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Author Topic: "Tales from Ken B" Cape Cod Tolman Skiffs.  (Read 2290 times)

Offline KenB

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"Tales from Ken B" Cape Cod Tolman Skiffs.
« on: December 31, 2020, 09:36:33 AM »
I couldn't decide whether to put this in the 'introduce yourself' forum, or this one. I guess I am just feeling a little 'adventurous' today:

https://capecodfishermen.org/from-starfish-to-scup-a-fishermans-journey/

- the motor at issue was a 2005 Suzuki DF60, with a mucked up fuel system. At full throttle it would bog down after 20 seconds, but otherwise ran great. It did not throw any ECU codes. The confounding issue is that it blew a coilpack, which turned out to be just a distraction. Millway Marina quoted $1000-1500 to 'rebuild fuel system and clean injectors'  but instead, let me talk to their mechanic for 30 mins. I bought $250 worth of new fuel filters, o-rings, gaskets, and thermostats, drove up to NH to get the injectors cleaned, and have nothing but good things to say about Millway.
- I asked them to link to Jim Shula's saltwater workshop website, but I missed the deadline. Sorry Jim!
- I am convinced that a Tolman 'doghouse' widebody with a new tohatsu/honda (or even a merc! The new merc 50 looks awesome), could be built for under $15k, over the winter. Which could safely net $50k (e.g. gross $70k) in commercial rod and reel catch over the summer. Might need some good winter projects to hit that $70k mark, but thats where the yankee ingenuity comes in.

(I'm the fat guy in the middle, in Jim Shula's awesome photo from the Maine Boat Builders Show)
« Last Edit: June 23, 2022, 06:24:43 PM by KenB »
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KenB

"HOW CHEAPLY CAN A TOLMAN SKIFF BE BUILT AND JUST HOW  MUCH IS SACRIFICED IF COST IS THE PRIME MOVER?"
- Bruce Armstrong   

"I can tell you that either a nice BFT or a big YFT is an absolute riot on a Tolman. The boat is so light it's like the old man and the sea..."
- Dave Nolan (RIP)

Offline jim shula

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Re: "Tales from Ken B" Cape Cod Tolman Skiffs.
« Reply #1 on: December 31, 2020, 10:46:24 AM »
One of my kit builders is starting an oyster farm.  His widebody will be customized as a workboat for harvesting the farm.
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Offline KenB

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Re: "Tales from Ken B" Cape Cod Tolman Skiffs.
« Reply #2 on: January 06, 2021, 12:10:29 PM »
That's great. One of my buddies in Rhody thought really hard about building a Tolman for his farm, but ended up just doing a flat bottom skiff. His issue was that the epoxy surfaces would have to keep getting repaired, versus just replacing panels of plywood. He opted for no paint on the interior, and had some kind of varnish-based stuff he put on every year to prevent rot.

I have noted that once you start dragging heavy sharp stuff across a deck, oil paint (easypoxy, jamestown wetedge non skid, etc.) just doesnt hold up.

I am really intrigued by that gelcoat/goop lobster boat deck that I posted on one of the other threads. That said, I still think latex porch paint is really tough too.
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KenB

"HOW CHEAPLY CAN A TOLMAN SKIFF BE BUILT AND JUST HOW  MUCH IS SACRIFICED IF COST IS THE PRIME MOVER?"
- Bruce Armstrong   

"I can tell you that either a nice BFT or a big YFT is an absolute riot on a Tolman. The boat is so light it's like the old man and the sea..."
- Dave Nolan (RIP)

Offline KenB

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Re: "Tales from Ken B" Cape Cod Tolman Skiffs.
« Reply #3 on: January 09, 2021, 09:31:17 AM »
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KenB

"HOW CHEAPLY CAN A TOLMAN SKIFF BE BUILT AND JUST HOW  MUCH IS SACRIFICED IF COST IS THE PRIME MOVER?"
- Bruce Armstrong   

"I can tell you that either a nice BFT or a big YFT is an absolute riot on a Tolman. The boat is so light it's like the old man and the sea..."
- Dave Nolan (RIP)

Offline barrelroll

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Re: "Tales from Ken B" Cape Cod Tolman Skiffs.
« Reply #4 on: January 18, 2021, 01:26:08 PM »
Cool news. Up here in Alaska we have hand trolling for Salmon. Hand troll permits go for $8,000-$8,500. 75 pot Dungeness crab permits go for about $18-$20k and occasionally shrimp permits pop up for $20k. A widebody or jumbo with a small pilot house would make a great southeast Alaska small scale commercial boat.
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Offline KenB

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Re: "Tales from Ken B" Cape Cod Tolman Skiffs.
« Reply #5 on: June 23, 2022, 06:24:28 PM »
New article link (they updated their website): https://capecodfishermen.org/from-starfish-to-scup-a-fishermans-journey/

