See it at the Toronto Classic Boatfest (Lake Macquarie) this Easter!
The boat is a Goat Island Skiff (GIS). Specs are:
Length: 15'6”
Hull weight: 50kg
Sail area: 105 square feet
Rig: Balanced lug
Designer: Michael Storer
I built this boat last year (2010) and I've sailed her extensively this summer, mostly on the fresh waters of Grahamstown Lake at Port Stephens, near Newcastle. It has been built from the best of materials. The plywood is the best in the world, ie. Gaboon/Okoume marine ply manufactured in France by Joubert. The other timbers featured are Australian Hoop Pine and Australian grown Paulownia. Paulownia is known for it's high strength but very low weight, hence the reason for this boat's very light weight.
The mast is made from Hoop pine and is hollow for light weight.
The sail is made by Storm Bay Sails (Tasmania) from quality 5oz Dacron.
The foils (centreboard and rudder blade) are also made from Paulownia and shaped to a NACA foil section which contributes enormously to the performance of this boat.
The boat comes on a new custom built, registered, fully galvanised trailer, bearing buddies pumped with lithium grease and spare wheel. No problems for towing this anywhere!
Package also includes a high quality boat cover.
The GIS has 2 characters. Sailed single handedly, she provides exciting and spirited performance, planing readily. Add a crew or a few family members, and she is transformed into the ideal family sailing boat, capable of taking you all for a memorable day's sailing, while not exactly dragging the chain either like many other heavier built boats. The sail has two reef points, so you choose the power you need to suit your mood and crew capabilities.
She is finished with three coats of West System epoxy, and then with three coats of marine varnish. All she'll need to keep her great looks, is a very light rub down with fine steel wool and another coat of varnish each year. This is one wooden boat that won't cost much in terms of maintenance, and it's all due to the preparation that went into the start of its life.
Fittings: Only the best of Ronstan's ball bearing blocks on this boat. There are even two ratchet blocks to make handling that big sail easy.
There are many reasons for the legendary performance of the Goat Island Skiff. Basically, it's a number of design aspects which when added together produce a boat that can knock the socks off much more contemporary, plastic boats. What is so amazing, is that you can't get much more lo-tech either! When Storer designed the Goat Island Skiff, he set out to produce a boat that had great performance, was lo-tech and wouldn't be cost prohibitive. He certainly succeeded.
Hull shape: The Goat's underwater shape is easily driven, fast, and belies its traditional looks.
Rig: The designer has optimised the balanced lug rig, and has proved that great performance can be extracted from this traditional, simple rig.
Sail: 105 sq ft. That's a decent engine for a boat this size and weight!
Foils: Modern foils, as found on on many racing boats.
Also included are three PFD (life jackets) as new, two medium sized, warm spray jackets (as new)
Here's MIK sailing her earlier this year...
Goat Island Skiff on new Galvanised trailer (registered) 
