potomac

When last I communicated with Graham on this topic, he said he was finishing up a 22 1/2', but it didn't sound certain if he was going forward with a 24'. The 22 1/2' looks quite nice and I believe offers standing room in the pilot house and enlarged galley. Something about the proportion of the original 20' design strikes my eye as just about perfect. Great Falls Boatworks has a drawing of the 22 1/2' here My link.

I am starting a new canoe build and am looking for the most stable platform available. There will be a three year old on board and I'd like to have him be able to move around a bit without us going over. We'll be using this in the Florida Intracoastal and encountering speed boats at times, also going against the tide at times. I had considered going another direction like the Oughtred Acorn 15, but I like the idea of something very light and cartoppable. Total weight to carry is about 225 lbs. with two passengers and gear, but the little one is growing.

Phil- I know you were second-guessing your decision to build the BRS over the planning BRR, but this sounds like great performance to me. Congratulations. The boat looks great. Fish beware! -Aaron

Thanks all for the replies. Peter- Those are great pictures. The boat is beautiful. Is it your build? Hirilonde- Thanks for the link. That connection looks good. Gordy- I tend to agree, but I guess I was also wanting to get out on the water a little faster. I am from Gainesville, just two hours north of you, and someone can do quite well with a small, light boat with tiny outboard or even transom-mounted trolling motor in that neck of the woods. Central Florida has such a wealth of crystal clear, spring-fed rivers just perfect for slow, quiet exploration (canoes, I know, but a little extra stability can be nice with the little ones aboard). I doubt Virginia will offer the same, but there do seem to be plenty of small rivers and creeks well worth exploring (maybe just not to the same glass-bottom effect.

I've decided to build the Bay River Skiff, but before tackling it, I thought I might try a smaller design just to get my feet wet. I think I'd like a car-topper, preferably one I could power with a very small outboard. I would use this boat in some flat water Virginia rivers, namely the Potomac and the Rappahannock, and also the Chesapeake Bay- near the shore on nice days. I'd like to fish and crab out of the boat and while sailing might be nice, it is not strictly necessary, (the BRS should serve just fine in that regard). I'll either be by myself or with my wife and young son- mostly by myself. If not for the crabbing I would consider one of the canoe designs, but crabbing has you leaning over the side quite a bit- either with heavy pots, pulling traps, or with a long dip net. I think a nice canoe is always a good boat to have, I'm just not sure it is best for this application. I love the Spindrifts, but I am not sure of the ideal size for solo loading/ unloading. I thought one of the nesting versions might be good as I could lift one half at a time and have even seen the picture of the nested Spindrift in the back of station wagon- (I have a Volvo). My concern is with the durability of the boat assembling/ disassembling it a hundred plus times. That seems like a lot of stress to put on the hull. Any ideas? If you think the Spindrift is the way to go- what size would you recommend? Thanks.

Wes- The photographs are beautiful. After seeing them, I went to your website and ended up staying up way too late following your build. Thanks so much for the thoughtful, informative account. It was truly inspiring- especially to see that it is something both you and your wife enjoy and share. I look forward to more pictures. Those of us in Brooklyn are jealous. -Aaron

Amazing job on the boat. I would love to hear how she sailed. I bet that was a busy year. What's next?

I am also really interested in this design. Tom has been quite helpful with suggestions on the Wooden Boat forum as I go through the design selection process. This was one of the boats I asked him about. Phil- Congratulations on the great build. She looks wonderful. What HP are you running her with? How does she move out? Are you planning to sail her too?