Just did a 'meet the fleet event' hosted by the fishermen's pantry, who sell fish from the sitka co-op: https://www.woodenislandwild.com/thefishermanspantry

Got a few questions about Tolman Skiffs... a local builder kept asking me "so you have patterns you layout and cut from!?" and I kept thinking of the full scale templates Jim kindly sent me.
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KenB

"HOW CHEAPLY CAN A TOLMAN SKIFF BE BUILT AND JUST HOW  MUCH IS SACRIFICED IF COST IS THE PRIME MOVER?"
- Bruce Armstrong   

"I can tell you that either a nice BFT or a big YFT is an absolute riot on a Tolman. The boat is so light it's like the old man and the sea..."
- Dave Nolan (RIP)

Offline dnjost

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Re: "Tales from Ken B" Cape Cod Tolman Skiffs.
« Reply #6 on: August 29, 2022, 02:32:07 PM »
Ken-
I am over in East Falmouth on Great Pond.  Any chance I could catch up and see your boat.  I am strongly considering building a 25’ Jumbo for use here out on the sounds, and buzzards bay. 

Dave Jost
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Offline KenB

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Re: "Tales from Ken B" Cape Cod Tolman Skiffs.
« Reply #7 on: September 05, 2022, 11:12:15 AM »
Hi dnjost!

Sure! My 1st tolman widebody is out by you. Message George to see it! I snapped a photo of the new paint last time I was up that way. Ive been comm rod and reel all summer, just getting back to my widebody builds...

After spending the summer running down to nomans land, bombing around cape cod bay, and occasionally running around monomoy in the green seacraft, below, I even more convinced that a widebody is better for around here than a Jumbo. I'm way over on the "build fast go fishing" side though, and tend to think of Tolmans as glorified wooden skiffs (e.g. williams skiff, old wharf dory, lady bug skiff, brockaway skiff).

What are you planning to use the boat for? If you are not going to sleep on it, I think the deck space of a doghouse or center console is great, but Jim Shula's widebody cabin builds are about just perfect too, I think. Good stuff.

Ok!
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KenB

"HOW CHEAPLY CAN A TOLMAN SKIFF BE BUILT AND JUST HOW  MUCH IS SACRIFICED IF COST IS THE PRIME MOVER?"
- Bruce Armstrong   

"I can tell you that either a nice BFT or a big YFT is an absolute riot on a Tolman. The boat is so light it's like the old man and the sea..."
- Dave Nolan (RIP)

Offline dnjost

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Re: "Tales from Ken B" Cape Cod Tolman Skiffs.
« Reply #8 on: September 11, 2022, 03:46:52 PM »
i believe I saw this Seacraft last weekend, as I was the saxophone player on the houseboat with Puffy Elvis.  lead singer Joe had one once upon a time. 

1. Who’s George?
2.  we plan to cruise Nantucket Sound, visit the Vineyard, cruise up the canal, hit Bearses Shoal on a day’s run.  no overnighting, unless unplanned.  would be nice to cruise out to Oak Bluffs and chase those albies just out of my reach.  an enclosed head for mixed company is essential. 
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Offline KenB

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Re: "Tales from Ken B" Cape Cod Tolman Skiffs.
« Reply #9 on: September 13, 2022, 10:19:19 AM »
Dub Hizzle house boat scene needs more tolman skiffs, for sure. Do you ever come to wooden boat building class behind the woods hole historical museum on Saturday mornings? If not, you should!  Stop in 9-noon, or so.

During early season squid tide changes, I caught a few Z's by lying down inside the doghouse. Lucyyy (dog) didn't seem to mind too much. Early on (2005?) I thought about making a walk-in console, similar to what's on Nolan's widebody... for sure you could hide a bucket 'sitdown bathroom activities' inside if you cut through the deck to get down to the hull. That said, even though my doghouse has a lip on it, we still managed to get enough water inside to get the bottom blankets wet. Not sure where the water is coming from, I think its just water that gets sucked inside when we are running at speed? Anyway, can't go wrong with a cabin, but I would recommend a roof of some kind, if the plan is to spend any time in the sun.

Tolmans are great ablie boats. The one I made and sold to George was set up specifically to fly fish to funny fish. George: https://old.reddit.com/r/boatbuilding/comments/v0jggj/first_attempt_at_fillets_and_glass_not_gonna_get/'
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best,
KenB

"HOW CHEAPLY CAN A TOLMAN SKIFF BE BUILT AND JUST HOW  MUCH IS SACRIFICED IF COST IS THE PRIME MOVER?"
- Bruce Armstrong   

"I can tell you that either a nice BFT or a big YFT is an absolute riot on a Tolman. The boat is so light it's like the old man and the sea..."
- Dave Nolan (RIP)
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