The 1924 William Atkin-designed Scandal in the background and the 1934 Edwin Monk-designed Flatiron Skiff in the foreground. The boats are being rowed back to the launch ramp after a chilly afternoon on the water.
Monk flat-iron skiffs were designed by the famed Pacific Northwest designer Edwin Monk. He included the plans for these popular little boats in his 1934 book "Small Boats".
These skiffs are colloquially known as "flat-irons" or just "flatties" since that’s what they look like when viewed directly from above – the flat-iron (sometimes known as a "sad-iron", don’t ask me why) used by our grandparents to press clothes.
We build these types of boats during the first semester of each year-long class, which begins in October. They can be built from 11’6" to 16 feet long on commission; if we are building on speculation, the boats are usually 11’6" or 12′ 6" long. A pair of spruce or larch oars custom fit to the boat are included.
SCANDAL was designed in 1924 by William Atkin to be a fast boat when propelled by a small outboard motor.
In the designer’s words, "A boat of this kind offers a lot in the way of recreation; for the cruiser-camper it is ideal, being shallow and light, and thus easily drawn up on the beach or river bank anywhere. There is plenty of room for the stowage of dunnage which must be lugged along when camping."
SCANDAL is 14′ 7" long with a beam of 3′ 9" on a draft of 5". Your first impression, when looking at the boat, will be "long and slender".
You’ll find her easy to row, easy to drive under low power – a trolling motor in calm waters would work just fine – and very easy and inexpensive to tow behind a car.
You can find out more about this boat by looking at its plans on the marvelous website maintained by Pat Atkin at www.atkinboatplans.com/Oar/Scandal.html. If you love the classic designs, this is a superlative website. www.atkinboatplans.com/
SCANDAL was one of thre three boats built by the 2013 Basic Boatbuilding class. Master Boatbuilder Jeff Hammond’s section built this boat.
The Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding is located in Port Hadlock WA and is a private, accredited non-profit vocational school. You can find us on the web at www.nwboatschool.org .
Our mission is to teach and preserve the fine art of wooden boatbuilding and traditional maritime crafts.
We also teach a variety of workshops throughout the year, of which SCAMP Camp (sm) is one.
You can reach us via e-mail at info@nwboatschool.org or by calling us at 360-385-4948.
