On its inaugural outing, LIZZY B performed up to her builder's expectations.
Bob Burns, as a novice boatbuilder, once paid a visit to Joel White to get some advice on what boat to build. He had a cedar-strip canoe to his credit, had brought the bare hull of a bass boat to completion, and was ready for a new project. Joel suggested that Catspaw, a 12′ 8″ dinghy he had designed as a carvel-planked version of Capt. Nat Herreshoff’s lapstrake Columbia dinghy, would be well suited for Bob’s growing set of skills. Armed with a set of plans, Bob was soon at work in his cellar. The boat is still there, unfinished, 20 years later.
Before turning his attention to the construction of the interior, Bob filled the space under the cockpit sole with foam pool noodles for flotation. Each noodle provides 30 to 40 pounds of buoyancy.
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Great looking boat Bob.
Thought your idea of using pool noodles for flotation under the sole was great.
As a fellow builder of a Jericho Bay Lobster Skiff, I marvel at your 6-month build time!
It took me 15 months in order that my wife didn’t become a “boatbuilding widow”
Cheers
John Adamson
Well done! I am 30 days from retirement and looking at your boat for my next project. I live in the the Pacific Northwest near Puget Sound, so this would be a perfect boat for salmon fishing the bay or small lakes. I really liked the pool-noodle idea. I assume you had this Coast Guard certified (or whomever does that thing) and the flotation was adequate. How have you found maintenance?
Best regards,
Alan Hortin
Wow, Bob’s work is fantastic! Really beautiful boat. Congratulations on a job well done!
Congrats Bob. That is a beautiful job on a great design. I hope you have many happy summers of boating with her ahead.
Congratulations, Mr. Burns!
Thanks for sharing with us Bob, you are an inspiration. So happy for you and yours.
G’day Chris,
Liked your boat and stories, I’m a total believer in following the gut feeling!
Thank you, Stein
Great looking boat Bob.
Thought your idea of using pool noodles for flotation under the sole was great.
As a fellow builder of a Jericho Bay Lobster Skiff, I marvel at your 6-month build time!
It took me 15 months in order that my wife didn’t become a “boatbuilding widow”
Cheers
John Adamson
Charming skiff! How does she handle the 3’ waves?
Great boat Bob. Can’t believe that you were able to do this without the advice, comments, etc., from the old car pool—Roy, Pete, Bob T., and myself.
Say hi to Liz for me.
Well done! I am 30 days from retirement and looking at your boat for my next project. I live in the the Pacific Northwest near Puget Sound, so this would be a perfect boat for salmon fishing the bay or small lakes. I really liked the pool-noodle idea. I assume you had this Coast Guard certified (or whomever does that thing) and the flotation was adequate. How have you found maintenance?
Best regards,
Alan Hortin