Melonseed skiff questions

J

Jefferson

New member
Has anyone here hunted from a melonseed skiff? Does anyone here know of any hunter(s) using a melonseed skiff? I have been doing my research on the design and its suitability for specific needs that I have, including relatively light weight and accomodation for two people sailing, fishing, or hunting in the marsh. I intend to use only oars and sails for the boat, i.e. no gas or electric motor. I have looked at the Crawford and Cortez versions and have also seen pictures of the two Barto versions. Does anyone here know of someone making a Melonseed from the Smithsonian plans? Thank you for any information you can offer. Jefferson
 
Try a hail call to Bill Perry. He was working on one last I knew.

If you wouldn't mind posting or PMing any links you find I would like it. Thanks
 
Seems to me there was an ariticle on melonseeds in last years Small Boat Journal.
Maybe available form Wooden Boat?
 
Thank you for the lead on the article. There are numerous Internet references to the Melonseed and a dedicated Yahoo talk group but few references to hunting from a Melonseed. The boats are quite attractive.
 
Thank you very much . . . it is great to see your posts and wonderful works. Hope all is well with you and the family. Best, Jefferson
 
To me "melonseed" is just another name for a double ended dory with a soft chine. Peapod is another.

I have a double ended 16' fiberglass swampscott dory with a motorwell that I mostly row. Any double ended boat will row/track better that a skiff that has a broad stern: a design element to help deal with the weight of an outboard and/or to assist planing w/minimum power.

I use my dory to hunt but since it is fiberglass and we have alot of rocky beaches I can't beach it. My preference is for an aluminum boat thast will take abuse.

"Sail and Oar" by John Leather addresses the trade offs associated with boats designed for rowing versus power in great detail.
 
Jefferson I haven't hunted out of one but have been gathering information on them. Joe O who posts here hunts out of one. I have a PDF of a Mellonseed built stitch and glue and if you are interested I can E mail it to you. PM me your address. There are patterns of the pieces that he used on other PDF,s that I could send.

A fellow down in Florida ? build two of them in his basement. He did a complete documentation of the build. He worked up his own plans from existing plans because of inaccuracy in the existing plans. I believe those plans are available .
 
Hey there,

Theres a great article in Wooden Boat Magazine..its Sept/Oct 2004(Issue#180)... I'm currently building a Zypher by Devlin...stitched the hull yesterday....Its going together rather easily (Ive been pleasantly surprised!)...Ive hunted and sailed from Melonseeds and BBSB's off Barnegat Bay (NJ)...I plan on hunting and sailing the S&G Melonseed in the Lower Cheasepeake...from my experience, Ive felt MUCH safer in the melonseed then the sneakbox as the design is meant for rougher water....I'm hopeing to post pics in a couple of days...its hard to taked them while you have epoxy resin on your hands!!!


"No, I'm not a good shot, but I shoot often."
Teddy Roosevelt
 
I follow the Melonheads over on Yahoo Groups, and have a set of Barto Lines on the wall of my office at work. If you search the Melonheads postings, you will find several well documented builds. I also think someone offered their strongback either for sale or for borrow.... thought about it, but figured I was not willing to get a divorce for it... too many unfinished boats already to dare add that big a project! But I fully intend to build either a strip or lapstrake melonseed someday. Might not be until retirement at this rate!

Keep us posted of your findings and doings on this subject.

Dave
 
Copy and paste,

It takes you a builders site and basically walks through the whole process.
 
I love Cozzi's site....layed in bed many a night thinking about a lapstrake melonseed, and hopefully I'll build one someday...I chose the stitch and glue due to lack of time, the usual - work, family...but the other thing to consider is how you'll use the boat....I feal more comfortable with 6oz cloth and epoxy, then lapped boards, too many seams...I built a 10' lapped Iain Oughtred pram a few years ago....hit something in the H2O while clipping along w a 10hp...it was November and that water was cold!!! Longest mile and a half I've EVER done in a boat!!! Plus when I build a lap melonseed I wont be using it for duck hunting!!! They're tooo pretty! JM2C...best of luck!

Also, check out Crawfords site (google)...he has a cool little animation about the sailing characteristics and the virtue of a gunning rig (sail)...his site is fantastic!!

Choosing which boat to build isnt easy, but there are worse choices in life to make!!!



Jim



ps...the pram seam failure was that fir ply seperated, the epoxy joint held....
 
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Thank you very much for the leads and responses --- I am going through them now and will report back when I am able to undertake the project.
 
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