Getting a flat bottom

[ilbucksndux]

I have read dang near every post in the forum and still wondering about something. I'm wanting to build a flat bottom boat and from what im reading cutting out an "arch" in the bottom. Correct ? lookin at somewhere around a 15 footer with a 24" bottom and 12" sides.


From what Im reading 1 1/2" to 1 " at the center out to "nothing" is the correct cut ?

 

[seedtick]

That's a good starting point. But it depends on the side flare and and the amount of rocker you want to end up with.

for a given side flare, more arc gives less rocker and less arc gives more rocker

for a given arc, more flare gives more rocker and less flare gives less rocker

to help you visualize this, cut a couple of strips of thin, flexible material - say 2 feet long and 2 inches wide, with about an 1 1/2" cut back on the ends - put them side by side and tape the ends together.

Stand the strips on edge and spread them apart in the middle about 4"

As long as you keep the strips vertical, you will have no rocker, but if you bend them outward (like increasing flare) , you'll notice that the ends bend upward giving you increasing rocker. The way to reduce the rocker is to cut an arc out of the bottom of the panel

 

[ilbucksndux]

I have been doing alot more reading and some thinking and maybe I should give yall some back ground. I'm really wanting is a small boat that I can duck hunt out of either by myself or with another adult(or one of my kids). It needs to be light and fairly easy to manuver in the water,around trees, thru swamp grass ect. Need to be able to haul general ammout of duck huntin gear.



I'm leaning strongly towards 14-15 foot long, 30" wide at the bottom and about 34" across the top .start out with 12" sides and cut the front 1 1/2' and the back 1". For ease of sliding in the back of my truck and possibly the addition of a trolling motor I'm strongly leaning toward the back having a flat transom around 20" wide.

In my mind it should work out ok. If anyone has anything they would like to offer I'm all ears. I have a pile of lumber and may start one evening this week definately on the weekend .

 

[beekeeper]

Check this site. Easy boats to build. Either the Crock, the Big Mama, or the Duckhunter could work for you.
http://www.gatorboats.com/

beekeeper

 

[ilbucksndux]

I bought the plans for a Duckhunter a few years ago. It is a really cool boat that I want to build BUT it is gonna be heaver than I want. After its glassed I wont be able to easily load and unload it bymyself Thats why I was leaning to a pirouge/skiff type boat. The others I never gave much thought to but they look like what I'm wanting. The rough dimentions I mentioned above should work I would think.


I have NEVER built a boat but am a carpenter by trade . I'm just lookin for direction by experienced boat(not home)builders.

 

[beekeeper]

Fiberglassing Gator boats is optional. Adding it is your choice.

Question (home builder) = a builder of houses?

beekeeper

 

[tx river rat]

You can build a wood epoxy and cloth boat at about half the weight of the similar model Gator boats.
Ron

 

[oldsparkey]

Matt at JEM Watercraft has a boat that would fill the bill for you. It is wide , short in length and really steady in the water. It will slide in the back of a truck with ease and can be moved around by one person. The Swamp Girl.

As far as building a wood boat it is not hard to do , just attach part one to part two and continue from there till it is completed. The hardest part of building a wood boat is actually deciding on which one to make , when that decision is done everything else is really easy.

Chuck.

 

[ilbucksndux]

Question (home builder) = a builder of houses?

beekeeper

Yea that what I ment. I have experience with building things with wood but you guys are boat builders. I have never so I askin the "pros".