Sailing the Goat Island Skiff
By Michael Storer - Mooloolaba, Queensland - Australia

I've been up in Mooloolaba Queensland for around a week now (Jan 2007).

The purpose of the trip has been to do some planning and groundwork for the PDRacer - a small cheap sailing boat that is easy to build as well as revise some of my plansets using technology I have available up here.

I'm staying with my Friends, Peter and Jo Hyndman who built the first Goat Island Skiff over 12 years ago.

They also live on the edge of the Mooloola River - which makes it quite easy to take a break and go for a sail.

Peter has been perching up on his balcony with his new Nikon D80 Digital Camera while I put the sailing skiff through its paces.

click to enlarge

Peter has been perching up on his balcony with his new Nikon D80 Digital Camera while I put the sailing skiff through its paces.

Some people think that GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems - for us it means Goat Island Skiff.

One of the big problems with photos of quick boats is that as they make so little fuss as they travel through the water that they don't look like they are doing much. We will be rectifying that shortly with some video clips so you'll be able to see just how much ground the boat is covering.

Definitely a quick boat. Maybe it doesn't have the top end of a modern racing boat, but it is not going to be embarrassed by any non trapeze type on any point of sail and most windstrengths.

The thing about the GIS is that it is constructed like a modern boat out of a minimum number of pieces.

  • 2 x sides
  • 1 x bottom
  • 3 x seat tops
  • 4 x bulkheads to support the seats and create the built in buoyancy tanks
  • 1 x transom.

There is very little else.

The end result is that this traditional looking sailing skiff is lighter than many racing boats. Peter's own Gruff weighs in at a very light 127lbs (58kg)- not bad for a boat a little under 16ft (4.8m) - a geographic advantage of Australian and NZ boat design and construction. And there is no ultra thin ply or difficult construction used - it is all robust 1/4" (6mm) ply.

So in these pics you can see it in fast mode - and also see just how pretty it is.

There is just no comparison between it and the Lumbering Lumberyard Skiffs you see drawn up traditionally. But I do sort of ruin things by wearing such an tragic hat.

I do sort of ruin things by wearing such an tragic hat.

click to enlarge

If you look at the pics below and on Peter's own GIS website you will be able to see it carrying a bit of weight too. I've sailed it with 4 adults in the boat (Actually it was Peter and Jo, me and my ex Maz) for a daysail on Moreton Bay with a picnic aboard - about 700lbs (310kg) of crew and gear. Nice moderate sailing breeze - we covered a lot of ground that day covering open water and skimming over shallows. Peter's site has a great deal of general GIS information as well.

click to enlarge

The thing about the GIS is that it is constructed like a modern boat out of a minimum number of pieces.

Epoxy and Low Maintenance

An interesting thing is that you wouldn't think that this was a 12 year old boat judging by the pics. It has never been repainted or revarnished - the sail and ropes have never been renewed. The loads on everything are so light compared to a modern boat.

A testament to coating a boat with a good quality boatbuilding epoxy system and then following it with a quality paint system. It costs more in the first place, but the boat and the owner don't miss (even slightly) the extra maintenance that would have been necessary if cheaper materials had been used - ie the two or three major sandings back and repaintings that would have been required if cheaper materials were used.

There is a lot of information about use and advantages of epoxy in my boatbuilding FAQ. You don't necessarily need to use epoxy to build this boat, but it does make the structure terrifically strong and low maintenance.

You wouldn't think that this was a 12 year old boat judging by the pics. It has never been repainted or revarnished - the sail and ropes have never been renewed.

click to enlarge

The plans are highly detailed and have been full revised as of Feb 2007 with more pics and drawings and a clearer layout. One expansion are a series of photos giving information about the different systems of the boat - mainsheet/downhaul/halyard and position and photos of the parts. I hope that this makes it easier to find the few fittings required independent of your geography.

Michael Storer Boat Design
Wooden Boat Plans
www.storerboatplans.com

SAILS

EPOXY

GEAR