Traditional Small Craft- Selkie

Selkie

Designer: Marc Barto Builder / Owner: Scott Brumenschenkel Construction: Strip Planked Status: Launched July of 2012 and currently sailing the lakes and coast of New England I built Selkie on weekends over the course of 18 months, modifying Barto's design intuitively. My intent was to maintain the beautiful lines of the Melonseed but make her more suitable to camp cruising while easing routing maintenance. 1'2" cedar strips covered with fiberglass inside and Dynel outside created clean smooth surfaces that were left uncluttered by frames. To compensate for this modification I added several knees under the side decks and added floor frames that provided a base for a 5'8" cedar floor/ sleeping deck with 3" of bilge below to keep our bottoms and gear out of the water. I modified the cockpit coaming from rectangular original to a beautiful sweeping curve forward. I added watertight bulkheads fore and aft of the cockpit that are only accessible through deck hatches that have gaskets and are strapped down. I have yet to test this flotation method but feel that it would work for swamping if not in a knockdown. I increased the sail area and consequently spar lengths to accommodate a standard Beetle Cat sail from Sailrite, increasing the area from 90 square feet to 114. I have not yet used the reef points this season, having sailed Frenchman's Bay, Maine, The Vineyard Sound, and several lakes in Northern Vermont and New Hampshire. I am continuing to modify aspects of the rigging to make her quicker to get underway from trailer launching, and have plans to design a cockpit tent this winter. I really enjoy figuring out all the details that will make her a well prepared and competent vessel. I got many compliments from folks on the VIneyard including " did you restore her yourself?" and " is she a Hereshoff?" which I attribute to the Newport green hull. She is a nimble and responsive sailor able to hold her own in the tidal chops we encountered over middle ground, but fond of the smooth water and gusty conditions we experience on our Mountain lakes. I have yet to sleep aboard but am determined to spend a night on Lake Umbagog with the bald eagles and moose before seasons end. Thank you for you wonderful site, it serves as an inspiration for all of us who aspire to get out on the water and mess about in boats! Sincerely, *Scott Brumenschenkel*

Selkie

Designer: Marc Barto
Builder / Owner: Scott Brumenschenkel
Construction: Strip Planked
Status: Launched July of 2012 and currently sailing the lakes and coast of New England

I built Selkie on weekends over the course of 18 months, modifying Barto's design intuitively. My intent was to maintain the beautiful lines of the Melonseed but make her more suitable to camp cruising while easing routing maintenance. 1'2" cedar strips covered with fiberglass inside and Dynel outside created clean smooth surfaces that were left uncluttered by frames. To compensate for this modification I added several knees under the side decks and added floor frames that provided a base for a 5'8" cedar floor/ sleeping deck with 3" of bilge below to keep our bottoms and gear out of the water. I modified the cockpit coaming from rectangular original to a beautiful sweeping curve forward. I added watertight bulkheads fore and aft of the cockpit that are only accessible through deck hatches that have gaskets and are strapped down. I have yet to test this flotation method but feel that it would work for swamping if not in a knockdown. I increased the sail area and consequently spar lengths to accommodate a standard Beetle Cat sail from Sailrite, increasing the area from 90 square feet to 114. I have not yet used the reef points this season, having sailed Frenchman's Bay, Maine, The Vineyard Sound, and several lakes in Northern Vermont and New Hampshire.

I am continuing to modify aspects of the rigging to make her quicker to get underway from trailer launching, and have plans to design a cockpit tent this winter. I really enjoy figuring out all the details that will make her a well prepared and competent vessel. I got many compliments from folks on the VIneyard including " did you restore her yourself?" and " is she a Hereshoff?" which I attribute to the Newport green hull. She is a nimble and responsive sailor able to hold her own in the tidal chops we encountered over middle ground, but fond of the smooth water and gusty conditions we experience on our Mountain lakes.

I have yet to sleep aboard but am determined to spend a night on Lake Umbagog with the bald eagles and moose before seasons end.

Thank you for you wonderful site, it serves as an inspiration for all of us who aspire to get out on the water and mess about in boats!

Sincerely,
Scott Brumenschenkel