Choosing to build Cricket the Skerry

I have always liked being on the water and had canoed a great deal. I had also been brought up with a small motor boat. Safety in those days pretty much consisted of avoiding busy roads and not hitting your brothers. I was permitted to operate our little 3 hp Johnson motor boat at the age of 10. (As soon as I could get it started mostly).

Deciding to build a boat was a gradual affair. I first figured out that there was a method of building called "stitch and glue". That led to various internet searches on the process. I ended up looking at Merten's d4, the Bateau website, and all kinds of cheap or free plans. Very exciting!

I got hold of a cd of free boat plans and seriously considered "Conga". I was also still very interested in canoes. I have never clicked much on kayaks. I find them a bit restrictive and uncomfortable after a while. Fun for a short exciting ride but cramped.

I had crewed with a friend on her Wayfarer and considered getting one of those. Fabulous boats, steady, safe and quite fun to sail but difficult for one person to handle. Sweety, although supportive and tolerant (Remember I built in my living room!) is not much of an athlete and is not likely to ever be very interested in hanging out of a sailboat pulling on a jib sheet. This pointed me to a boat that could be handled by one person and occasionally 2. Although I could probably coax Sweety onto a keelboat, it is not likely that I could easily handle one safely any time soon!

I made lots of little cardboard models and this helped me get an idea of how plans translate into 3 dimentional shapes. The models helped me figure out that I really don't much like the look of prams. Don't get annoyed, I know they work well, and lots of people love them. I simply couldn't love them! I was quite interested in the sailing canoe idea.

One day I stumbled and fell onto the picture of the Skerry and it was love at first sight. THIS was it. And so it began . . .

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This web site reflects my personal ideas and doesn't represent anyone else's point of view.