EMZARA

Nick Williams

Although EMZARA didn't wind up with the concave bottom section that makes the Jericho Bay Lobster Skiff distinctive, she still gets up on a plane quickly. The intentionally hogged bottom is more of an advantage for a tiller-steered outboard where there is a lot of weight in the stern.

John Adamson visited the WoodenBoat campus in the fall of 2009 and was taken by two Jericho Bay Lobster Skiffs: the original plank-on-frame version built by Jimmy Steele in the early 1970s, sitting on a trailer parked in front of the WoodenBoat Store, and a strip-planked version built by Tom Hill, at anchor near the WoodenBoat boathouse. The skiff has an unusual feature: a hogged bottom. This concavity in the aft half of the hull, usually associated with old boats that have been improperly supported in storage, serves the same purpose as trim tabs, creating lift at the stern and keeping the bow down.When John retired a few years later, he found himself with some extra time on his hands. He had enjoyed doing woodworking in the past and was ready to take on the challenges that boatbuilding provides. Living a dozen miles down the South Australia coast from Adelaide in Port Wilunga, he has the St. Vincent Gulf at his doorstep and the River Murray beyond his back yard, so he’d have lots of waterways to explore.