On Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:17:11 -0400, I_am_Tosk wrote:

In article , says...

On Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:52:55 -0400, I_am_Tosk wrote:

In article , says...

On Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:14:45 -0400, I_am_Tosk wrote:

In article ,
says...

On 6/22/2011 7:47 PM, scp wrote:


Thank you.
It's in the short list.
I want it as light as possible
but steady enough to fish from.
Any fabric on frame options?

It may be sacrilege to say this on a boat building group but a
twelve foot aluminum is hard to beat. I live in what is called
cortege country. Seems like there's one of these little fishing
boats tied up to 90% of the docks around here.

Some of them are older than the trees that produced the wood you
will use and may well be around long after your wooden boat has
returned to the forest.

A used twelve footer in decent condition around here may sell for
less than the cost of the wood to build a boat that size.

LdB

Well, for the most part you are probably correct. I think part of
the problem is most noobies consider building a boat to save
money, but it won't happen, you have to build for other reasons or
it really isn't worth it. That being said, everyone should build a
boat at least once in their lives to this may be reason enough for
the original poster... and I hope it is.

Anyway, although the eight foot pram might seem a good bet, it's
very small for two, and quite frankly harder to build than say a
12 foot skiff, skin on frame version of this boat:
http://smallboats.com/images/stanleysie3_500.jpg The lightest
(with skin on frame method, not depicted in the above photo) that
I have ever built one of these is about 125 pounds. It's a bit
wide for a standard roof rack, but one can get it onto a pickup
bed easily by themselves.

A nice tradeoff that can be built at about 85 pounds is this:
http://smallboats.com/kc_01.htm
type of boat. (I have built them as light as 80 pounds but a
beginner is probably going to use more epoxy and such so figure 90
lbs) A 10+ foot pointy skiff with a narrow tail for easy rowing or
very small (2 horse or under) engine... This one would fit on a
modified (widened) standard roof rack on most cars...

The 12 footer boat is great for two, and a dog, a cooler, poles,
etc. although crowded with all that gear, you just can't safely do
it with an 8 footer. 8 footers are really better suited for
tending a moore. The ten footer will hold a lot too but it is
strictly for protected water. Here is a pic of on with well over
500 pounds of my friends aboard, it will hold quite a bit... Here
is a picture of the light weight ten footer with two of my buds
in, each well over 250 lbs... Check out the freeboard still
available: http://smallboats.com/images/jimandrandy_250.jpg

Ok, in conclusion, I think your best bet is a pointy skiff of skin
(6mm occoume) on frame (douglass fir, or spruce)... from your
original post, I think the 10+ foot "rowboat" which accommodates a
very small engine might be your best bet...

Just my .02... Scotty


The plywood skin on frame method is not as simple as I thought it
might be.
At least as described by Thosmas J, Hill. Next, Gavin Atkins. Then
on to the fabric-on-frame method. Any fan of Geodesic Airolite boats
here?

I think they are great, but maybe not the tool for you. If you are
timid about skin on frame then really not for you

What do you find difficult about skin on frame just out of curiosity?
You build a transom, a couple bulkheads, out of framing lumber, and
bend some plywood around it with a bit of glue and a few nails to
hold things together from what I know...


Probably not the way you do it.
If I remember correctly,
several years ago I built one that way because I was too lazy to follow
the pattern I purchased.
Unfortunately I made it too small
because I was not willing to scarf-join plywood. I didn't bother to
fiberglass it.
Maybe I can salvage it somehow
by turning it into a double chine boat. But probably not worth the
trouble.
I'm wondering why jonboats are so heavy. Anything under 80 pounds?

Not really, using "conventional" materials and techniques that I am
aware of. Quite possibly the other poster hit it right, you need an
aluminum boat... Nothing at all wrong with that if you just want to get
on the water. If it's just a light, easy, low maintenance, dependable
boat you want, could be the way to go.


It appears that I would rather make a boat
without using complex patters or lofting.
I guess I would be using the simplified chine log method
and probably build a PoorBoy skiff.
http://www.angelfire.com/ego/lewisbo...orBoySkiff.htm
Not sure how good it would be for rowing,
but I don't need to row too far.