going to add about 5" to the beam to increase the stability. So now, the 25' boat has a whopping beam of 4'-7" and a beam-length ratio that is the average of the 11 authentic draketails that I could get data on.

The additional beam makes it so the boat won't swamp until the shear is already underwater.

This weekend is going to be spent building the strongback. Once actual boat construction begins, I'll start a new thread on the building process.

Thanks all,

Draketail

[bud F]

Draketail,
I'm curious as to how much detail is shown of the draketail in simplified boatbuilding? I'm building a model of one and want to detail it but can't find any construction plans anywhere. I've heard most of the old bay workboats were built with no plans, just the experience of the watermen of the early days. Thanks,

Bud

[Draketail]

Bud,

The Sucher book has details for 38', 34'6" and 25' draketail boats. They consist of lines, a table of offsets, and some construction details. All of the information appears to have been taken from (used to be) existing boats that were originally built without plans.

Two other sources of draketail details are the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons Island, MD and the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Mary's, MD. The Calvert Museum has quite a library of plans taken from existing boats ranging from 35' to 49'. You can order sets, paying about $5 a page. The Chesapeake Museum has a 2 sheet set of plans for the 45' Martha that is available on line for $20.

On the 25' draketail front....
The electronic hull form plans have been finalized to both the outside and inside of the planks.
I'm working on completing the detail drafting to allow cutting frames, timbers, etc.
The 4' x 28' strongback has been built
A 6' x 32' lofting floor is complete, including paint. Laying down the lines full scale will begin this weekend....

So, progress is being made.

Thanks,

Draketail

[bud F]

Draketail,
Thanks for the info. Even though the book is out of print I found several on the web. I was on board Martha in October at the museum and got some nice pictures. I also have the plans for the 43' Martha which I'll be building a model of and am currently working on the 3/8"= 1' model they offer at the museum store. I haven't been to Solomons island since the late 50's so I guess i'm due to check out the museum next summer. I tried to post a picture of my model Martha but it won't take it?

Bud

[UncleRalph]

Bud,

I case you were not aware, all the plans in the Sucher book are available from the Smithsonian. See:
http://americanhistory.si.edu/csr/shipplan.htm

Ralph

[Excalibur]

... Where do you find cuprinol these days? As for the heart pine, the source of good stuff is from a friend who re-saws old timbers...

Draketail

Draketail,

While I personally would use CPES as a modern replacement for cuprinol, you can get it from Jamestown Distributors if you really want it.

[bud F]

Bud,

I case you were not aware, all the plans in the Sucher book are available from the Smithsonian. See:
http://americanhistory.si.edu/csr/shipplan.htm

Ralph

Thanks for the info Ralph.

Bud

[Eddiebou]

Hey, Draketail, Are you still out there? No posts since 2007? I'd like to know more about it all since it's been 3 years. -Eddiebou

[Draketail]

Eddiebou,

Work has continued as detailed in the threads listed below.

As of October 2010, the sides are planked and about 1/3 of the bottom is done. Progress is pretty good in the summers and slows dramatically when school is in session. I teach at VMI.

Where are you in the Northern Neck?

http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthre...ight=draketail

http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthre...ight=draketail

http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthre...ight=draketail

[Eddiebou]

Coles Point- Used to see a few draketails during oyster season, too.