Building a small boat

nate he will probably stop in soon as he sees your post but if not you can pm markj hes a boat builder.

 

Do a google search for OD18. you'll find plenty of plans.

You cant really save any money on smaller by building them but the quality will be better.
When you start getting up into the bigger boats like the 18 footers you can save 50% and more by building yourself.
For instance I can build and paint an 18 foot hull and have it ready to flip to do the interior for 2000 and build the hull in a few weeks. If I didnt work I could spit out a turn key 18 footer in a month or so.

My advice. Stick with stitch and glue plans. No fasteners to rot out or give problems and its a lighter construction method that is as strong as the day is long.

 

Here is one that I found. Scroll to the bottom, to view plans and contact info. I was going to resize these plans to make a remote control bait boat. There are also photos, from builders of these plans.

http://www.unclejohns.com/jonboat/builders/kilwth/default.htm

http://www.unclejohns.com/jonboat/photos/Default.htm

 

good luck on your project ,, its great that you guys will be able to spend that quality time together...

 

Try www.glen-l.com. Lots of boat plans and pics of finished boats.

 

Nate, my dad used to build wooden jon boats usualy 16 ft. I have built a couple of 20 ft. boats ,hang in there with grand paw and good luck :wink:

 

I like a few Glen-L plans but for the most part Glen-L's plans are old and have no record of ever being built.
You can look at the boat styles and tell they are old.

Their stitch and glue boats are first generation cut and fold method.
We're way beyond that.
I dont think anybody over there is actively designing because the site doesn't reflect it.

Builder support is hodge podge.

Gken-L is a good site to look around and get ideas. I have and I also have a set of Glen-L plans.
They aint got nothing on the boys out of Vero Beach Florida. Not even close.

A good stitch and glue plan is the way to go. Its hard to screw up. No special fasteners, no special tools like table saws , jointers and such.
All you need is a skil saw or a sabre saw, a cordless or corded drill, and something to sand with if you want to sand it.
There are no perfect cuts or beveled cuts to make. There is no joinery or cabinet making skills required.

1/4" gaps are acceptable in stitch and glue. Thats where the strength is.
The gaps are where the thickened epoxy fillets put down their footing.

I have a library of plans from a handful of people.
Look for active designers. Real educated naval designer/architects some are world reknown, others are known.
They may have yacht designs plastered everywhere but most of them have some small stuff like a few rowers and sailboats.
This is where you'll find the boats that can be handed down.
Worth the time and money to build. A real project for a grandson and grandfather.

Or you can build a scab boat. I've built those since I was a kid with a Sears workbench.
Plywood and sheetrock screwed one and two manners.
Disposable boats. Slap it together in the spring and burn it in the winter to heat the shop. Not made to last or become a heirloom or something to talk about. Just something to put you on a bream hole.

There are alot of junk plans on the web. Backyard designs with backyard engineering.
Also alot of plans ripped from old magazines in the 50 and 60's that are real hard to follow without much detail.
Alot of buyer beware type stuff.

 

there are some wooden boat plans on ebay also.. dont know if they are any good but it might be worth checking into,,,

 

There were some articles on here about traditional built wooden jon boats cant seem to find them at the moment but they were some mighty fine river boats.

Also in your opinion Mark would the Flat Skiff 12 be suitable for a med size river ? I have always wanted to build a boat since I was a kid and I think my kids would love to be a part of that.

 

Here are some sources that are very good. There is great support for the boat builder and the cost of plans are not that much.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Michalak/

http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/

http://www.duckworksbbs.com/plans/jim/michalak.htm

http://www.instantboats.com/boats.html

http://instantboats.com/phpBB3/

Good luck,

Bill

 

If a person is just wanting to clobber some boards together to get on the water...and doesn't want to spend the money and time building a boat nice enough to leave to his future grandchildern, there is a rough and tough 12-foot Punt/Jon Boat "the Sand-Dab" designed and built by a Thomas D. King.

Only two 2 x 12-inch by 12-foot boards for the sides, bow and transom, plus some 1 x 6 or 8-inch boards to raise the freeboard. Some 10d galvanized nails, some paint, and off to the water!:wink:

http://oomur.pair.com/wwpotter/images/Sand-Dab-Drawing.JPG

Don't laugh...Mr. King used the boat for some time!

A friend of mine use the Sand-Dab hull design to build a micro-houseboat and spent a week on the Ohio traveling over 100-miles! Here is a photo of Jonh Ulmer starting on on his 100+ trip down the Ohio River. If you just look at the hull that will give yu some idea what a Sand-Dab would be like.

http://oomur.pair.com/wwpotter/images/Photo 2 John Ulmer's Ugly Duck.jpg

Here is a photo of the boat I built last year. The epoxy used alone cost more than the nice 14-foot V-bottom aluminum boat I'm going to use this summer!

http://oomur.pair.com/wwpotter/images/Gypsy 09-27-07.JPG

Bill

 

I fell in love with the lines of the lobster boats or as some call the picnic boats.

I'll build one sometime. First I have to get the boat barn finished or atleast get it closed in with heat and air so I can work with epoxy year round.
these are along the lines of what I want but I want something in 26-30 foot range.

http://www.archdavisdesigns.com/davis_jacktar.html

You got to see that baby roll with that diesel. She moves on out.
You can find the videos on Zwissler's site

 

Mark J, that would be a wonderful boat to own. I can see myself puttering around bays and inlets in one!:roll_eyes:

Bill

 

Naa, thats enough boat to head way out yonder and has the speed to come back.
I'd be on the gulfstream with that one.

 

I think the D5 is a free plan.
The free canoe.
And there is free pontoon plan for a small pontoon boat.

Got another plan site I'll share when I get home from work that offers small boats plans like canoes and kayaks. Typically these plans aren't too bad in price.

 

OK, if you are really dedicated to making it happen....go to your local library and check out all of "Dynamite" Payson's Books. A person can build one of Payson's Instant Boats using only the drawing that are in Payson's books. Not easy, but it can be done with a little effort.

One good one is "Build the New Instant Boats".


Bill

 

Hey mark
Could you please share the site for the pontoon boat plans?
You guys got me day dreaming. Maybe my wife would go boating with me if we had a pontoon.
Also I couldn't find a site for the D5 plans.

thanks
have a good one
just