Looking for plans for a crabbing skiff

[CGCHRIS]

Good evening. I am hoping to build a 14 ft wood skiff for crabbing and fishing. I have a 2320 Parker Pilot House with 225 and I love it. However, it's a lot of boat for a quick fishing/crabbing trip. I am looking for something stable and sturdy. Overall length with motor and trailer has to be less than 17 feet. I have above average woodworking skills but have only built a stitch and glue kayak. I have looked at a few plans online but would love some input from the folks on this board? Thank you.
Chris

[Tom Powers]

What type of boat are you interested in building, plank on frame, cold molded, plywood on frame?

Do you plan on storing it in a sheltered environment?

What size motor do you intend on using?

Garvey is a good designer. Here is a link to one I would recommend a 15' 9" Ben Garvey. It is a pram style boat. The good news with a pram is that they act like a boat a few feet longer on the water. You may want to push the sides up a few inches by widening the last strake. but other than that it should be a good design. It says you can build the chines out of epoxy fillets. I would recommend using white oak. Somewhere around here I have a book that might have plans for this boat. If not you should be able to find the old school design of the same boat that is plywood on frame.

http://www.dhylanboats.com/ben_garvey_plans.html

Here is a link to a number of other boats.

http://www.bateau.com/products.php?cat=29

[CGCHRIS]

To expand on what I would like to build: I would like to power with 9.9 to 15 four stroke. The boat will be garage kept. This boat is intended for crabbing and fishing sheltered, shallow areas. I would also like to be able to pole it across shallows. I want something cheap to run and that will fit in my garage. I don't want to pay to store a second boat. I like the Ben Garvey plans but on a trailer with a motor they are getting kind of long. I am most interested in plank or plywood on frame construction.Do you have any experience with the dark water skiff by gator boats? I think I would like to stay away from stitch and glue. I have 17 feet garage length so a 14 footer would be ideal. (I was already figuring on a swing away trailer tongue). Thanks for your help. Chris

[Rosco]

how about this little guy? http://www.enviboats.com/home/our-bo...14-envi-tender Capt. Bo - Marolina is building one now at his shop in Prince Frederick, MD

[CGCHRIS]

How about something a little cheaper?

[scottstef]

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i am getting ready to start one of jeff spira's ply on frame dories. Flat bottom and fairly wide.

[CGCHRIS]

The 14 footer of his is one of my top contenders. What made you go with that plan? Are you happy with the plans? Thanks, Chris

[scottstef]

i like spira because:
1. he answers questions quickly
2. plans are well written
3. looked well within my capabilities
4. dories can take a beating
5. low power requiremnets

[Tom Powers]

The general lines of the spria boats looks good. A few suggestions.

1. Coat the inside of the floor and maybe the sides with a layer of cloth and epoxy before you assemble them in order to avoid checking of the plywood (even if you store them inside) I have had this problem with boats after 10 years of use. 1/2 inch plywood seems to be more of an issue than 1/4 plywood.

2. Use WHITE OAK for the frames, transom, chines, and gunnels. (I can do a detailed post relating to steam bending oak.)

3. Use MARINE plywood for the boat. The difference in cost as compared to the labor to build the boat is lost in the noise.

4. Do your filling and fairing with epoxy mixed with colodial silicate (hard as nails and will never peel away)

5. Do your first filling and fairing while the epoxy for the last coat of cloth (or maybe the first) is still way green (i.e. 10 minutes after it stops being sticky to the touch). When you do this use a 12 inch drywall knife.

6. Build the transom up more than you think that you need. Some of his plans have just a block where the motor goes. I would use a solid oak board all of the way across.

7. Spend good money on two part polyurethane paint for the hull and inside that is finished in any kind of color. Again hard as nails. Also shiny and pretty. Just make sure that you do the painting with lots of ventilation. Again if you do this post or bmail me for more suggestions on this.

8. Use bronze ring nails, bronze or 316 stainless screws for the plywood to oak and oak to oak connections. If a glue joint fails you want the boat to get you home with a leak not fall apart.

Invest in a good bevel-T square. Nothing on a boat is square. Make patterns of of frames, etc. out of cheap wood before you use your good stuff (i.e. white oak)

Oh and lastly (the edit) embed a piece of 3/4 inch three twist nylon line in the outside gunnel. Classic look and will protect your boat when it bangs into things. Details to follow on request.

[CGCHRIS]

I would love to see those details. I like the looks of of the Spira skiff. I want to build a boat to be used-frequently-but I also want it to look good. Will covering the parts with epoxy and glass (as you mentioned with the India bottom) matter during assembly regarding adhesives used? And in looking at the study plans, I was already thinking all the frames should be finished prior to attaching sides and hull. Do you agree? (and I would like to use a clear finish if I am using decent looking wood. Thanks for your feedback. It is greatly appreciated! Chris

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Thanks!