HOWB 109 – Interview the Expert | Skin Boat School Owner Corey Freedman on Skin-On-Frame Building - 10.24.13

Today’s podcast is an interview with Skin On Frame building expert Corey Freedman, owner of SkinBoats.org in Anacortes, WA. This is the sixth of my Interview The Expert series of podcasts focused on 6 methods of boatbuilding: Carvel, Lapstrake, Cold Molded, Stitch and Glue, Strip Planked, and Skin-on-Frame. I discuss each of these methods of construction in my eBook Get in the Wooden Boat Game: A Guide for Building Your First Boat which is available for $4.99 at this LINK.

The Skin On Frame method was believed to be developed by the maritime peoples of the Arctic centuries ago. The builder would stretch seal skin over a carefully lashed together and lightweight framework of driftwood to create a long (sometimes over 20’) and narrow (as little as 18”) craft. These boats were usually single occupancy and were capable of navigating rough waters, rolling over, and were used for daily activities such as hunting, gathering, and transportation.

Today, SOF boats can be built with a framework of lashed together dimensional lumber (such as cedar, spruce, or fir), skinned with ballistic nylon, and painted with a two part urethane waterproof coating. These boats are light, strong, and beautiful, and can be relatively inexpensive to build.

During the interview, Corey discusses the following points on Skin On Frame construction:

Description and history

Skill level required to utilize this method

Cost of this method versus other building methods Time to build versus other methods

Special tools and materials required

Pros and cons

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.