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12'10 Pooduck Skiff
Description.
Be sure to select PRINT or DIGITAL when you order.
This dinghy could be considered a big little boat. She has a lot of excellent qualities: excellent rowing and sailing ability, easy construction, and mannerly towing habits.
Designed by Joel White
LOA - 12' 10" Beam - 4' 6" Draft (cb up) - 6 1/2" (cb down) - 1' 9" Weight - about 130 lbs. Sail Area - 65 to 79 sq. ft. Construction: Glued-lapstrake plywood Skill level: Basic to Intermediate
No lofting required, as full sized mold patterns are included. Also, you can ensure symmetry of the molds by simply using half the mold and then flopping the drawing to create the full mold. Plans include 6 sheets.
See product # 606-001 for some very nice rudder hardware that fits this boat.
Click for: MATERIALS LIST .
MORE INFO ON THIS DESIGN:
Pooduck Skiff was featured in Boat Design Quarterly #18 .
If ordering Digital plan sets: These files are in PDF format. Some designs will have just a single page needed to be printed on large paper... typically if they had full-sized mold patterns. Other pages could be printed on letter or tabloid size paper, if you want to save printing costs. You'll see a measurement on pages that have full-sized drawings, so your local print shop will just need to print to that size.
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“Your downloads are ready” will be the subject line of an email you’ll receive from us—once we’ve processed your digital order. That email has the link to click, so you can then download the file.
This isn't an "instant" process, so if we're asleep, you may need to wait for regular business hours for us to process the order. Although we are quite timely, we may not be processing on weekends & holidays.
Customer Reviews
Great plans and with the Shellback book I had no problems, though it was a learning experience. I enjoyed the process and recommend this boat, both for the building and the using.
As usual plans by Joel White are always very good. I'm not a professional builder by any means so having good and complete plans gives me extra confidence. Trying to decide between the Shellback or the Pooduck. Space to work in may dictate the Shellback.
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Designs Sailing & Pulling
12′ 10″ Pooduck Skiff
A big little boat with a lot of excellent qualities.
12'10" Pooduck Skiff
The original print version of this article can be viewed as a PDF or purchased from the WoodenBoat Store.
I t’s a pity that so many people seem to think a dinghy should be a tiny boat. A bigger boat will almost always be easier and faster to row, carry a bigger load, and be more seaworthy. Of course, this holds true for any small boat: bigger is usually better, up to a point. For most small-boat users, that point comes when two people can no longer lug the boat around.
Pooduck particulars.
Joel White’s Pooduck Skiff is a big little boat — about as large as two average people would want to carry on shore. As a big sister to the 11’2″ Shellback Dinghy , she has a lot of the same great qualities: excellent rowing and sailing ability, easy construction, and mannerly towing habits. But you’ll be surprised at how much bigger she is. At 12’10” LOA with 4’6″ beam, she’ll easily carry an extra person or two. And when the weather looks questionable, you’ll be glad for her extra size. Her scantlings are ruggedly reassuring as well — she’ll be able to take her share of knocks.
As befits her big-sister status, Pooduck sports a grownup rig: at the captain’s discretion, a jib can be added to her lug rig, to provide a little extra speed or just to keep the crew happily busy.
Construction profile (top), body plans (middle) and midship section (lower right).
The first-time builder can, with some effort, make a fine boat from these very complete plans. If a little extra guidance is desired, the 53-page monograph How to Build the Shellback Dinghy will prove almost as helpful for Pooduck as for her little sister.
General arrangement plan.
Plans for the Pooduck Skiff are printed on six sheets, including lines, construction, full-sized patterns for molds, stem and transom, and plank layouts. WB Plan No. 102, $75.00.
Plan 102 DESCRIPTION Hull type: Multi-chine/lapstrake dory-skiff Rig: Standing lug Construction: Glued-lapstrake plywood
PERFORMANCE * Suitable for: Protected waters * Intended capacity: 1-4 Trailerable: Yes Propulsion: Sail, oars
BUILDING DATA Skill needed: Basic to intermediate Lofting required: No Helpful information: How to Build the Shellback Dinghy
Alternative construction: Traditional lapstrake
PLANS DATA No. of sheets: 6 Level of detail: Above average Cost per set: $75.00 WB Plan No. 102
Completed 12’10” Pooduck Skiff Images
While this skiff has a single rowing station, the plans call for a second station at the thwart that serves as the mast partners.
When taking the helm, sitting on the bottom is the most convenient position. Floorboards make that a more comfortable option when some water gets aboard.
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Comments (4)
Where is the downhaul made off to?
I’d like to see WB offer this as a model kit in order to build and learn the skills required before approaching the real thing.
I’ll bet building the Shellback Dinghy model kit would suffice to learn the method and skills for the Pooduck. They recommend the Shellback book for the same purpose. The same book is recommended as a reference for building the Nutshell Prams as well.
Some great video of a Pooduck Skiff in Australia.
