“PERSISTENCE”  $10,900

Located in Lancaster, PA

Persistence is a wooden 16 ft. Melonseed Skiff Built from plans drawn by Mark Bartow & purchased from Wooden Boat Magazine. She was built in North Carolina and Pennsylvania over the course of 4years.

The hull is built from 5/16th bead and cove strips set up on ¾” MDF molds. The hull is fiber glassed (10 oz.) finish cloth inside and out.  I have made two significant improvements to Bartow’s design. The first improvement is the rudder.  Bartow uses a “barn door” style rudder which features significant drag and is always in contact with the water.  I used a Dotan rudder head which is popular with racing Catamarans.  This allows use of a spade rudder which is deployed with a flick of the tiller handle.  The result is sensitive steering with very little drag. More importantly the rudder just pops up out of the water if it contacts the ground while underway.  The second significant improvement is the elimination of the chine logs from the interior of the hull.  Bartow uses chine logs as structural elements to join the hull and plywood bottom of the hull.  I make this connection with a 10 to 1 scarf joint so the interior of my boat is smooth very much like a molded fiberglass hull.  I also opened up the cockpit towards the stern of the boat. She is a gaff rig, and the 3 spars are all spruce hollow birds’ mouth construction.

Bartow’s plan calls for standing rigging to include a head stay and a port and starboard shrouds.  I used bronze plate for the chain plates and a stainless-steel screw eye for the stemhead fitting.  Stays are spliced Dyneema with stainless steel turnbuckles.  I’ve only once sailed in enough wind for the windward shroud to be taught.  A large cast bronze bolt eye is set in the stem.  This is used for hauling the boat up on the trailer and securing her in place on the trailer.  It also provides a strong towing eye.

The bright trim of Persistence is all varnished Sepele Mahogany, the rub rails are hickory, the spars and deck beams are spruce, white oak is used as a sacrificial skid plate keel, and cypress planking is used for the floorboards. The floors are varnished red oak and epoxied to the inside of the hull.  The mast collar is teak. The deck is ¼ inch marine plywood saturated with epoxy both sides. Outside the deck is primed with marine primer then finished coated with white non-skid marine paint.  The sail is designed and sewn by Dabbler Sails of Virginia.  The boat includes two 7ft oars, locks, and a rowing seat.   Ground tackle is provided by a grappling folding anchor and a screw type mooring post.  Ground tackle & two inflatable life vests, two cushions and a small dry sack are all included.

Persistence has been sailed mostly on inland lakes and ponds in central Pennsylvania.  Shortly after commissioning we trailered her to the Adirondacks and the coast of Maine.  The most thrilling sail to date was on Raquette Lake, New York.  During a broad reach, I got her up on a sustained plane for several miles.  A photo of Persistence during this sail is included. When she planes the centerboard vibrates and you know the boat is happy.

Persistence is my last boat.  I loved the challenge and satisfaction of building her. But I’m now in my 80’s and sadly it’s time to find someone else to have fun with her.

The trailer is titled in Pennsylvania and its registration is current.  It has a torsion bar suspension and 13-inch wheels both which were new in 2021.  The stern of the boat is secured to the trailer with a light and license plate bar which attaches to the trailer via heavy duty shock cords.  Taillights are new bright LED discs which have never been submerged.  A pair of PVC stanchions make backing onto a launch ramp with an empty trailer a breeze. A fiberglass reinforced plastic cover attaches to the trailer with a series of shock cords. The mast acts as a ridgepole and the covered boat stays clean and dry.  The cover, however, probably would not hold up to highway speeds. But it could be used by a canvas shop as a pattern for a more robust boat cover.  I believe that this trailer could confidently be used to transport Persistence thousands of miles.

All inquiries should be made to

Roger Crawford by email roger@melonseed.com 

or phone 781.837.3666