Kubota Diesel Powered Tolman Skiff

[guldam]

Renn Tolman is a boat designer and builder in Homer, Alaska. He's built over a hundred boats in his lifetime and is well known in Homer for designing and building rugged but light weight, wooden Tolman Alaskan Skiffs for ocean fishing. He's written several books on the subject that actually are boat plans in book form. Many Tolman Skiffs have been built from these plans by amateur builders like myself.



In the past few years Renn has focused on taking the tunnel bottom of an old fuel efficient design, the Atkin's Seabright Skiff (see Robb White's Rescue Minor also), and merging it onto the Tolman Standard Skiff hull. The desire was to build a very fuel efficient skiff powered by a common and inexpensive Kubota inboard diesel engine.



I love diesel engines and thought folks might be interested in other diesel powered "vehicles".



Here are a couple of videos:



YouTube - Renn Tolman's Tolman - Seabright Skiff



YouTube - Renn Tolman's Tolman - Seabright Skiff 2



Renn has a website: http://www.tolmanskiffs.com and you can also visit http://www.fishyfish.com/tolmanskiff.html for many more examples of Tolman Skiffs. There are several full sized Tolman Jumbos with inboard Mercury (Cummins) Diesels.



Guldam

 

[Glen Pratt]

Pretty cool. That Kubota is a noisy sucker with the engine cover off.

 

[Skydiver]

That looks like a pleasing boat to operate. The Kubota sounds like it is only turning 1000 rpms or less.
We have had our 1005 cc 26 horse 3 cylinder Kubota ZD326 for 2 years now. Still swings a 5' mower deck with only 0. 6-0. 7 gallons fuel per hour. Very comfortable ZTR.

 

[CBlack]

How long did it take you to build your skiff?

If you don't mind my asking, what what the final cost for something like that?

 

[guldam]

The Tolman Seabright was built by Renn Tolman. It was his prototype, and I think it cost him something like $10k in Marine grade plywood, epoxy, fiberglass, engine, all the assorted hardware, prop(s), trailer, etc. He sold the boat for about 10k and said that was "scarcely what he had into it. ".



My 22'x8' Tolman Jumbo cost substantially more to build and outfit with Suzuki DF140, Yamaha T8 kicker, electronics, dual batteries etc. You don't save a whole lot of money building your own. But you do have an incredible project and satisfaction when you are out in the deep blue catching fish on a boat you labored over yourself.



GulDam

 

[CBlack]

The Tolman Seabright was built by Renn Tolman. It was his prototype, and I think it cost him something like $10k in Marine grade plywood, epoxy, fiberglass, engine, all the assorted hardware, prop(s), trailer, etc. He sold the boat for about 10k and said that was "scarcely what he had into it. ".



My 22'x8' Tolman Jumbo cost substantially more to build and outfit with Suzuki DF140, Yamaha T8 kicker, electronics, dual batteries etc. You don't save a whole lot of money building your own. But you do have an incredible project and satisfaction when you are out in the deep blue catching fish on a boat you labored over yourself.



GulDam

No doubt. Boat building is always something that has fascinated me. How long did it take you to build it? I would think a significant amount of time.

 

[guldam]

It took me 3 1/2 years. Had my first child during this time, and went through a bout of Non Hodgkins Lymphoma. I think I could have done it in a year or year and half if I'd not been busy with diapers and chemo...



GulDam

No doubt. Boat building is always something that has fascinated me. How long did it take you to build it? I would think a significant amount of time.