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Started:
Completed:
Type: 15'-2" x 4'-10"
Sail/Rowing Skiff
Location: Florida
Built By: Patrick Griffin
Link to the Egret Page
in the Design Catalog |
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I decided to build a
Devlin "Egret" as a first time
stitch and glue
project. I have build other small sail boats using
many building styles from lapstrake to carvel and
strip plank but have stayed away from plywood and
stitch and glue because I never saw a design that
looked like a boat, they always looked cobbled
together and boxy. That changed when I came upon one
of Sam's design, Winter
Wren, in an old
magazine. I had to look twice to convince myself
that it was a chinned boat of ply and couldn't
believe that such a beautiful boat was made the
stitch and glue way. So I had to seem more, I
ordered Sam's book and the design portfolio and
began to study. The Egret stood out for me because
of size, apparent ease of construction and of course
the sweetness of the lines. Slowly over the last ten
months in my off time "Trinity" came together in the
back of the shop, often surrounded by canoes and
ignored for weeks at a time but progress was made.
Often I found canoe customers were more interested
the dory in the back then in the canoe they came to
see! Well, after one hundred and twenty-seven hours
and about two thousand dollars it was finished. More
time and money then was probably needed but I was in
no great hurry and wanted it to be as good as I
could make it. Having respect for a design and the
designer is something I learned years ago. If you
want to change the basic design of some ones perhaps
it isn't the design one should build, the lines are
sacred. Having said that, the interior and design
features are fair game to me and I did take
liberties with that part of the project. Knowing
that the water here in Florida is shallow, I decide
to use a kick up rudder and a center board, both
handy features when in shallow water or scooting up
on a white sandy beach. Often sailing alone and not
knowing a friend that would want to help in rowing,
I chose to use a single rowing station and a center
main thwart, which sits on the centerboard trunk and
adds to its' strength. I also decide to runs seats
down both sides of the boat to the stern so I could
best adjust my position for balance when sailing.
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This proved very handy. I
installed a cap rail of three pieces of mahogany
glued and screwed with the middle one abbeted to
receive the top of the ply hull left the top four
inches of the hull bright and added a mahogany half
round below that to act as a rub rail and to define
the "shear plank" The interior of the hull is
painted below the thwart riser and the bottom of the
interior is covered in a very practical non skid.
The Brunzeel plywood is too pretty to cover up
completely so I left the area above the riser
bright, a beautiful contrast with the spar buff
interior. The mast and sprit pole are both of Sitka
spruce and the mast is hollow and weighs in at 9 lb.
The sail in cut to the plans with the seams running
vertical and it looks great. From the carved fiddle
head on the tiller to the gold leaf name on the bow
boards, "Trinity" is a pleasure to the eye, as the
crowd of total strangers at the launching will
attest. But a pleasure to sail is the most important
and that she is, moving along in light air with a
very balanceh tiller and barely wake behind. And as
for under oars, fantastic. My Shaw and Teny 8'9"
spruce oars move her along with ease, and with
little effort a nice pace can be obtained. I hope I
haven't said too much but I am very proud and
pleased with the boat and would recommend this
building style to both beginners and seasoned
professional alike. Please let me know if I can
offer any more information.
With regards,
Patrick M. Griffin
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