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POODUCK SKIFF
In the Summer of 2011, we bought a small used sailboat. It's a nice little boat, and it was fun enough to inspire me for my next project... to build a small plywood sailing skiff. My goal is to get my boys involved in this project.
This is the boat we bought; it's an Interlake 18 (a class racing boat from Ohio area)...
We bought the plans from the Wooden Boat Store in Maine, and the skiff is the Pooduck Skiff designed by Joel White (a naval architect from NY, and son of E.B. White). The plans are for a 13 foot boat which can be sailed or simply rowed. This design is popular and very similar to the Shellback Dinghy, which is very popular and has quite a bit of available publications documenting its construction. Since this is my first boat build, I will need that guidance.
There are several images of the Pooduck Skiff on the internet, so I'll refrain from stealing one and posting it here. However, there are several videos on YouTube as well, and I've already done my share of watching and daydreaming. OK, on with the build...
STARTING OUT
AUGUST 2011
The first step was to take the plans and copy them to plotter paper (so we wouldn't ruin the original plans) and then copy that to plywood. We used film plotter paper so we could see through, similar to tracing paper but much sturdier.
A common complaint from other builders is that the "centerline is off" on the plans. Once we traced the originals, we flipped them left to right and found that the left and right sides are simply different. As you can see below, the left side flipped onto the right doesn't match. So what we did was to split the difference.
Before you can build the boat, you have to build a jig to hold the boat. The center frame and the forward stem is used in the jig and becomes a permanent part of the boat, so we had to build those first.
First step: cut a bending jig to laminate the frame around.
We took the plans and tacked them to some plywood. Along the curve we needed cut out, we used a nail to mark several holes (this pokes holes through the plans which is why we made copies first). Once you remove the plans, you simply connect the dots.
Now I didn't take pictures of the lamination process, it was a hard and frantic job. What we did is we cut a good board of 1-1/2" thick Douglas fir into 1/8" strips. Each strip was coated in epoxy and then stacked until we had about a 2" stack. This stack is then bent around this bending jig and clamped in place. When the epoxy sets up, you have a nice curved frame piece.
It's a heck of a messy job. Epoxy gets everywhere and sticks to everything. And since you don't want epoxy on your skin, I was wearing protective gloves and long sleeves. The jig was covered in plastic (otherwise the jig and the frame would become one).
The next step was to plane down the sides of the frame. Some use a hand plane, some use a planer. I used a router on a stand.
The same process was performed for the stem (the front edge of the boat).
Eli is happy to see you...
And he's thinking about growing a mustache...
Getting rid of his brothers "Pac Man" style...
Enough goofing around, this is what the building jig looks like when set up...
SEPTEMBER 2011
The plans call for plywood that is longer than eight feet long. The common solution is to scarf two sheets together. This entails beveling the ends at an 8:1 slope and then epoxying them.
After a little sanding, they looked good.
When epoxied together, you have a board that is almost 16 feet long.
Traditionally, one would "loft" the curves from the plans. This entails using coordinates to measure a series of points that you would then connect by drawing a smooth curve. It was easier for me to do this on the computer and plot out a large sheet. The boys could then use this plot to poke a bunch of holes and connect the dots.
This was done for the bottom piece...
And here they are marking all the lapstrakes (the sides).
BUILDING THE HULL
The bottom is the first to get connected to the construction jig. This was screwed in place.
The edges were then planed at an angle to match the angle of the garboard (the first strake).
This planing and sanding continues until the strake lays flush on the previous board; It overlaps the previous board, thus the term "lapstrake". This continues for each following board.
By leaving the overlapped edges square, it forms chines. The bottom, however, gets sanded flush.
Everything is epoxied and temporarily held together with screws...
OCTOBER 2011
At this point, it's removed from the construction jig...
...and carried into an already crowded garage.
Now that we are out of the rain, we can fair the chines a little...
The lapstrakes were trimmed where they met the transom...
At this point, the front edge of the hull is planed down and the outer stem is placed.
More sanding...
BUILDING A SHED
DECEMBER 2011
What I really need is another 2,400 square foot shop (but I left mine in Illinois when we moved). Given the space limitations at our new house, 200 square feet will have to do...
Our new boathouse...
After hiding from the weather for a few months, we are back at it. At this point, we cut and installed the breasthook, the knees, the gunwales, and rub rail...
(Eli's just blowing dust around with a leaf blower)
DAGGERBOARD AND RUDDER
I read on the internet where some stated that they were "whittling another boat". I didn't know what they meant until I started building. This isn't like building shelves, where you cut a board and then install a board. This is cut, fit up, remove, trim, fit up, remove, trim, fit up, remove, trim, and then install. Yikes.
The plans call for a centerboard (a keel that swings down into place), but the simpler option is to install a daggerboard (this just slides down into place). The centerboard requires a weight, a sealed pivot pin, but will swing up out of the way when you hit something below the water. The daggerboard is simpler, but will break or rip the boat apart if you hit something below water. Like a fool, I went with the daggerboard.
