Pete Culler design

[kharee]

Does anyone know the dimensions of the design Mrs.Jones by P.Culler? It's on page 24 of this design forum. It's in the same thread as the beautiful ex-sardine carrier, Grayling. Thanks Kharee

[Bruce Hooke]

Here (http://www.woodenboat-ubb.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=003829) is a link to the thread in question.

According to my copy of the Pete Culler design catalog, the original design was 30' long and had an 8' 6" beam. However, it says in the text that:

The design evolved over the years from small workboats used for alongshore shellfishing and other similar uses. These craft have been build in many smaller sizes - 15, 16, 18, and 24 feet. All are very handy and able boats with a good turn of speed on modest power.If you get your hands on the Pete Culler design catalog be prepared for the fact that the cabinhouse on the design in the catalog is VERY different from the picture in the thread you found here on the forum.

[Bill Perkins]

Mrs Jones is the 24 footer , "Fast Outboard for Commodore Percy Chubb " in the design catalog . 24 ft. L ,7 ft. beam , 1 ft. 11 in. depth ( from lowpoint of sheer to bottom of straight keel ).Weighs about one ton . Here's one that appeared in WB Launchings , with the cabin layout shown in the plans .

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid37/p927f9b84424f553826eaa0e5af5bf458/fd1d98f2.jpg

Here's one with a forward cabin .

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid71/pbb84a421df711bddbaabdb56f70ead7f/fb933ed7.jpg

[ 03-20-2006, 10:15 AM: Message edited by: Bill Perkins ]

[Bruce Hooke]

Bill,

Is that second picture up in the Homer, Alaska area? That looks like the Jackaloff Ferry Company's boat, which I was on a couple of times. It was a very handy boat for shuttling people to and from drop-off points in Kachemak Bay State Park.

[Bill Perkins]

Yes Bruce . We had a thread on these boats maybe 3 years ago .You mentioned and maybe gave a link to the ferry Co. website ,where I got this image .Here's a nice shot of their 30 footer crossing the bay .

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid67/pfd79e373fc3544d7995908e215341d44/fbd2a4d0.jpg

[Bruce Hooke]

Ah, so that's the story. I though maybe you had been there and taken the picture yourself.

That last shot is very pretty!

[RonW]

As hard as I try, I can't find a problem with the looks of Culler's skiffs. The one with the cabin forward looks very well balanced as does the 30 footer. It is a shame these plans are not available. Culler's book on skiffs is out of print, is it not. What about a isbn number and being able to have a copy made by way of xerographic process or what ever.
Are these skiffs vee bottomed?

[Bruce Hooke]

Yes, this design is a v-bottomed boat, however from amidships aft the v is very slight.

The "design catalog" includes a few pages about this design as well as some small scale plans. The official title of this book is Pete Culler's Boats by John Burke (ISBN: 0877421420). Used copies of this book unfortunately go for insane prices. It ought to be available via interlibrary loan.

The skiff book I think you are refering to is Skiffs and Schooners by R.D.Culler (ISBN: 0877420475). Used copies of this book are more reasonably priced ($35-40). I don't think this book talks about Mrs.Jones (AKA, Fast Outboard for Commodore Percy Chubb).

I thought I'd heard that Culler's plans are now at Mystic...

[Thad]

right'o Bruce

[RonW]

I too heard that cullers plans are available from mystic, but the last time I was on mystic website, to order plans you have to know the boat already as there are not even line drawings.
Does the book pete culler's boats have line drawings and table of offsets, if so you could build from it the same as you could from chapelle or gardner?

[Bruce Hooke]

No, it just has what might be considere study plans, often with lines plans but no offsets. Actually, there is a good bit of variation from one design to the next regarding how much detail is included in the book. In the case "Fast Outboard for Commodore Percy Chubb" there are plans that show, in theory, the offsets drawn right on the plans but the numbers are completely illegible (as in just black smudges in most cases). There are also drawings showing some of the different house options. I don't think any of the plans in the book include enough detail to build a boat.

This design is especially problematic because of the variety of sizes. For example, in my first post on this thread I was looking at "Fast Outboard Launch," whereas I think we are talking more about "Fast Outboard for Commodore Percy Chubb," which is 24' x 7' as Bill said above. The general shape of these two designs is pretty similar but they are cataloged as different designs.

