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Redwing
An 18’ 6" Camp Skiff designed by Karl
Stambaugh
"Coogee" built by Andrew & Melissa Darnley
(Click here for Coogee’s launch and first cruise.)
beachy@norex.com.au
| Melissa and I live in easy trailering distance to 3 rivers and
a large semi-enclosed beach fringed bay on the sub-tropical east coast of Australia. The
Redwing 18 developed by Karl Stambaugh and based on Howard Chapelle’s 1940’s
drawings, is a small outboard powered camp cruiser which will well suit our available
cruising waters. We both like the spring in her sheer line and the hint of workboat in her
lines with her bold cutwater. The name Coogee [pron. oo as in hook] came from the
beachside suburb where I grew up and offsided my dad when he built his ply v-bottomed
fishing skiff. |
1 Laminated stem and meranti frames
setup on the strongback.
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The construction is easily handled "glue and
screw" of ply over straight frames, lofted from accurate offsets shown on the plan.
We used plantation grown hoop pine ply and red meranti for framing. The frames were set up
on a strongback using the method described in Reuel Parker’s The Sharpie Book and the
hull, decks and cabin top have been sheathed with 6oz glass and epoxy resin. The rest of
the boat has been epoxy sealed. Our climate is tough on clear finished timber so almost
the whole of the boat has been painted and this is one job I was glad Melissa offered to
take on. The only clear finish is in the cabin on the tongue and groove pine overhead
lining and the coaming around the berth and lockers. |
| Coogee’s cabin has been customized, from two
single berths on plan, with an infill to make one double 6’2” v-berth forward. A
chemical toilet is stored in a locker to port with a smaller locker next to it. To
starboard on plan is a galley which I’ve changed from a fixed shelf and locker to a
locker at berth height for storing a propane camp cooker and cooking gear. The top of this
will be used for cooking and then double as extra seating. Melissa has fitted the berth
and lockers with 3” high density foam, covered with a heavy weave linen. For us this
adds up to a comfortable camping cabin with good sitting headroom. A sliding hatch allows
for you to stand and pull on your gear. For the keen builder the plan shows a hinged cabin
top, Coogee has been built without this. |
2 Hull glassed and undercoated. Karl
Stambaugh’s offset table gives nice fair lines. The cutwater laminated and glassed
with 10oz biaxial tape. Leading face was given two layers.
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3 Turning the hull shows two forward
deck beams, temporary cross bracing and underseat bulkheads [not shown on plan.] The last
of the turning crew reckoned it was a “piece of cake”, a lot lighter than it
looks.
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In the cockpit the plans show 5'6” bench seats
and a hatched motor well aft. Built to plan this would give classic style and extra
quietness from the 5 to 10hp 4 stroke. I was after more lounging room and a possible
summer sleeping option so I’ve done away with the motor well and mounted the motor on
a well braced transom. Coogee now has an 8’ long cockpit with 2 lockers added just
aft of the cabin under the extended bench seats. I’m sure designers pull their hair
out over blokes like me! |
| Karl Stambaugh lists the Redwing 18 in his Windward
Designs catalog and WoodenBoat has an article in back issue #82 on Howard Chapelle’s
original design. In that article, Mike O’Brien wrote “The boat’s perfect
proportions reflect Chapelle’s respect for her type.” Karl Stambaugh’s
development has now made this design more accessible to the amateur boat builder with a
moderate level of skills. As we’d say down under, she’s a bottler mate! |
4 Coogee decked, with ironbark bollard
post, rear cabin bulkhead and cockpit seating fitted. Deck was glassed with 6oz cloth.
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5 Cabin completed with
sliding hatch, deadlights and deck box. Slots in deck box front and vents in forward cabin
bulkhead gives flow through ventilation much like an oversized dorade box. |
| 6 Cockpit and
removable cabin doors. Plan shows doors with vertical sides but our measurements must have
been wrong! The 1989 long shaft motor is given a trial fit. |
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7 Andy admires
Melissa’s paint job of cabin, coamings and cockpit, as well as her v-berth coverings
and cabin cushions. |
8 The trade off for
not building a lift top. Coogee’s crew test sitting headroom after raising the
forward cabin bulkhead 2” to suit. A cozy cabin for best mates and Andy clears the
cabin beam with ease.
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9 Coogee rolls out of
the work bay on her trailer. Melissa gives her the thumbs-up. |
| 10 More fees! Coogee
waits for the official State Waterways ID code plates to be fixed. |
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Click here for
Coogee’s launch and first cruise.
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