The Journey Begins

Stevenson Projects Super Skipjack

Greetings!


This is my blog about the sailboat I am building. It's a 14 foot Super Skipjack. The Skipjack was a fishing boat used on the Chesapeake for harvesting oysters. They were popular beginning in the late 1800's and into the first part of the 1900's because of their shallow draft and it is the state boat of Maryland. Mine is a smaller version adequate for day sailing and learning how to sail.


I purchased the plans from Stevenson Projects. I chose this boat because I like the "salty" look, the fact that I can build it using regular power tools and readily available materials and because the plans are designed with the first-time boat builder in mind. The plans are in booklet format with step by step instructions and a three and a half hour video showing the designer building a 16 foot version with a small cabin. It's gaff rigged with a self tending jib. I figured that since I will be single handling most of the time that  a self tending jib is a good feature. Of course, after I build it I'll have to learn how to sail.


It's made out of ply-wood, screws and a lot of epoxy. I plan to fiberglass it and put a couple of coats of paint on it to help it slide through the water easily. It weighs less than 200 pounds and is supposed to be quite sporty since it uses the same size rig as the larger boat. It has a full length keel but no center board. It was originally designed with a center board but the designer found out that it sails fine without it. It doesn't point quite as close to the wind as some other boats but it is supposed to handle just fine. I'm not looking to race it. I just want to get out on the water. The waters around here are very shallow so I need something that doesn't have four feet of boat under the waterline.


Well that's the plan. We'll have to see how things go. I'll be taking my time with it but hope to have it ready to go sometime in the spring. I'll try to take a lot of pictures and post here regularly.