This is a letter from Bill Dulin that appeared in the February 15th, 2001 issue of Messing About in Boats

SkiffAmerica 20
by Bill Dulin

The SkiffAmerica 20 is a 20 ft. outboard cruiser designed by Kilburn Adams of St. Louis, Missouri. Kilburn and I have been friends for a long time. For some years he had been talking about building a boat for cruising the inland water system. Living in St. Louis gives us access to most of the inland waterways in the United States. When he talked about building his boat I joked that he could build one for me while he was at it. His idea was for a flat bottom, shallow draft, planing hull design which would be lightweight, economical to operate and easy to trailer. It had to be small enough for one person to launch but large enough to sleep two comfortably. It also had to be easy to build even for a first time builder (me). The SkiffAmerica 20 was the results.

Since I had not built anything out of wood since high school shop (except for a few model airplanes) I thought I would just buy a commercially built boat instead of trying to build one. The only one I could find that I liked was cost prohibitive. It also lacked many of the features of the SkiffAmerica.

The preliminary plans were completed in 1998 and Kilburn built a five foot long 1/4 scale model for proof of concept. Seeing the model perform convinced me it would be a marvelous boat. It was then that I decided to build the boat.

I convinced Kilburn to sell me a copy of the preliminary plans to show him that I was serious about building the boat. He still wasn't convinced since I didn't even own a power saw. I think he changed his mind when I suggested we order enough wood to build two boats.

We decided to use okoume marine plywood because it is lightweight and easy to work. Mahogany and hardwoods purchased at the local lumber yard were used for trim, gunwales, railing, etc. The plywood arrived on the 8th of April 1999. Kilburn had his boat finished and in the water by October. He had completed everything except the cabin interior. Both boats were built outdoors and when not being worked on, were covered by a tarp. I built my boat by myself. It was built in my backyard under a maple tree. The tree was nice shade in the summer but in the spring and fall something was always falling from it (seeds, leaves and blossoms). I strung a clothesline from the house to the garage and suspended a tarp over the line for cover. By fall (1999) my hull was finished and painted. After the winter, work was resumed in ernest in March and the boat was completed in time for the Rend Lake, Illinois messabout on June 10, 2000.

From June to November I put over 130 hours on the engine hour meter and traveled over 1,000 miles on the water including lakes in Texas, Oklahoma, Illinois and Missouri and the Mississippi, Illinois and Kaskaskia Rivers. I have trailered it from South Texas to Iowa (over 3,000 miles) and have had no problems. I am still amazed at the beauty, performance and utility of the boat. Everywhere I go it attracts a lot of attention. There are always plenty of questions which I don't mind answering because I love to talk about my beautiful boat. The boat has exceeded all of my expectations. The top speed is almost 25 mph with the 25 horse power, four stroke Yamaha outboard engine. The boat cruises easily at 14-15 mph at 4,000 rpm (2/3 throttle). At that speed it gets over 10 miles per gallon of fuel while burning 1.2 gallons per hour. The 6.6 gallon tank, which came with the engine, plus an extra five gallon container will extend the range to over 100 miles.

I have spent many enjoyable nights on the boat both in the water and as a camping trailer. The cabin is seven and a half feet long and is open for easy access to the bow. A snap-in frame and cover convert it into dry, cozy sleeping quarters in a matter of minutes. It sleeps two comfortably on V-bunks which run the entire length of the cabin. The longest trip was made on the Mississippi River over Labor Day. Two of us cruised from Muscatine to Dubuque, Iowa. We spent five nights on the boat and traveled 268 miles. We locked through ten times (5 locks each way). On the return trip we were caught in a thunderstorm in the pool above lock and dam 13. This pool is the largest body of water on the trip and the channel runs through the middle of it. The storm caught us just as we entered the widest part. We found ourselves alone in the middle of the lake with the wind, rain, lightning and large waves. The boat handled marvelously and got us to the lock safely. This winter I plan to take the boat to Florida to escape the worst part of the St. Louis winter.

