How to build a St. Lawrence River Skiff

St. Lawrence River Skiff Building Course

Building a classic skiff in skin on frame

Course description

The St. Lawrence River Skiff is a classic double-ended rowing boat known for its speed, stability, and seaworthiness. Our skin-on-frame version can be built in 3 different sizes and 9 different 'stretched' versions. It can also be modified for a pedal drive. In addition to the St. Lawrence Skiff, this comprehensive building system can be used to accurately build a variety of other small double ended row/sail boats in skin-on-frame construction.

This course contains detailed construction videos and a 120-page illustrated step-by-step PDF workbook. You also have text, phone, and email access to the instructor for support throughout your build. Woodworking skill level is intermediate, build time is approximately 160 hours.

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LICENSING AGREEMENT:

This video course and plan set is intended to be used by one builder or several builders working on the same boat. If multiple people are building multiple boats, each person needs to buy their own course/plan. Each plan is a license for the same builder to build up to three boats for personal, non-commercial purposes. Contact us for commercial licenses or boats that will be built in an educational setting.

Course curriculum

1. Course introduction
2. Choosing a size to build
3. Plan set - PART 1
4. Plan set - PART 2
5. Full PDF plan set to download
1. Tools
2. Additional tools for measuring & marking
3. Plywood and other miscellaneous wood
4. Choosing wood for the boat
5. Choosing and cutting rib bending wood
6. Glue, varnish, oil, and polyurethane
7. Planning for flotation and seating
8. Adding color to skin on frame boats
1. Making the short sawhorses
2. Making the strongback board
3. Layout tables and tall sawhorses
4. How to straighten a long curved board
5. Making the story stick
1. Making the laminated frame templates
2. Making the end forms
3. Making the stem templates
1. Tracing the template and making the clamping blocks
2. Laminating the frames
3. Cleaning up the frames
4. Flattening the bottom of the frames
5. Notching the center frame for the gunwales
6. Notching the center frame for the stringers
1. Laying out the gunwales
2. Setting up for laminating the gunwales
3. Laminating the gunwale curve
4. Cleaning up the gunwale lamination
5. Cutting the gunwales and inner cap pieces
6. Mortising the gunwales
1. Planning the bottom board and gluing on side blocks
2. Laying out the bottom board
3. Cutting tapers on the bottom board
4. Gluing on the reinforcement blocks
5. Making the stems
6. Temporarily fastening the stems to the bottom board
7. Finishing and varnishing the bottom board
1. Leveling the bottom board and setting the rocker
2. Pre-assembling the frames, stems and bottom board
3. Gluing the frames and stems to the bottom board
4. Measuring the gunwale end and intermediate sheer heights
5. Marking the sheer heights onto the frames
6. Temporarily attaching the gunwales
7. Installing the end spreaders and forms
8. Making the gunwale end bevel cuts
9. Notching the intermediate frames for the gunwales
10. Gluing the gunwales to the frames and stems
1. Temporarily setting the stringers
2. Measuring and marking the stringer to intermediate frame connections
3. Measuring and marking the rolling bevels
4. Cutting the rolling bevels
5. Notching the intermediate frames for the stringers
6. Cleaning up and varnishing the frames
7. Nailing on the stringers
8. Beveling and tying in the stringer tips
1. Cutting and rounding the ribs
2. Measuring the rib lengths
3. Cutting the ribs to length and making test bends
4. Bending and fastening the ribs
5. Bending the end ribs
6. Cutting and bending two-piece end ribs
1. Fitting the inner gunwale cap
2. Filling the mortises and gluing on the inner gunwale
3. Installing a breast hook
4. Installing carry handles
5. Rounding the stems into the bottom board
6. Shaping the tops of the stems
1. Introduction to St. Lawrence Skiff seating
2. Choosing wood and mortising the seat rails
3. Cutting the tenons and gluing the seats
4. Building tall seat backs
5. Sanding and finishing the seats
6. Stapling webbing to the seats
1. Seat placement limitations
2. Seat height, location, and oarlock placement
3. Seat placement for a pedal drive
4. Making the rub rails
5. Making the keel protection strips
1. Cutting the seat to fit
2. Making and locating seat risers
3. Gluing the backer blocks and fastening the seat risers
1. Cleaning up the frame
2. Varnishing rub rails and gunwales
3. Oiling the frame
1. Introduction to skinning the St. Lawrence Skiff
2. Skinning supplies
3. Skinning process overview and draping the fabric
4. Pinning the stem
5. Stitching up the side of the stem
6. Shortening the skin
7. Stretching the fabric and pinning the keel
8. Wetting and stapling the skin
9. Attaching the rub rails
10. Trimming off excess fabric
1. Introduction to coating skiffs and canoes
2. Coating supplies overview
3. Setting up for coating and masking the gunwales
4. Adding pigment to the polyurethane
5. Mixing the polyurethane
6. Initial saturation coat
7. Building gloss coats
8. Peeling the tape
9. Adding extra bottom coats
1. Installing removable seats
2. Installing permanent seats
3. Fastening the HDPE bottom protection strips
4. Installing the oarlocks
5. Planning for flotation and seating

About this course

$349.00
Comprehensive video instruction
120-page downloadable PDF plan workbook
Personalized support available during your build from course creator & boat designer, Brian Schulz

FAQ

Are plans available in metric measurements?

Because the accompanying video courses call out imperial measurements, and we are constantly making updates to both the plans and videos, we’ve found that metric plans leave a lot of room for potential confusion or error. For builders outside the US, we recommend purchasing a metric to imperial tape measure to make your build easier.
Do the videos expire? Can I watch on multiple devices?

You can login and view the course on any device. Enrolling in a course gives you lifetime access to the course material, including any updates or additions we make to the material in the future. In fact, that’s one of the main reasons we created these video courses instead of writing a book, because our designs and techniques are constantly evolving and we want you to always have access to the best and most up-to-date information.
I don’t have internet in my shop, can I download the videos to watch later?

You can download individual videos to your device, but be aware that file sizes can be quite large.

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St. Lawrence River Skiff Building Course

Course description

Course curriculum

Course overview

Tools, materials & miscellaneous

Miscellaneous prep and workspace set up

Making the frame and stem templates

Laminating the frames

Making the gunwales

Making the bottom board and stems

Assembling the frame

Making and attaching the stringers

Bending in the ribs

Finishing the frame

Building the seats

Locating seats, rub rails, and keel protection strips

Installing seating

Varnishing and oiling the frame

Skinning the boat

Coating the boat

Outfitting the boat

About this course

FAQ

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Add-Ons and Related Courses

Canoe Oars and Outrigger

Pedal Drive System for Skin on Frame Canoes