Rail Skiff Build

[Carl]

Sitting on a dock in the SC marsh right now, with the clappers cackling all around me.

Yall should start getting some swell from Erin soon!

 

[HenryHawthorne]

Yall should start getting some swell from Erin soon!

Yep. We're on Pawley's Island with friends this week, and while the waves aren't big now I'd say they are bigger than normal. Expect to see some more increase tomorrow and Wednesday the peak - but nowhere near what they'll see at OBX.

 

[SJ Fairbank]

We don't often get storm surge here in rail season. (We do in winter storms.) But a big dump of a rain from hurricane or tropical storm remnants can bring rivers up fast. BTW, that pole has me drooling. Not sure I'd want the jointed version, though.

The Kennebec could use some rain. The east outlet is stuck on 1000 cfs and the lake is dropping.

The 4 piece pole is a pleasure to transport. The ferrules are robust but require cleaning and lubrication, so there's that.

 

[SJ Fairbank]

Man that thing looks great. Make me want to get out and look for soras and snipe here one day it’s to nice for ducks!

Tony

Thank you. It's fun in the early season. Shirtsleeves, shorts and sneakers.

 

[SJ Fairbank]

Sitting on a dock in the SC marsh right now, with the clappers cackling all around me.

Get after 'em in two weeks!

 

[SJ Fairbank]

Yall should start getting some swell from Erin soon!

Hope it follows the forecast out to sea.

 

[SJ Fairbank]

Yep. We're on Pawley's Island with friends this week, and while the waves aren't big now I'd say they are bigger than normal. Expect to see some more increase tomorrow and Wednesday the peak - but nowhere near what they'll see at OBX.View attachment 67982

I can tell, that weather sucks.

 

[HenryHawthorne]

Get after 'em in two weeks!

 

[SJ Fairbank]

Those are Willet I think? Maybe Greater Yellowlegs. Tough to tell for sure. Beautiful view over the marsh.

 

[HenryHawthorne]

Those are Willet I think? Maybe Greater Yellowlegs. Tough to tell for sure. Beautiful view over the marsh.

The latter, I think.

 

[Steve Sanford]

Sitting on a dock in the SC marsh right now, with the clappers cackling all around me.

Henry~

One of Nature's great sounds! - but I'll bet those Fiddler Crabs are nervous!

All the best,

SJS

 

[HenryHawthorne]

Henry~

One of Nature's great sounds! - but I'll bet those Fiddler Crabs are nervous!

All the best,

SJS

Indeed. And those fiddlers have multiple reason to be nervous.

 

[Chuck J]

Looks great on the water. I might have missed it, but was there a reason for a square stern vs double ended like some rail boats?

I have been there on the close ups too, looks better in person than you can get the camera to focus. Regardless, nice touch letting your brand and the natural wood show in an inconspicuous spot.

Great job!
Chuck

 

[SJ Fairbank]

Looks great on the water. I might have missed it, but was there a reason for a square stern vs double ended like some rail boats?

I have been there on the close ups too, looks better in person than you can get the camera to focus. Regardless, nice touch letting your brand and the natural wood show in an inconspicuous spot.

Great job!
Chuck

Thank you for the compliment. I'm the first to admit I build by applying KISS and don't tie myself up for months at a time, so the finish isn't always perfect.

For this build, we took measurements off a boat built by an old waterman in our area, Oliver LaPlace. A couple photos of his boat are visible early in this thread. I modified the lines in the bow a bit for ease of construction using plywood, but the finished product is at least a cousin to the original. I believe this is the fourth rail boat I've built, one of those was a double ender. Although the double enders are more maneuverable in grass, I prefer the square stern for stability and displacement as I'm on the big and old end of the scale.