Kilburn is now finalizing the plans/instructions and they should be available sometime this month (December 2000). I have seen what he has finished and I can say that they are the most complete boat plans I have seen. They will be easily followed even by the first time builder. More information and pictures can be found at his web site: Note – new web site address: http://www.stlmusic.com/skiffamerica. I used to tell Kilburn that the only thing I could think of prettier than a SkiffAmerica coming down the river would be two of them. Now I am looking forward to seeing a whole fleet.

The boat has performed flawlessly and has exceeded all of my expectations. It has proven to be strong and seaworthy. Even out in the Gulf Stream with two to three foot waves it was a comfortable, secure ride. It has sustained a few hard knocks and scrapes which required only a little paint to make it as good as new.

This winter I plan to take her back to Florida. Next summer I have promised myself a trip up the Illinois to Chicago and maybe a trip down the Tenn-Tom next fall.

Don’t ask me how much I want for her. She is part of the family and is not for sale. I hope to enjoy her for years to come.

Bill Dulin

It's 9:00 p.m. February 23, 2002. It's dark, cold and the wind is blowing hard. Not too unusual for St. Louis, Missouri, my home town, but this is Biscayne Bay, Florida. I sit here in my SkiffAmerica 20 and look across the harbor at downtown Miami as I try to type this in near gale force winds. Except for a trip to the marina this morning, I have been tied to a mooring buoy since yesterday afternoon in an unused boat racing area. An upper level low over the Gulf of Mexico and a strong cold front combined over southern Florida to cause some terrible weather. There were tornadoes and water spouts. A storm woke me at 4:00 this morning. I turned on my marine radio to see what was happening. The reception was still good even though I had removed the antenna from its mount and laid it on a seat because it looked too much like a lightning rod in its mount. A boat was taking on water, two fishing boats where adrift and on a collision course with other boats and six boats were tangled up in No Name Harbor (a place I had considered spending the night). Miami received two inches of rain, the most ever for any February 23. Hopefully the weather will improve and make my second annual trip to Florida a little more enjoyable.

I left home a fortnight ago and haven't been able to do much boating. I thought I might first try the St. Johns River so I headed for Jacksonville. The weather was not good so I decided to move farther south. When I looked for a motel I found it was "race week" and the motels were priced accordingly. I drove on to Orlando where plenty of rooms were available and off season rates were still in effect.

I spent the next week in Stuart, Florida with a friend who is thinking about building a SkiffAmerica. We took the boat out on three different occasions. The first time we put in at Leighton Park near the north end of the highway 117 bridge over the St. Lucie River. We followed the Okeechobee Waterway around to Manatee Pocket, an inlet near the Intracoastal Waterway. The Okeechobee Waterway runs from the Intracoastal at the St. Lucie Inlet to Lake Okeechobee. The next day three of us went up the South Fork of the St. Lucie to a marina which had some beautiful classic wooden boats. One was a steam launch in excellent condition.

The last trip at Stuart was from Jimmy Graham Park to the Jupiter Inlet. Jimmy Graham Park is a new facility with a great boat ramp. It is located on the Intracoastal Waterway about half way between Stuart and Jupiter Inlet. At Jupiter Inlet we went about a quarter of a mile into the Atlantic. The waves were four to six feet and was the roughest water I had been in to date. My passenger said he felt very secure in my SkiffAmerica and would not hesitate to take it to the Bahamas on a nice day. I think he is really sold on the boat.

The time came to move farther south. I stopped in Boca Raton to show the boat to a plans holder. He was very excited and said he was looking forward to building his own.

By the time I got to Bayfront Park in Homestead it was getting late and I decided to wait until morning to start out on my exploration of Biscayne Bay. When morning came the wind was pretty strong from the southwest so I decided to go north. Running with the wind is a snap in the SkiffAmerica and she will keep me dry even in rough waters. Biscayne Bay is big and the water is shallow. As I left Bayfront Park I could just barely see Soldier Key on the other side. With a little luck, my chart and the gps I was able to find the channel which runs from Miami to the Keys. It is 25 miles from Bayfront Park to downtown Miami. I took about three hours to make the trip since I was not in a hurry and the water was pretty rough. I traveled along side a sailboat for a short while. The lone sailor said he left West Virginia last August. He had come down the Ohio.

