Preview: Workboat Beginnings, Part 2 – The Flatiron Skiff

13 Responses So Far to “Workboat Beginnings, Part 2 – The Flatiron Skiff”

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  Sailing Nation says:

  5 stars!
  Great review…More like this please!

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  John Goulett says:

  I need plans or length and width and height to build a 1/10 replica of the one OCH is building. John Goulett.

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  Roy Cantler says:

  Great to hear Ben’s wisdom and experience. We need people to follow in his footsteps, and keep this wealth of knowledge going forward. I really liked the harbor scene in the background. You can almost smell the salt air. Keep giving us videos like this.

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  Kevin Tisdall says:

  This was great info. I have what I now know to be a flatiron skiff. Seems more similar to the Capt Pete skiff in that is is 10ft long, was originally built with a daggerboard/centerboard and sail rig and it’s lighter and a more decorative than the more work-focused skiffs. My grandfather built it in the late 30’s. I have pictures of my uncle sailing it (they decided it didn’t sail at all well and removed the centerboard trunk) and towing it behind a 30ft powerboat he also built. It is completely bright-finished. It has lived most of its life since ww2 in one barn after another. I needed a dinghy in the 80’s and removed the totally rotten cross planked bottom and laid on two sheets of epoxy coated 1/4″ plywood to make a new bottom. I agonized about that but my mom said my grandfather would have been fascinated by that repair and it was a workboat / dinghy anyway. Make it strong and use it. I hope to refinish it when I have time and row it around some (again) at some point. It rows beautifully.

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  stew westphal says:

  I had a 14′ flatiron skiff when I was 13 growing up in Lantana, Fl. It was bigger and heavier than my friends small boats. So, it was possibly slower than the others but was the one we all got in when the going got rough. I had at times a 3 HP opposed twin Evinrude on her and yes, she was slower than the other more modern boats. She was heavy. One day, we put two more 3 HP motors on her wide transom. With mine, she did 5 knots. With the addition of the other two motors, she did 6 knots. What fun that was back in the late 50’s. Beer can island at the Boynton Inlet was the weekend camping location. Merlettos Italian restaurant also had its memories.

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  Jon Arcuni says:

  Absolutely fabulous video. It makes me want to build one tomorrow, and it would not be difficult. I especially liked the skiff with the capped centerboard. However, they are all great small boats that anyone could make to last a lifetime with proper maintenance. Merry Christmas and a Happy New year to all!

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  Henry Will says:

  Just what I am looking for. Are plans available, and at what cost?

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    Maynard Bray says:

    Hi Henry,
    This coming winter I hope to work with Haddie in drawing up plans for his skiff. They’ll be announced on the OCH site when available.

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  Richard W. Jacks says:

  Pretty sure the first boat is a Robert Steward designed Susan Skiff. I’ve owned one for twenty two years. Reasonable to buy, simple and fun to maintain. A good boat to grow old with.

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  William Boulden says:

  Aren’t little boats fun! It seems that a boat that is simple is often times more joyful to use.

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  Fred Hard says:

  One thing that wasn’t mentioned is that the bottom ends of the “ribs” in the flatiron skiff are cut with an angle up so that, when the boat hits sideways to a dock or another boat and the sides are pushed inwards, the “ribs” won’t press downwards and loosen or “pop” the bottom planks. This was developed over time and was especially obvious in “sharpies” on the Great South Bay (as in those built by Archie Meyer in Bay Shore and others of its kind).

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  Carolyn & Ron Pease says:

  Wonderful video…..I could smell the paint,feel the rock of the boat and most of all…..enjoy the differences in the types of construction. And as Lawrence Welk would say “Wonderful,wonderful,wonderful!

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  Clyde Davis says:

  I loved the explanation of “butt feel”. I’ve only lately learned that the hips rock and roll to the water’s motion, only lately because I’ve slowly advanced from mirror calm in one of Iain’s Acorn 15s. Ben’s “part of the boat” is a new, positive, and welcome concept to one who’s previous sense was limited to lack of personal adeptness. Instead of condemning, we’ll now try to tweak better performance out of that part of the boat!