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Reader Boat Profile: The Good Skiff
Can a wooden skiff work offshore?
Background
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Overview
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Neat Stuff-Part 1
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Neat Stuff-Part 2
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Parting Shot
Shortly after we repowered Toy Boat 2, we received a post on our discussion forum
asking for more information about our E-TEC. The person posting the question mentioned that he had
a skiff that he regularly used for solo trips to San Nicolas Island, which is over 60 miles WSW off the coast of Los Angeles. He also mentioned that he over-nighted in the boat, staying out for the weekend or longer.
Over the next few months we traded occasional e-mails, and it finally dawned on
us that Brad (full name withheld by request) had a very special boat - certainly
a prime subject for an OSJ boat profile.
As we discussed the specifics of "The Good Skiff", it became apparent that Brad
is a true "out of the box" thinker, with some very definite ideas about hull design
and what makes for a good offshore skiff.
Brad designed and built The Good Skiff himself, over 15 years ago. After bouncing around the ocean
for a number of years in small skiffs, he had formed some strong
opinions about what constituted good small offshore boat design. And having worked
in the aerospace industry for 19 years, he had accumulated a lot
of knowledge about structural engineering and construction techniques, which he used to good advantage
when building his dream boat.
When Brad first put The Good Skiff together he was an avid fisherman. Since then,
he has put aside his fishing rods in favor of mask, fin, snorkel and camera. But
many of the ideas that went into The Good Skiff reflect his passion for fishing,
and we thought it would be interesting for readers to see what he's built,
and the thinking behind it.
In the following sections we'll be covering Brad's ideas about hull design and construction
techniques, the special features he put in his baby, and his engine choice for his
recent repower (hint - it's not an E-TEC). All interesting stuff, whether or not
you agree with his ideas. Take a look, we hope you enjoy the story!
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