It is getting late (I am a slow writer) so I think I shall be off to bed. The wind is still howling but I think I will sleep OK. I have two lines tied to the mooring buoy and as a safety precaution I have also put out an anchor.

As the song says "What a difference a day makes". It is now 8:30 p.m. on February 24, 2002. I am anchored between Elliot and Adams Key. There is a gentle east breeze and it is perfectly quiet. The moon is bright and the boat is as steady as if it were on the trailer. The water is crystal clear and I saw a large ray glide under the boat.

This day got off to a dreadful start. After rocking all night in a stiff breeze, some water skiers woke me this morning buzzing my boat. It seems the end of the race track I was anchored in is used for rental water ski boats and personal water craft. All of the harbor waters are marked "slow, no wake, manatee zone" but I suppose the race track is exempt. I finished breakfast and headed north up the Intracoastal to the entrance to the Miami River. I cruised up the Miami for about two miles. I had to pull over and let two large tugs pass me as they didn't seem to follow the no wake rule either. I saw a pretty sailboat and photographed it. The owner said it was his own design and it took him a year and a half to build.

I continued up the Intracoastal for another mile or so north passed the "Port of Miami" to the Venetian Bridge. The largest cruise ship I have ever seen, "Voyager of the Sea", was moored at the port. The Venetian Bridge is an old beautiful multi-arch bridge with a draw section in the middle.

I decided it was time to head south with intentions of going back to Bayfront Park. The northwest wind was still blowing and the bay was quite rough. When crossing a large wake the water came almost to the top of the bow and my boat has a high bow. About 15 miles south of Miami the Intracoastal crosses the Featherbed Bank. The passage is only a little over a quarter of a mile long and not very well marked. By the time I got to the other side the wind had subsided and the waves were much smaller. It was early afternoon so I thought I would explore Elliot Key. First stop was the Old University Dock on the northwest side. Besides the dock there is also a small beach there. The next stop was at Elliot Key Harbor. The harbor has about 60 slips plus showers and rest rooms maintained by the park service. Elliot Key and the surrounding areas are part of the Biscayne National Park.

It was getting late and I needed to return to Bayfront Park or find a place to anchor for the night. My cruising guide had two possible sites near Adams Key about five miles south of Elliot Key Harbor. I thought I would have time to check them out and still make it back to Bayfront Park before dark. I couldn't get to the spots shown in the guide because the water was too shallow. It was getting too late to go back to Bayfront Park so I had to find a place on my own. Just past Adams Key I noticed a cove running back to the north. It turned out to be a channel between Adams Key and Elliott and was deep enough for me. I dropped the anchor and ended an exciting day of cruising. The hour meter reads 209.4.

March, in like a lion, hit it square on the head. Today is March 1 and I am anchored on the west side of Shell Key trying to stay out of the wind. Another strong cold front has passed with the coldest temperatures of the winter and very strong winds. The forecast is for 30 to 35 knots and gusty. It is supposed to stay windy for the next several days. Maybe I will have time to catch up on my writing.

After an early breakfast on Monday the 25th I headed back to Bayfront Park from Elliot Key. I spent the night at a motel for a shower and to catch up on my laundry. Another major cold front was forecast for Wednesday. On Tuesday I put in again at Bayfront Park and headed back to Elliot Key. I returned to the spot where I had spent Sunday night. The wind was calm and the "no see 'ums" were biting so I moved farther out between Adams Key and Rubicon Keys. It was then I found the channel to the anchoring spots marked in the cruising guide. It seem I had gone passed the it on my previous attempt.

