Question:
I want a small boat because my budget is limited and the space to store it
is even more limited. If I build, I have to build it in a 20 x 12 unheated
garage. I'd buy a boat because I am an indifferent workman with little
time, but the boughten boats I can find don't have the best hull shape and
are lacking in other areas,
Answer:
assume it will be towed behind the car on a trailer. on lakes and rivers
around here the 14 ft open aluminum boat with 9.9 hp motor is the standard
fishing platform for 1-2 people. there's a brisk trade in used ones. price
goes down with age.
if you want to play around with the dimensions of a home built flat bottom
skiff look at files Skiff.txt and Skiff.bas on my webpage
www.ncf.ca/~ag384. probably the cheapest and easiest pointy fishing boat
for the backyard builder. for an outboard the stern should be wide and
flat (no deadrise to speak of). for rowing the stern should be narrower
with deadrise to get the transom above the surface. for rough water the
sides should be high. a deck helps keep out spray. I think its 1 hp per
50 lb of boat and contents to get it up on a plane. Most are overpowered.
the sides are bent 'round a temporary building form which defines the
cross section at its widest, and screwed and glued to the stem and
transom. the boat is turned over an the bottom put on. stringers and
frames can be put in for stiffening. There's a standard design for a 16
footer in Rabl's "Boatbuilding In Your Own Backyard". It boards but most
people use plywood these days.
