LOA: 6.1M
Beam: 2.2M
Draft: .3M
Designer: Steve Redmond
Builder: Alex Pigdon
Current Owner: Alex Pigdon
My boat is an “Elver” canoe yawl designed in the 1980s by Steve Redmond an American. (www.SRedmond.com).
Canoe yawls were developed in the 1880's and are strictly neither canoes nor yawls. The canoes were technically ketches as the mizzen was in front of the stern post.
The following extracts from a magazine article suggest reasons for these boats being described as “canoe yawls”.
- “a double ended hull form (the primary holdover from canoes) and the idea that they were to be rowed as auxiliary power”.
- the word “yawl”refers not to the rig but to the fact that they were to be rowed as in the term “yawl boat”.
The plans describe a 20’ x 7’3”(6.1m x 2.2m ) centreboarder with a draft of only 12”(.3m), to be strip planked over permanent frames.
Plans specified that masts be unstayed with a sprit rig on the mainmast and a lug rigged mizzen.
When building my “Elver” I made the following modifications to the designer’s plans:
- Stopped the strip planking at the turn of the bilge and fitted three clinker plywood planks .
- Stepped the mast in a tabernacle and fitted shrouds.
- Changed the sprit mainsail to gaff rig. Sail area and shape are as shown on plans .High peak gaff is attached to the mast with a “tub”. (Couta boat method).
- Built an outboard well in the aft port corner of the cockpit to house a British Seagull motor.
The designer,of course, warns builders against altering his plans. However, I have seen other “Elvers” with tabernacles and outboard wells.
My boat is usually sailed on Shallow Inlet, South Gippsland (see photo of boat being rigged) or off Point Richards (see sailing photo).
My family and I have taken our boat to several WBA events and it has been displayed at Goolwa .