Cut and whittle...
Here I'm working on the daggerboard, the daggerboard trunk, and the rudder. I epoxied the interior of the trunk to seal it; hopefully it will last longer than if I painted it.
Daggerboard trunk installed.
With the trunk installed, I can slice a big hole in a perfectly good hull.
Stitching up a sail:
Laminating mast material (when it came time to whittle these into the mast and spars, I forgot to take pictures):
Cutting the keel:
August 2012
Oops... It was left out in the weather without interior paint, and apparently that's not good. Time to redo the gunwhales and finish the interior:
New coat of Rustoleum (it's oil based and it's easy to acquire!):
On the Newstand and Digital Library Now - November/December Issue No. 301 Preview
WOODEN NICAL
WOODEN NICAL is a Joel White—designed Pooduck Skiff built by John Newcomb. He built WOODEN NICAL with okoume plywood planking, with a white oak keel, stems, knees, and 'midships frame. The spars and oars are laminated spruce. He took the white oak from a tree that had grwon on his land, and fell due to Hurricane Isabel in September, 2003. John writes that he started construction in January 2008, but didn’t finish until May, 2010 because of a condition he calls laborius interuptus , which he defined as a sporadic work schedule.His wife, Cathy Newcomb, and his neighbor, Bill Kurz, took these photographs of WOODEN NICAL’s launch on May 16, 2010. John named the boat for his dog, Nical, who likes cruising with John and Cathy around the rivers near their home in Urbanna, Virginia.
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IMAGES
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COMMENTS
It wasn’t until recently, as an empty-nester, that I finally had the time, means, and space to build a boat. I bought the plans for the Pooduck Skiff, designed by naval architect Joel White for sailing, rowing, and, sculling.The Pooduck, at 12′10″, is 20″ longer than White’s Shellback, but they are otherwise quite similar and Dow’s ...
This dinghy could be considered a big little boat. She has a lot of excellent qualities: excellent rowing and sailing ability, easy construction, and mannerly towing habits. Designed by Joel White. LOA - 12' 10". Beam - 4' 6". Draft (cb up) - 6 1/2". (cb down) - 1' 9". Weight - about 130 lbs. Sail Area - 65 to 79 sq. ft.
Joel White's Pooduck Skiff is a big little boat — about as large as two average people would want to carry on shore. As a big sister to the 11'2" Shellback Dinghy, she has a lot of the same great qualities: excellent rowing and sailing ability, easy construction, and mannerly towing habits. But you'll be surprised at how much bigger she is.
12' 10" Pooduck Skiff. This dinghy could be considered a big little boat. She has a lot of excellent qualities: excellent rowing and sailing ability, easy construction, and mannerly towing habits. Construction: Glued-lapstrake plywood. Alternative Construction: Traditional lapstrake. No lofting is required.
We bought the plans from the Wooden Boat Store in Maine, and the skiff is the Pooduck Skiff designed by Joel White (a naval architect from NY, and son of E.B. White). The plans are for a 13 foot boat which can be sailed or simply rowed. This design is popular and very similar to the Shellback Dinghy, which is very popular and has quite a bit of ...
Pooduck Skiff Pete, The Pooduck is a great boat. Sailed mine today. Launched her in 2002. This was my first build and it took me about 400 hours. But I'm slow. You can see pictures and some information about the boat at www.CABBS.org That is a wooden boat club I belong to out of Cleveland, Oh. At the CABBS site, go to my boat and click on Don ...
The Yankee Tender is a cedar-planked, flat-bottomed skiff that weighs less than 150 pounds and can be rigged to sail. Its design was a collaboration between Joel, Jon Wilson, Spencer Lincoln and Maynard Bray based on Mystic Seaport’s Asa Thomson Skiff. Building plans for the hull were drawn by Spencer Lincoln.
From Launching. WOODEN NICAL is a Joel White—designed Pooduck Skiff built by John Newcomb. He built WOODEN NICAL with okoume plywood planking, with a white oak keel, stems, knees, and 'midships frame. The spars and oars are laminated spruce. He took the white oak from a tree that had grwon on his land, and fell due to Hurricane Isabel in ...
12' Pooduck Skiff Sailboat wailer Strictly adhered to WoodenboatStore plan Mahogany Marine Plywood, Hornbeam, Chestnut and Yellow Pine Wood (Pine Mast and a spare) Retractable Keel (w/lead weight) and Helm All metal parts made of solid brass All paints fillers and paints International Brand two part epoxy Dacron brand heavy duty sails
Re: Joel White Pooduck Skiff. It might come down to the wood you use - if okoume, then maybe stick with the 3/4 + 3/8, but if meranti or sapele, it sure seems like 1/2 + 1/4 would be strong enough, especially with that laminated center frame, keel below, and the centerboard case tying together the bottom and thwarts.