Preview: How to Build a Wooden Boat – AROHA, Part 14 – Sculpting the Skeg

32 Responses So Far to “How to Build a Wooden Boat – AROHA, Part 14 – Sculpting the Skeg”

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  Kit Laughlin says:

  Extraordinary skills Todd has; as others have sad, “Wow!” just doesn’t seem enough. The way the shaft log void was created was an eye-opener for me.

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  Paul Briggs says:

  What a massive skegosaurus for such a light and elegant boat. I think I would have departed from the plans and laminated 2 doug fir 2 X12’s together on either side of 1 inch doug fir with a tunnel for the shaft down the center and whatever other pieces laminated for depth, Seems overkill by the designer. Very competent job by Todd wasting away all that wood to have to make that. When he finally took out the chain saw, I thought, now you’re cooking!

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  BRUCE HINMAN says:

  I see AROHA, (NYMPH) is finished and out the door and on the water. Will we see the project turned right side up and toward completion?
  PS: Recently visited BBY and talked to the crew: They are all very capable, and one is going to build AROHA kit with an outboard. Way of the future? This was a great project.
  I understand the keel/skeg had to be redone because the prop shaft angle was not correct,
  and I see that alone would discourage some amateur boat bull;ders.

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    Steve Stone says:

    Hi Bruce. We’ll be diving back into the AROHA build videos soon. Simply had to give the rest of the OCH membership a breather from two boatbuilding projects week after week. I’m not aware of the outboard intent on any builds. That creates a domino effect of issues with weight/balance/performance/structure/etc so not recommended. It appears that electric drives will be the future of this design with performance and range increasing and costs decreasing. Diesel is great and bullet proof, electric is up and coming, not so sure about an outboard configuration. The prop shaft angle issue at BBY’s build of NYMPH was not in an issue with the design, drawings or kit but was an issue of mounting and gluing the skeg a couple inches off fore-and-aft. Thus needing to adjust the shaft log for that error. It all worked out just fine, just some extra finesse to get the shaft log to all line up and clear obstacles.

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  J.D. Bondy says:

  Spellbinding video!

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  Michael Mittleman says:

  Any more episodes? Nothing since June…

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    Steve Stone says:

    More coming. Trying to give the broader membership a break from the boatbuilding, boatbuilding, boatbuilding.

    • 

      andrew donald says:

      I like boatbuilding , boatbuilding, boatbuilding ;)

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  ROBERT J BLACKBURN says:

  You blokes on holidays? Counting the sleeps until next episode!

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  Neil Henderson says:

  A spellbinding video, all the better for no commentary!! A great piece of work by the craftsmen and the video maker – well done to all.
  And I learnt heaps as well – maybe they could have a holiday down under next time I need to make a skeg :-)
  Regards Neil

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    Mike Anderson says:

    I felt the same exactly. What a beautiful carving you made in the end. Just breathe taking. Thank you for showing me your woodworking skills and techniques.

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  Chsrles Pinckney says:

  Masterful!

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  Ed LaFontaine says:

  I have located a sawmill source for bald cypress. I would like to send them an order.
  I will get the plans. Can I have access to a cut-sheet to assure myself for getting enough material?
  Thanks

  • 

    Ed LaFontaine says:

    AROHA
    Cut list for the AROHA

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  Sean Hogben says:

  My mentor in Tasmania urged us to master hand tools before moving to power and to see a fellow southpaw wielding that monster circular saw with total confidence in a shower of sawdust proves that maxim. Then he starts sculpting with a chainsaw, hammer and chisel, rounded wood soled plane, pull saw and grinder. Mastery, confidence and experience is very inspiring but as fellow artist Chuck Close was wont to say: “Inspiration is for amateurs.” Todd just does it.

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  Bruce LePage says:

  V.great episode. Give us all you can on boat building!
  What great craftsmanship.
  Always want to learn to improve my understanding of boat building, even though I can’t do it any more.
  Bruce

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  Shawn Laemmrich says:

  I have no words….. Wow doesn’t seem to cut it.

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  Harold Wheeler says:

  WOW!!!!!! Never under estimate properly motivated Craftsmen and their tools.

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  Ben Marris says:

  Awesome! Up to this point the build all seemed doable, but this …

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  Mark Dougherty says:

  Todd was my instructor when I built my Shellback as well. It’s great to see him again. I think of him (and his Seal) every time I use the dinghy.

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  Mark MacLeod says:

  In a WB issue from the mid-‘80s (?), perhaps in “On The Waterfront,” I recall a brief report and small b&w photo of a young Todd Skoog building himself a William Garden “Seal.” Am I correct? Did he get her built and launched? I watched but never saw further mention of the build or the boat. Bill Garden himself wrote of this design, “Seal is one of our old favorites.” She’s been one of mine as well. What can you tell us?

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    Paul Worsnop says:

    Craftsmen Extraordinaire ! Beautiful to watch .

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  Jim Kramer says:

  wow

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  Martin Lunde says:

  Todd is as much of an artist as any of the greats from the past….. the difference is Todd’s medium is wood, not canvas. In fact, his work is more difficult and not easily changed if a mistake is made…..fine work by a great artist.

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  Dave Dickmeyer says:

  Awesome watching the sculptor at work. How many actual hours did it take? Thanks again for the superb video!

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  Douglas Henschen says:

  Just stunning! Seeing this keel/skeg come together is awe-inspiring and also intimidating for the aspiring boat builder. I’ll stick with the sub-18 ft small craft and leave boats like Aroha to the professionals. The array of tools put to use (like that massive Sabre saw) is one thing, but the part that really can’t be matched is the skill of the carpenter who “has been building boats longer than I’ve been alive.” Throughout the video I’m thinking, one false move and a massive amount of work (and valuable material) goes out the window and it’s back to square one. Bravo!

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  Chris Methot says:

  Great video. Just enough to allow insight into workflow and the way the job is broken down into steps. Then seeing the steps executed makes it all clear. More please.

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  George Weinbrenner says:

  Todd was my instructor at WBS for the Shellback Dinghy. Great guy and master craftsman. A privilege to watch him perform his craft,

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  Theodore Gentsch says:

  That was one of the most, if not the most, moving videos I’ve ever witnessed on Off Center Harbor. I just watched an absolute Craftsman executing his craft. Being a witness to that level of craftsmanship, if even by video, was truly a moving experience. Would have loved to be there to witness, if even just pushing the broom. Thank so much Off Center Harbor for sharing these treasures of creativity in action! I love what you do!

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    William Stanard says:

    Moving is the right word! I teared up just as the chainsaw came out… I guess it is the combination of skill, confidence, and mastery of a medium that got to me.

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  Olav Thyvold says:

  Very cool! Love the craftsmanship

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  andrew donald says:

  That’s gonna be some piece of wood on my own! Thanks for showing the process of carving it out.
  To save timber do you think it may be possible to reduce siding as I progress down glue up, so that at the bottom I end up using a 4” wide piece instead of 8” as you’ve done?