Wednesday started calm and the cold front was not supposed to arrive before noon. I returned to Elliot Key Harbor on our way back to Bayfront Park. Bayfront Park is about eight miles directly across Biscayne Bay from Elliot Key Harbor. The cold front hit just as I left the harbor. Eight miles to go in the teeth of a gale. I finally made it back in one piece. I decided to wait out the coldest temperature of the season in Homestead. The next day (Thursday) I trailered the boat to Islamorada on Upper Metacumbe Key, about one third of the way to Key West. I launched the boat at Metacumbe Marina ($10.00 launching fee). I cruised around and decided to spend the night in Little Basin. Little Basin is next to Metacumbe Key and is almost completely surrounded by mangroves offering protection from the strong winds which had been forecast. I anchored on the northwest corner of the basin to be out of the north wind and away from the businesses along US highway 1. Through the night the wind shifted around to the north east and increased.

While eating breakfast on Friday morning the anchor gave way and I began to drift towards the shoals. Before I could weigh the anchors I was in water too shallow to run the engine. Thank goodness for the shallow draft of the SkiffAmerica. I was able to pole my way through a break in the mangrove and drift into the open water beyond. I then found a place out of the wind on the west side of Shell Key. The hour meter reads 217.1.

Late in the afternoon I returned to the marina. The wind was still blowing and the water was rough. I picked up some ice and stopped by Steve's bar-b-que for take out--I wanted to return to Shell Island before dark. I spent a quiet and restful night and returned to the marina the next morning.

The forecast was for more wind so I went to Ft. Lauderdale to spend the night. I thought I would look for a flea market the next morning. I have been to flea markets from one end of the country to the other but the one I found in Ft. Lauderdale was probably the largest I have seen. I spent a good deal of the day there and decided I would return to Jimmy Graham Park at Hobe Sound.

It was getting late when I arrived so I quickly launched the boat. Another boat was trying to leave the ramp as I was launching. The ramp was wet and slick. The other boat was being towed by a pickup and could not get enough traction to pull it out. I suggested his passengers and I get in the back to add weight to the rear wheels. It worked. Then, when I tried to pull my trailer up the ramp it wouldn't go. Everyone then got into the back of my pickup and I finally made it out. It was a happy solution to a serious problem and a lesson learned.

I found a quiet channel on the other side of the Intracoastal Waterway and anchored for the night. The hour meter reads 219.4.

The third major cold front in the last eight days came through this morning before daybreak. The boat shifted 180 degrees with the wind and the anchor came loose. As I pulled the anchor in it began to rain. I was able to start the engine and move to a spot out of the wind. I set the anchor, put on some dry clothes and went back to bed.

The high temperature for today is predicted to be in the mid-fifties and in the forties tonight. That is still better than the 17 degrees with ice and snow in St. Louis.

I spent today (Monday) waiting for things to dry. I returned to the slip at the park and went into Hobe Sound for groceries and ice. I returned to the boat and went north up the Intracoastal. The Intracoastal widens to become Peck Lake just north of Graham Park. There were a dozen boats anchored there, apparently waiting for the wind to subside. It looks like they will have a long wait. I continued on to the St. Lucie Inlet. It was getting late and I had not found a place I liked so I returned to my previous anchorage. I dozed off after dinner and about two hours later the wind shifted around to the east and began to rock the boat. I moved across the channel to find a calmer spot. It is midnight and I am ready to call it a day. The hour meter reads 221.0.

Before daybreak the wind shifted back to the northeast and blew me into the mangrove. It left some marks on the side of the boat. I later discovered that they had not scratched the paint and were easy to wipe off. That Mooreguard house paint is pretty tough. I moved back where I had been only a little farther west out of the wind. It was next to the Intracoastal so I got a good rock whenever someone passed.

Today is Tuesday March 5, 2002. I returned to the slip and tied up. It is only about two miles to town so I thought I would go to the library to check my e-mail. Most all public libraries have computers with Internet connections. I returned to the boat and went south to look for another anchorage. About .8 miles south of Graham Park I found an opening into a lagoon on the east side of the Intracoastal. The lagoon is about 500 feet wide and 1,000 feet long. It is about three or four feet deep and is completely surrounded by mangrove. The opening is narrow and shallow and the tide was out. I tilted the engine up for shallow running and managed to enter the lagoon. I am anchored near the northeast side which offers excellent protection from the strong wind. For a change I expect to have an uninterrupted nights sleep. The hour meter reads 222.1.

