Chapelle crab skiff

[Matt J.]

I think this may be next winter's project (or summer, if time allows). There's one described in "100 Boat Designs Reviewed" (approx title) of about 15' LOA. This looks like the Chesapeake to me. Anyone built one? There are references to people being able to build them in 3 days or less due to simplicity. Souds quick to me. I'm thinking over a winter I should be able to put one together.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Matt

[johnw]

Frank Von Kulen, an old East Shore waterman who settled on Vashon Island in Puget Sound, built one when I lived there. It sailed really well. He added a jib and long head and turned it into a skipjack, and last I heard someone in Tacoma was restoring it. This was one of the v-bottomed, fairly wide ones with a transome, not the narrow, double-ended flat-bottomed ones.

[holzbt]

Get a copy of Chesapeake Bay Crabbing Skiffs by Chapelle. I've sailed 3 different ones and think these are by far the best sailing boats for extremely shoal waters. Nothing complicated about their construction. Go for it.

[Rosebud]

Does anyone know where to get a copy of Chappelle's book?

Thanks

[On Vacation]

If built traditional, a weekend project at most. Finish work for a protective finish, another weekend.

[Steve Paskey]

The book is actually a reprint (in booklet form) of an article Chapelle wrote in the early 40s. It's published by the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and you can get it for $5.00 directly from their museum store: www.cbmm.org/ (http://www.cbmm.org/)
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They don't take orders online, but you can order by phone, fax, or mail.
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A few other sources for crabbing skiff info: Chapelle shows details for 2 boats (18 and 20 feet) in BOATBUILDING; and you'll also find a 20-footer in Reul Parker's THE SHARPIE BOOK. For a smaller (16-foot), simplified version, see Bolger's SURF design, available from Harold Payson at www.instantboats.com (http://www.instantboats.com) (SURF is Payson's name -- Bolger called it the CRABBING SKIFF.)

[Bill Perkins]

The Chapelle book or rather pamphlet is great . Reul Parker has digested all this and offers plans with modern construction ( could live on a trailer ) if that's of interest .I think he really loves this type of boat and is not just going thru the motions . What would be the point in contemporary wooden boat building ? More money to be made in other fields . In this sense I think the current professionals are actually more committed than many of the old timers who had less choice of profession .

[Steve Paskey]

Matt: Sam Rabl's BOATBUILDING IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD includes an excellent discussion of the way that Chesapeake builders traditionally built small skiffs. (See "Uncle Gabe's Flattie Skiff.") I'm not sure how much of this would apply to a larger (18-20 foot) crabbing skiff, but here's the drill for a 14-16 foot rowing version.
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The sides are 16 inch wide boards, with a lazy s-curve cut into the bottom. The stem is a straight piece of wood, and the bottom is cross-planked. The frames are really half-frames -- straight pieces from chine to sheer only (i.e. not across the bottom). There's no jig, and only a single temporary mold amidships. SO . . .
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Cut the planks, transom, mold, and chine logs. Notch mold for chines. Bevel stem and transom. Bend planks around mold, attach stem to one end, transom to other. Fit chines. Bevel for bottom planks. Plank bottom. Turn over and fit frames. Add gunwale strips, seats, and rubbing strips. (For washboards -- i.e. side decks -- omit the gunwale strips and attach knees to frames.) Turn over, attach a plank keel strip, skeg, and sternpost.
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Even without the sailing rig, it sounds like a busy three days to me, but I imagine that once you've built five or six to the same design it'd go pretty quick. ;)

[ 02-15-2003, 10:21 AM: Message edited by: Steve Paskey ]

[holzbt]

Anyone who could build a crab skiff in a weekend would probably use the 100 yard rule. They wouldn't want anyone looking at it to be closer than 100 yards. I've built about 25 small boats by myself and the best I can do is a 14' skiff (for which I have molds and some patterns) ready for paint in about one week. Most crab skiffs have decks/washboards, centerboard trunk, rudder, and a rig that also needs to be built. I'd say you would be doing pretty well to have one ready for paint in about three weeks working alone.

[Donn]

What holzbt fails to explain, is that the week it takes him to build the skiff, includes 3 days of moving stuff around in his shop so he can get from one side of the skiff to the other. He has so many tools in the damn place, there is little room for feet. :D I mean, the man even has a bandsaw sitting by his woodstove, and dedicated to cutting firewood. :eek:

[On Vacation]

Holtz, make a point to visit the Core Sound Decoy Festival in Dec. 2003, Harkers Island, N.C. You will change you mind.

Matt, I just scanned the threads and just saw your reply. I will address this next week. I am just taking a break from family matters to read a little.

[ 02-15-2003, 05:33 PM: Message edited by: Oyster ]

[dadadata]

==
Get a copy of Chesapeake Bay Crabbing Skiffs by Chapelle. I've sailed 3 different ones and think these are by far the best sailing boats for extremely shoal waters. Nothing complicated about their construction. Go for it.
==

You can get the full-size plans as copies for ca $20 each from CBMM. Call the museum and ask for the library. They don't sell the crabbing skiffs plans in the museum store **as far as I know** -- they do sell some plans, but I don't think they sell large versions of the items in the Crabbing Skiffs book.

The boats in that reprint are just wonderful. I think in American Small Sailing Craft Chapelle addresses the skiff building issue:

A transom, a center mold, and a spanish windlass for pulling the bow together.

The museum also has full-size copies of the "Chincoteague bateaux" - Seaside Bateaux - "Sinepuxent Skiffs" from American Small Sailing Craft in the museum files too. Very much favorites of mine. There is an unpublished "13 ft" seaside bateau plan ... 13ft refers to the keel plank, which is straight. These are deadrise skiffs though. A study plan of sorts can be found on my Sinepuxent Ancestors website where I have a little "essay" on these skiffs.

[On Vacation]

And it can all be built on a good set of sawhorses. Thanks for chiming in. I had forgotten about this, Matt.