Baron wrote:Console Skiff vs Scrambler:
-which would be the fastest build?
-Which would be the best in Late afternoon chop on an open bay?
-Which could take the occasional rock hit in some of the rocky rivers around here?
-Would you take either onto the ocean in good weather?
Good morning and happy new year to all. Allot has been said and written about these two boats but few owners have written extensively about their operational experiences. I sold my 238DLV Carolina Skiff a few years ago because i didn't like to launch it alone and also because it was so big that it couldn't be taken all the places i wanted to go. I've been dreaming of a homebuilt for 25 years and its kind of funny, there are allot of plans to choose from, its hard to decide which to build. Furthermore, it obvious, different designs are often purpose built for different conditions. To this point I boat in two extremely different areas, the Delaware river and Barnegat and Raritan Bays, and so its difficult to decide which design best fits my needs. I rarely go out on the ocean but I like to fish around the inlets. While on the River there is a constantly shifting shallow bottom and occasionally the rocks chase after me
If you have experience with the above conditions in these boats (or similar boats) please share your adventures and recommendations.
Thanks in advance for your responses.
Baron
Hi Baron,
I can go ahead and speak to what I think would be best in late afternoon chop on an open bay and whether to take it onto the ocean in good weather. I will have to let the more experienced builders and those with these designs to speak to the other two questions.
1. Which would be the best in the late afternoon chop on an open bay?
I would expect the console skiff to handle the chop better. The V is much more pronounced and it should cut through chop pretty easily. That' is not to say that the scrambler couldn't handle it. If the Skiff has the raised bulwark option, even better.
2. Would you take either onto the ocean in good weather?
I would not hesitate to take the Console Skiff in the ocean, especially with the raised bulwark option.
The scrambler, in my personal opinion, is not an ocean boat. I would want more freeboard and a more pronounced V at the bow to deal with chop/swell. It could handle most bays though i'm sure.
I wish I could spend the whole day everyday fitting and playing with wood. Ironically I own a small sawmill operation but don't produce the types of lumber appropriate for boatbuilding. I've thought that the scrambler would be cool in plank-on-frame. Heavy but cool.
Relating to my initial questions it seems more folks built the Console Skiff than built the Scrambler. is the Console Skiff hull identical to the the Cabin Skiff? If I built the Console could the cabin be added later or are the scantlings heavier for the Cabin Skiff?
If I am remembering correctly, No the Console skiff hull is the not the same as the Cabin Skiff hull. Very Similar but I think the cabin skiff was slightly longer.
As far as adding a cabin after the fact, yes that can be done. I'm not sure if you can use the same plans for the cabin as in the Cabin Skiff since the two hulls are slightly different. But you could come up with your own design. It's important to do some research and math to ensure that you aren't building in an inherent unbalancing but the great thing about building our own boats is we can usually customize the plans to our needs. Again though, I can't stress enough the need to ensure proper balancing especially in a ~16' boat.
Now for my two cents on how to pick between the two designs. First need more info.
1. Do you boat in one area more often than the other? Rivers > Bays, Bays>Rivers, or Bays=Rivers.
2. What is the purpose of the boat? Fishing, cruising, ski'ing, etc.
3. If you have a significant other, do they prefer one over the other? Have to keep peace in the home or you might need a bigger boat to live aboard...
