Garden's Eel

[Rich Sch]

I am about to start a new project in building Garden's Eel. Has anyone had any experience with this design or better yet have any of you built one?

[botebum]

Have you got a link or pic? Can't find anything w/Google. Are you talking about a John Gardner boat? Still can't find it.

Doug

[JimM]

Here is a picture of Garden's Eel for the Woodenboat My Boat site.

[Thorne]

Les Schuldt restored one out here a few years ago and did a *lovely* job, so you might try sending him a personal message via the Forum.



http://www.woodenboatvb.com/vbulleti...p/t-11021.html

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/kooklado...60762363041413

[JimConlin]

A few years ago, i looked hard at the Eel design for a client. I concluded that one detail had to be changed, the rudder. It takes much too much draft and looks fragile to me. I was thinking of a bolger style shallow-draft end-plate rudder. Maybe i can find my notes.

[garland reese]

If memory serves correctly, an Eel was built over in Australia that had a Bolgeresque rudder in place of the original. The owner was very impressed and happy with the design. Eel is a lovely boat. I boarded Robert Alber's lovely Eel "Glory" he'd built some years ago. Yes, Eel is a lovely design, well, except for the rudder

[willmarsh3]

I have plans for the Eel and I keep thinking about building her. I had objections about the draft of the rudder being too great, and in my area the potential to get caught on millfoil was significant. But, fortunately the plans show a rudder design that uses an insert placed in the slot. If the rudder got hung up on something this insert could be removed and the rudder pulled up into the slot.
The Yahoo photos show some good pictures of this rudder design.

What does a bolgeresque rudder look like?

[Dave Lesser]

Here's a nice Eel photo from Tim Whitten's Port Townsend thread

[Rich Sch]

Much appreciated all the information and pictures here. I have done multiple web searches and never cameup with these photos although the Port Townsend site from last year had some good ones as well.

I am really concerned with the rudder as many of you are as well. It seems very delicate in relationship to it's depth below the keel and also it's susceptibility of going aground and jamming well before the keel hits bottom. Seems like a recipe for disaster. The idea that the rudder can be removed is great but how often do you get enough of a warneing of trouble and it so you have a million things to do now plus trying to pull up a rudder at the sametime. Sounds like I'm talking myself out of building a really oretty boat.

There has got to be a way to hang the rudder off the stern? The angle of approach there is pretty difficult? Any more ideas?

[willmarsh3]

Of course you can have the centerboard down to give plenty of warning of going into shallow water. And/or modify the rudder so that it can pivot up somewhat like a hobie cat rudder. I'm not a naval architect and I don't know how the designer would feel about that but my first thinking is that it would work ok. If you built the same sort of rudder insert as in the design but put a pivot where the rudder attaches to the rudder stock then that would mean minimal mods to the boat. If it didn't work then just revert back to the original design for the rudder.

[klondike]

Rich, I own one of these beautiful boats. It was built by Steve Rander of Schooner Creek Boatworks for me in 1978. Check out their website for some great photos of an EEl that was built after mine. My boat is a daysailer without cabin or self draining cockpit. Believe me, it sails as nice as it looks. I would leave the rudder set up just as Mr Garden designed it. Steve realized the vulnerability and overbuilt the rudder shaft to withstand any mistakes. When I know that I am sailing in shallow water I raise the rudder using the mizzen halyard with a loop over the cleats on the tiller to hold it and stear with an oar that has a lock mounted on th stern.
E-mail me if you have any questions on the boat.

[klondike]

[klondike]

[klondike]

[boatbear]

Klondike, she is beautiful. I remember the Eel from WB or Classic Boat (late eighties I think). I just checked the Schooner Creek site. http://www.schoonercreek.com/new_con...ional_sail.htm There is some good info there, including a PDF with lines drawings.
Do you know how heavy your boat is?
Charlie

[klondike]

I believe that she weighs about #1,500 finished. As you can see it is of WEST construction. When we took her off of the mold I could not believe how light the hull was. To try and get close to the water lines we built a lead shoe that weighed #400 it probably needs #600.

[boatbear]

Thanks Klondike, and welcome to the forum.
Charlie

[willmarsh3]

An absolutely stunning boat! The Schooner Creek website is pretty cool. I was impressed by the guy who took his Eel up from Seattle to Alaska.

Another question I have for Klondike is who made your sails? I checked Sailrite but they don't have a kit for this boat.

[klondike]

The sails were made by Smith sails in Portland Oregon.

On the Schooner Creek site there are two EELS shown. Kestrel was hull #1, an open boat, still active in the Portland area. Hull #2 is mine Odalisque and is usually sailed on the Columbia River or the South Puget Sound. Hull #3 was Otter, a cabin model with a self bailing cockpit. After it was completed, it was sailed to Juneau Alaska from Anacortis Wa. in the early spring. That trip, across some stretches of open ocean demonstrates the capability of this boat.
Back to the question of the rudder, this boat handles like a little cow pony, balanced and quick. i would hesitate to make a change.

[Dave Gray]

Hi Klondike,

I was wondering if this was Odalisque. I drove past Schooner Creek this spring and saw her in the yard. With some trepidation I asked in the office if I could admire her and they said yes, so I spent some time trying to figure out elements of construction, wishing I had a camera all the while. A real beauty and it is great to hear you have had her since she was built.

[klondike]

Dave, yes it is Odalisque. It was at Schooner Creek being fitted for a new galvanized trailer. The owner of Kestrel had his axel rust through last year and since my boat had as much salt water exposure as his I did not want to take any chances.