My only boatbuilding experience, so far, is a quick and cheap (2 sheet) stitch-and-glue canoe, from a free design at www.bateau.com. I did it more as a confidence-builder than as a useful boat (although it's OK for tandem on flat water). With a flat bottom and a hard chine, its secondary stability is near zero so I can't lean it over for solo paddling. Thinking of fitting it with outriggers, oarlocks, and maybe a sliding seat. A poor man's single scull.
Anyway, I'm thinking of building a Garvey next. The two designs I have my eye on are the GV13 and GV15 from www.boatplans-online.com (associated with bateau.com). Both are "second generation stitch and glue" projects.
Has anyone built either of these? Or any other stitch-and-glue Garvey? How have you liked the boat so far?
Thanks.
What kind of power are you planning for your garvey? --If outboard motor, up to 10hp, or if you want to consider installing a small inboard,here's a nice 22'-5" x almost 9' wide craft that would make a pretty nice fishing boat for lakes and protected waters: Chapter 12, "Building Classic Small Craft: Complete Plans and Instructions for 47 Boats", by John Gardner, McGraw-Hill publishers @1997, ISBN 0-07-022864-7. There's another, smaller, 20-footer in the same chapter that's amenable to smaller powerplants (e.g., oars, sails or trolling motors), with a picture. This book has "just enough" instructions and offsets (with explanations of lofting, use of appropriate tools,and a lot of other stuff) for an intermediate woodworker or serious hobbyist to make out OK. Another place to look for this kind of boat might be to pursue the Thomaston Galley, one of the very few successful designs to incorporate power, sails and rowing capabilities in the same hull. This is an old Philip C Bolger design, a 16-footer, I believe, and goes together (I have been told, since I want to build one soon myself) easily using stitch-and-tape techniques. JR Sloan
ReplyDeleteThe GV 17 is the power boat I'd like to build. Just gotta get that 70hp outboard purchased first!
ReplyDelete