10′ Sailing Skiff, Annabelle

10' Sailing Skiff, Annabelle

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When it comes to building a small wooden boat it’s hard to beat a skin-on-frame (SOF) for economy of time and materials, and ease of use when the boat is finished. Dave Gentry’s 10’ SOF-built Annabelle skiff is for sailing and rowing. Weighing just 63 lbs, it’s well suited for cartopping, and about as easy to carry and launch as a kayak. Your boating won’t be limited by access to ramps and trailer parking.

The hull is built around the stem, four frames, and the transom. The keel, chines (three to a side), and gunwales create the shape that supports the fabric skin. While any SOF boat can be built quite plainly, Gentry has added some elegant decorative touches and specified high-quality woods that are too pretty to hide under paint. SOF boats don’t have planking to brace the structure the way plywood braces the framing of a house, so the longitudinals can’t be sprung into place: Over time, they’ll straighten out and spoil the boat’s shape. Gentry keeps Annabelle’s shape by laminating the outwales in a stack of three pieces and he prebends the keel by soaking it in water, supporting its ends on sawhorses, and putting weights in the middle.

The 8-oz polyester fabric is draped over the frame, drawn taut, and secured with stainless-steel staples. A hot iron will shrink the fabric and work out any puckers. Before painting the fabric you can spread a film of construction adhesive in areas subject to wear and then three or four coats of oil-based enamel or spar varnish finish the job. Gentry recommends oil for the frame—it’s a lot easier than paint or varnish to apply and maintain.

The Annabelle Skiff is a 10′ skin-on-frame boat for sailing and rowing.

Annabelle is well suited to solo sailing: The daggerboard, tiller, and sheet for the 53 sq ft standing-lug sail are all that need to be attended to. The U-shaped seating arrangement is a mirror image of the usual stern sheets; they open not at the forward end, but at the aft end. To come about you won’t have to crawl across the boat and around the tiller; just slide forward on the bench and across the middle.

The skiff is rated for 400 lbs, and has room for carrying a passenger. A pair of 6′ 6″ oars will slide under the seats and get you home if the wind fails.

The Annabelle Sailing Skiff plans include full-sized patterns and a comprehensive illustrated construction guide.

Plan 161
DESCRIPTION
Hull type: Round-bottomed, transom sterned
Construction: Skin on frame
PERFORMANCE
Suitable for protected waters
Intended capacity: 1-2
Trailerable
Propulsion: Sail, oars
BUILDING DATA
Skill needed: Basic
Lofting required: No
PLANS DATA
No. of sheets: 2
Supplemental information: 34 pages
Level of Detail: Above average
Plans Format: Print or Digital
Cost per set: $55

Completed 10′ Annabelle Images

At just 63 lbs, the Annabelle Sailing Skiff is well suited for cartopping, and about as easy to carry and launch as a kayak.

The Annabelle Sailing Skiff is rated for 400 lbs. and has room for carrying a passenger.