3 May 2005

Here is a set of pictures for my completed Console Skiff with the optional bulwarks. The boat was a joy to build. The plans, instructions and your support made this boat easy to build.

I chose the Console Skiff for a number of reasons. I wanted a boat that I could use primarily for fishing in freshwater lakes and protected ocean waters of New England. I wanted a boat that was light enough to tow behind just about any vehicle. I wanted a semi-v hull that would work well with a moderate size outboard. I wanted a boat with traditional looks. The Console Skiff met all of the criteria. I also considered the Jimbo, but I basically fell in love with the sheer line of the Console Skiff.

I started construction in August of 2003. I completed most of the work and had the boat in the water in August of 2004. However, it wasn't until this spring that I truly completed the boat.

The boat performs beyond my original expectations. I installed a 1985 Mercury 50hp outboard that my family has owned since it was new. This engine has proven to be a good match for this boat. Per my GPS, the boat runs about 33 mph at WOT with one person in the boat. With 2-3 adults, the boat hits 30 mph at WOT. I don't have a tach on the boat and, therefore, I am guessing that the prop selection is correct. As previously noted in a Glen-L webletter, I have had my entire large family in the boat and it handled it without hesitation. At that time, we had 2 adults, 5 small children and a small dog in the boat. The boat popped right up on plane. Given the age of the engine, I am happy with the performance. If I were to purchase a new engine for this boat, I would go with a 40hp 4 stroke.

I have used the boat in local freshwater lakes as well as protected ocean waters. Like any boat of similar size/weight (it is a very light boat!), you need to slow down in chop for comfort, but it has handled real 2' waves without a problem. On one occassion, I was passed by several Navy patrol boats running up Narragansett Bay. It was fun to watch until I realized that they left a series of 5' wakes behind them. I turned the boat into the wakes, gave a little throttle to get the nose up and road them out without a problem.

I basically followed the plans for the boat. The only real deviation was the width of the motorwell. I increased the width of the motorwell to 30" to accomodate the steering gear. If I were to do it again, I think I would stick to the planned width and make a notch for steering gear clearence. It was quite a bit a work (mentally and physically) to widen the motorwell and my aft storage compartments are a little smaller than plan. I also installed a 11.5 gallon permanent tank located under the front seat of the console. This was a modification I completed in the spring of 2005. To install the tank, I cut the floor under the console front seat and fabricated a recessed area to hold the tank. Lastly, I used a different design for the console. It is a simple console design that is working well.

Dan Hehn