Wednesday morning was windy as usual. It was also cloudy and rained most of the day. The weather was too bad to go boating so in the afternoon I returned to the ramp, tied up and went back to the library. I use the on-line banking feature offered by my credit union and can pay my bills anytime I am logged on to the Internet. On the way back to the boat I only stopped long enough to buy a bag of ice. I don't like to leave the boat very long even though I take my valuables with me. I am now back in the lagoon for the night and I plan to go up the Intracoastal to Stuart tomorrow if the weather allows.

This morning (Thursday) was still breezy but not as strong. The sun was shining a little through the clouds. I had breakfast and headed up the Intracoastal. I went passed the inlet from the Atlantic and into the St. Lucie River to Kreuger Creek. My friend is working on a boat there and I returned a book he had loaned me. I then returned to the Intracoastal and south to Peck Lake. Peck Lake is separated from the ocean by a narrow strip of land which is a preserve and is for day use only. I thought I would stop for lunch so I beached the boat (see photo), set the anchor on the shore and walked over to the ocean side. Even though the wind had subsided the breakers were still impressive. I took a walk down the beach for some much needed exercise and returned to the boat for lunch. Dark clouds were coming in from the south and rain had been forecast for the afternoon. I returned to the ramp, made a quick trip to check my e-mail and to get more ice. My ice chest takes about a bag a day. Maybe it's time to invest in a more efficient one. It is now 10:00 p.m. and I am back in my favorite lagoon. It has been raining, but now it has stopped. Everything is quiet except for the breakers I hear on other side of the strip of land that separates the lagoon from the ocean. The hour meter reads 225.5.

Friday was one of the nicest days I have had on this trip. It was sunny and there was a light east breeze. I left the lagoon and went back to Kreuger Creek to see if my friend had plans for dinner. I went from there to the St. Lucie Inlet and out into the Atlantic. I went out to the first buoy which is about a half mile off shore. The waves were again about four to six feet high but the frequency was greater than the ones at Jupiter Inlet. By slowing down a little I found I did not "fall" off the tops of the waves and the ride was very comfortable. Turning back to the inlet, I was going with the waves and had no problem at all. The breakwaters at St. Lucie Inlet are very close together and could be hazardous to a careless mariner.

I returned to Jimmy Graham Park and took the boat out of the water. I spent the night in Stuart and started for St. Louis the next morning. I planned to stop in Orlando and try to find a flea market Sunday morning. The weather was so nice I thought I would look for a place to put the boat in the water instead of looking for a motel. On the map I noticed a boat ramp symbol on Lake Tohopekaliga at the south edge of Kissimmee. I checked it out and it looked inviting. The lake trends north and south and is about ten miles long and three miles wide. There are two islands in the north end; the first about a mile from the ramp. I ask someone how to pronounce the name of the lake and they said what it was To-ho'-pa-ka-li'-ga but that most people just call it Lake Toho. He said his father calls it To-hope-I-like-it. It was getting late as usual so I launched the boat and I am now anchored between Paradise and Makinson islands. It is 9:30 p.m., the lake is calm and all is quiet. It is good to be back in fresh water. The hour meter reads 229.3.

Sunday morning was beautiful. Instead of finding a flea market, I decided to go on to Mobile, Alabama to spend the night. It was too cold to sleep on the water so I spent the night in a motel. On Monday I visited my cousin in Mobile. After lunch I went on to Starkville, Mississippi to see a life long friend. We had dinner and a pleasant visit.

My next stop was the Bay Springs Reservoir on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, a short drive up the Natchez Trace parkway from Starkville. The locks are one of the highest in the United States (84 foot lift).

From there I continued up the Parkway to Buzzard Roost Spring in northwest Alabama. My great-great-great-great grandfather, Levi Colbert, was a chief of the Chickasaw tribe and owned a "stand" there on the Natchez Trace.

I left Buzzard Roost after lunch and drove back across Mississippi to US highway 45. I drove across Tennessee and Kentucky and crossed the Ohio and Mississippi rivers where they meet just below Cairo, Illinois. I finally made it home about 8:00 p.m. I had traveled 3,700 miles.