I seem to recall that Mystic uses the Burke book as their "catalog" to the Culler plans. In other words, the best way to order is to give them the design name and page number from the Burke book, which, of course, is not much help if you do not have the book. If someone is seriously interested in this design I could probably make photocopies of the 3 pages in question and send them to you.

[RonW]

Thanks Bruce ..and Dave

I hate to knock mystic, but that is about a poor way of doing business. They also have William Garden plans in the closet and refer to the book -
yacht design if you want to order a set of plans.
I think the atkin plans are also destined for mystic once John's wife is no longer around.
Someday they will have a very interesting room with plans, and hopefully someone there will be smart enough to start a website with line drawings and basic info- like the atkin site now is- and actually make the plans available.

There is always a interest in culler's skiffs when pictures appear on the site. They are the old time semi-dissplacement skiffs that will run nicely with a medium size outboard. With fuel prices climbing there just may be more interest in these kind of hulls.
I say more launches and fewer speed demons.

[DougWilde]

And if you dig far enough back in your stack of Wouldn't Floats you'll find

http://dbwilde.home.comcast.net/BoatScans/Osprey2.jpg

Indeed, a lovely craft.
When I borrowed my copy of Capt'n Pete's catalog I photocopied the entire book. Glad I did, too. The very back has a nice discussion on finishing details, including snotter rigs.

Doug Wilde

[Bill Perkins]

Here's a shot of my own when she was still comeing together that shows the shape of the bow .

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid167/p87f6ead0681693ee9ed992faed45c3c4/f434e6c1.jpg

[L.W. Baxter]

That design is one of very few transom-mounted outboard boats that look right to me. A vintage motor cover with square corners is essential though. It just wouldn't be the same with one of those sleek, bulbous, modern 4-strokes. In my opinionated opinion.

[Stiletto]

I remember being impressed with that design way back when it was in Wooden Boat magazine.

So Practical and workmanlike, the cabin versions look right too.

[Paul Morris]

At one time in my youth I spent a summer as a cabin boy for Capt'n Pete when he was running a charter schooner (52'Alden "Brigadoon") out of Hyannis. I have a 1990 copy fo his Skiffs And Schooners and in it on pages 78 and 79, are copies of the three sheets you mention and some text about the design. In a photo of the original boat (30ft.) it looks like the planking from the chine to the sheer may be lapstrake. Planking from keel to chine is herringbone 1-1/4" cedar according to what I can see. My copy is ledgible with a readin glass. His building notes on these study plans sure assume that construction would be done by a pro boatbuilder. Very sparse. Like you say, Ole' Pete sure had an eye for a sweet line,-much like Joel White. The only time I ever saw Pete without a pipe in his mouth was when sleeping. ;)
~~~ Paul ~~~

[pipefitter]

Bill Perkins,

Do you still have the boat/other pictures? How was/is it?Love the look of that hull shape from that picture.

[Bill Perkins]

Oh yeah , I've still got the boat .She's being wired right now by someone else .I had her out under her own power for the first time earlier in the month .This was a brief run with the mechanic.She popped up on plane and made tight stable turns .When crossing her own wake at speed she just cut through with no pounding .She's going to be fast, though I can't open up the throttle fully for the first few engine hours .

Here's the interior at the bow.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p8a83ff1b429c0b4baecfd240bd5ebb8f/f417c33a.jpg

I launched her briefly in the Winter with 750 lbs of lead aboard to simulate 2 crew forward , gas tankage , batteries ,ground tackle , and spare kicker .Still showing some primer and putty (sigh ).

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid199/p891bd26881cbfb8b237ac6f7f7b81400/f09ae6e3.jpg

I jockeyed the 40 and 60 lb. ingots around to trim the boat level, and marked the waterline at bow and stern . Not surprisingly ,everything possible will be set right aft to balance my forward cabin and crew placement .Passengers and cargo will be placed amidships .

Here she sits bearing the lead and the 400 lb. engine . Snap on canvas with attached curved battens will close the roof when needed, and I've still to make up grab rails , cleats , and operable windshield . http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid199/p956a064e24922d254f3cd9c6ed239b58/f09ae322.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid203/pac9f615cf3c15cd3c879a94beb5101c0/efa8700c.jpg

[ 03-29-2006, 08:37 AM: Message edited by: Bill Perkins ]

[pipefitter]

Beautiful boat! I bet you are pleased. Thank you for sharing those pictures. I hadn't seen this boat before.

[L.W. Baxter]

That's mighty keen, Bill Perkins! :cool: