# wood guide's skiff



## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

The layout on this guide skiff is still applicable today.
I like the stern well. An area to stand and control the
tiller outboard, and brace your legs to keep your balance.
The photo's were published in 1960.

http://ibistro.dos.state.fl.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?library=PHOTO&item_type=PHOTOGRAPH&searchdata1=doherty,%20lou


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## iMacattack (Dec 11, 2006)

How far we've come, yet how little has changed.


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

excellent post ( [smiley=1-thumbsup3.gif]

how simply life use to be....................


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## backwaterbandits (Dec 15, 2006)

Great post Brett! I really enjoy this stuff.
Looks like they are using a Mitchell 300? Maybe an old Penn...
Thanks, Dave


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## B.Lee (Apr 29, 2008)

Neat design, similar to the Indian River Skiff layout of Bateau.com's fleet. I toyed with this layout for a while myself.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

In the last couple of pics I just noticed a couple of details...
Zoom on the end of the pushpole, that appears to be a carved horse's head.
And that object sticking up out of the water behind the transom, is in several frames.
I think it's a sawed off fishing pole butt, being used as a anchoring pole,
the original Wang or Stick-it in use way back when.
There appears to be a rope going down from the grip into the water.


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## iMacattack (Dec 11, 2006)

Killer find Brett! Thanks!


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## B.Lee (Apr 29, 2008)

Good eye Brett!

The horse head makes me curious, do you think they use it for a foot, a counterweight, or just for decoration?

My sawed-off golf club, homemade wood dowel push pole, etc are not cheap back-woods solutions, but rather old-school technology at it's best!


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

I think the horse head is a decorative grip.
When using the pole, as your hands slide up,
the horse head prevents you from over running
the end of the pole, and losing your pole.
Also makes for a convenient spot to tie off to when staked out.


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

"stake-out" poles of all sorts were very common back then and quite a few of the old timer guides still use them although more recently they're the longer end of a broken push pole with modified ends. Once again, a lot of the "new" innovations are just modifications on old ideas.

I love the lines on those old skiff's too and would love to try and scratch build one after my Mitchell is restored, so yeah, I'm really dreaming now...


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## B.Lee (Apr 29, 2008)

Instead of dreaming, call it designing, make some notes of these designs, then build one. 

Brett did it.

I'm doing it.

You can do it too.

Make it your own, whatever that "dream" looks like to you.


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

> Instead of dreaming, call it designing, make some notes of these designs, then build one.
> 
> Brett did it.
> 
> ...


LOL, thanks for the vote of confidence, but the ability to "do it" is not the issue, its the time. If I went ahead and got divorced, moved far enough away from my kids, quit my job and scratched all the other unfinished projects currently underway, then I'd have plenty of time.


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## oldschool (Feb 22, 2008)

Check these out:
There are some AMAZING pictures here....

http://ibistro.dos.state.fl.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?library=PHOTO&item_type=PHOTOGRAPH&searchdata1=lostmans%20river


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## flyfisheraa573 (Jun 26, 2008)

did anyone notice the fuel line running down the edge of the boat in one of the pictures (pic 4, I think)? I'm guessing to place the fuel tank up front for weight displacement.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Yep, did you notice the digital image is reversed?


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## flyfisheraa573 (Jun 26, 2008)

I did...I started looking at it and noticed the name on the boat was reversed, but I thought it might have been a peculiar name of a boat from that time period...then noticed the E and Evinrude were also flipped.


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## oldschool (Feb 22, 2008)

I think is says "Fiber Craft"


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## shine (Jan 31, 2007)

great pictures, thanks for the link. Form follows function.


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

yeah, I could browse those archives for hours. Waterman, Dunaway, Martenhoff and a few of the other writers were the fishing icons of that era. 

Also, it was a period in time when fisherman dressed in funnier looking outfits than golfers. Course, now it's the other way around.


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## oysterbreath (Jan 13, 2009)

That is a sweet hull on that boat. It's got a really low freeboard but it looks like it doesn't sway too far to either side as folks lean to one or the other side. I mean, dude is leaning over the side and that low freeboard just sticks and stays put. Very nice!


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## billhempel (Oct 9, 2008)

Did anyone notice that those boats were FiberCraft's? That's what Ankona's Native Skiff is from. The one year availability of the 14' FiberCraft. A real sweet boat. My friend has one in the mold now. Jan runs one too.



> Check these out:
> There are some AMAZING pictures here....
> 
> http://ibistro.dos.state.fl.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/5?library=PHOTO&item_type=PHOTOGRAPH&searchdata1=lostmans%20river


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