BoteCote – The Goat Island Skiff from Queensland

From our friends at BoteCote!

David sent us the photos of his boat, in the process of building and we were knocked out by the standard of work and the sheer beauty of his creation.

We were even more impressed by the fact that this is his first boat build.

When we asked him for some details of the boat and what got him started on the build, he gave us the full story which I’m sure with resonate with many experienced and prospective boatbuilders among our customers.

The results so far are most impressive and it is indeed a sculpture in wood!

Here is what David had to say…..

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DETAILS:

Plans are by Michael Storer.   

Length – 4.7m (15ft 6ins)  

Beam – 1.5m (4ft 11ins)  

Hull Weight Approx. 85kg 

“The Goat Island Skiff”

Plans and all materials were supplied by Boat Craft Pacific and lots of advice was offered.  

Included was plywood, BoteCote epoxy, solid timber, Aqua Coat finish coats (clear for the inside finish and white for the hull), all painting equipment and bronze hardware for oars. 

I live in Victoria Point, Brisbane not far from Thomson’s beach and the boat ramp. My plan is to build a trolly so I can pull the boat to the beach at first and later will buy a trailer.  

I’ll be joining The Wooden Boat Club of Queensland and getting myself involved in some of their meet ups so I can join others on sailing trips and find myself a like-minded group of people. 

For the last 35 years I have wanted to build my own boat, but life always seemed too busy. One morning I was standing in the clear water, mid tide at Thomson’s beach when I realised, I have no reason to put it off any longer.  

That day I found a plan for a flat bottom rowing and sailing skiff designed by Michael Storer, perfect for where I live, with good reviews and a local supplier. Within a week I had been to Boat Craft Pacific at Logan 2 or 3 times and was ready to start.  

I began marking out ply panels mid-December 2019, perfect timing because what I didn’t know was that a pandemic would force me into lockdown to work on my boat.  

Due to my background in contemporary furniture design and trade I decided to take my time and try to give my boat signature details without changing the original design, enjoying the project and not worrying about when it would be finished.  

My boat will be launched soon, which means I have been working on this for 2 years part time, that isn’t too bad. I am already thinking about building my next boat because I love being in my shed and what else would I be doing when the weathers bad.  

The plans supplied by Michael Storer are of a very high standard, you could say they are like a boat building course for beginners. Also, Michael’s website is a wealth of knowledge, the Facebook group is very helpful and the people in it are very encouraging. This boat would be a perfect first project for people with limited skills and tools. 

I obtained free plans for the perfect oars from one member in the group, which were a joy to build. I feel confident to move on to a more complex design next. I will be using Boat Craft Pacific again for sure, they don’t even mind me picking through there timber racks for the perfect pieces of wood.  

Images: David Yeowart

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David is already thinking about building his next boat because he loves working in his shed.  We can’t wait to see what he tackles next – sure to be another sculpture in wood!