Mole (Thames Type)

The Mole is named in honour of that friendly creature in The Wind in the Willows who found such delight in discovering, so unexpectedly, the joys of “messing about in boats.”

The Thames skiffs are certainly one of the most elegant of small craft. They evolved from working river boats of the mid-19th century; already light and fast, they were made even finer for pleasure use, with a modest beam with a high deadrise and slack bilge, which when combined with a long waterline length gave a hull of extraordinarily low resistance. Most single skiffs were between 20 and 24 feet overall, and the doubles up to around 26 feet.

Apart from being out of reach of the average owner, the size of the skiffs makes them impractical, unless you happen to live on a suitable river with a suitable boathouse. So, it was thought to be a good idea to produce a design which could be easily built by an amateur, and could be stored in a garage, and be light enough to transport on top of a car. Thus, she would be a far more useful boat for most owners.

Mole certainly has some measure of the grace and beauty of the old skiffs, and offers the delights of ‘messing about’ in style to many more owners. The shorter length and light weight make the boat very much handier and more manoeuvrable than the traditional hulls. Though obviously a smooth-water boat, the very fine entry and constant flare enable her to handle a bit of wind-blown chop or the wake of a large power boat going a little too fast with surprising ease. The low freeboard and long keel minimise the effect of a side-wind. With the fine lines and narrow waterline beam she moves through the water astonishingly fast, with practically no effort on the oars.

Drawings for a pair of suitably light spoon oars are included in the plan set. Likewise, a traditional steering yoke, operated by the passenger with light lines. A simple wood back-rest is provided; this is easier to put together than the usual wrought-iron construction, or heavier looking wood-framed cane back- and arm-rests, which could appear top-heavy and obtrusive on the smaller boats. Also included is a plan for a pattern for cast bronze rudder fittings which if affordable will suit the style of the skiff better than available stock fittings. These are now available to order.