Looking for plans for a 2 person pontoon boat for fishing.

Discussion in 'Boatbuilding' started by kraythe, Dec 31, 2013.

  1. upchurchmr
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    upchurchmr Senior Member

    You could probably contact the designer thru Duckworks. The site owner has helped me with some questions before.
    The one thing I would be concerned with in Gumprecht's boat is the width at the bottom of each hull. I would want it to be wider than the length of my foot, so I wouldn't twist my foot or stub my toe when trying to move around fighting a fish. It also seems like you would be fishing out the side normally.
    That boat is strip built, but it could be converted to plywood easily, I assume.

    The best lightweight wood generally available is cedar (I get mine at Home Depot or Lowes). To have good enough strength you need glass cloth and epoxy ($$) on both inside and outside.
    Actually I have been looking for some Cottonwood to try, but no one cuts it for lumber.

     
  2. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    It seems you're making assumptions about things you don't fully grasp. This isn't a person dig, just an observation from your previously posted remarks. Your assumptions about pontoons, stability, etc. are mostly misconceptions. Pontoon (cats and tri's as well) boats require you build multiple hulls. They can offer some advantages, but generally do take a little more effort then a mono hull of similar internal volume. For your uses, a pontoon wouldn't be my first choice. Pontoons suck at most things and are only popular, for the budget minded party boat owner. This is because they're made very cheaply, to keep costs down.

    For half the HP need to get a typical pontoon up on plane, you could build a cat or mono hull and you'd be "in" the boat, instead of standing on it. This is a much more secure felling.

    If you want a pontoon design, Glen-L has a few dated designs to look at, as does a few other "supply houses". Again, for your desires description, a 16' skiff is all you need. If you go to 18', you can have your cake and eat it too, with live and bait wells, built in coolers full of beer, maybe a small cuddy to toss gear into or a place to hide when a thunderstorm rolls though. You'll find storage more plentiful on a cat or skiff too, compared to a pontoon and best of all, you'll get scooting along on far less power, which means you don't need as much fuel either.
     
  3. hoytedow
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  4. kraythe
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    kraythe Junior Member

    I don't think I am assuming anything. I am open minded as I am not an expert here. Wwhat I know about pontoons is that they are extremely stable. With my kids anything with a risk of flipping easily is out. That is which I bagged the idea of using a canoe. I need to be able to stand up all the way to the edge and if there is another boat that will do that I am all ears. Please direct me to the link with the design you speak of
     
  5. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Pontoons are "initially" stable, but this is a relative term. Things floating in water move and a well designed mono, will be quite stable, while at the same time offering better fuel economy, better speed potential using a smaller engine, better security because you're "in" the boat, rather than "on" it, plus several other considerations.

    I think a garvey, jon or sea skiff style of hull will make you feel just as secure, will offer the stability you desire, they only have a single, simply built hull form and the potential to get up and scoot, with modest outboard power. Many "bass boats" are garvey style, because they need to be stable fishing platforms, offer lots of storage and have to work in shallow water. The skiff is much like the garvey, though often with more deadrise for better rough water ability and a pointy bow, to part chop. The jon boat style is about as easy a build as they get, especially in alloy. It'll pound a bit in a rough slosh, but skippered with reason, a very stable, reliable craft.

    Again, I'll recommend the skiff, mostly because it offers the most bang for the buck. Select one with modest deadrise (8 degrees or less at the transom), so your stability concerns are addressed. Bluff bowed boats like the garvey and jon tend to pound in a chop, which most find anointing ( :) ) at the very least.
     
  6. kraythe
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    kraythe Junior Member

    I have no objection to going that route. You are using a couple of terms I am not familiar with. Such as "deadrise". Can you recommend where I can find plans? I had thought to build from wood or foam and glass sandwich. I don't want to go metal for expense and difficulty in welding aluminum correctly water tight. I would love to have plans so I get the lines right and then recommendations on thickness of wood or foam and number of layers of glass. Also if you think foam is the best over cedar, where can I get the right kind? What is the right kind and how thick?

    Thanks. I value your expertise.
     
  7. kraythe
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    kraythe Junior Member

    One thing that concerns me in a Jon boat is getting swamped. What if I made the sides thicker and put in flotation foam. This leads me more to a foam or wood construction with glass. Also the ability to stand up is essential
     
  8. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    I wouldn't recommend a foam cored structure for a novice build. In the size and with the needs you have, a plywood over frame or a taped seam build would be easier, cheaper and more in keeping with average skill sets.

    Any boat can get swamped, of course small low freeboard (height of the sides) designs make the prospect easier, though it's not a common thing, if the boat is properly handled. The employment of buoyancy chambers (which may be foam filled) will prevent a swamping situation from becoming a sinking.

    Deadrise is the angle of a the bottom's "V" used on some designs. As with all choices and decisions in yacht design a V bottom has good and bad things to consider. The V makes the boat "self center" and water moves under and around it. It also softens the ride and can improve efficiency. You'll note just about every manufactured powerboat has a V bottom, because of the benefits it can bring to the design table.

    There are several "plans houses" on line. Glen-L.com and Bateau.com are two popular places. Bateau's plans will be more current and up to date in build methods and styling. Glen-L is a collection of several designers work, though most are fairly dated, these can be brought up to newer build techniques and styling clues.

    http://www.boatdesigns.com/15-Bass-Boat-bass-fishing-boat/products/276/

    This is a 15' 5" Garvey from Glen-L and I think well suited to your needs. Stable, lots of storage and fairly simple to build. I'm fairly sure it's a plywood over frames build.

    http://www.bateau.com/studyplans/OB15_study.htm?prod=OB15

    This is the Outboard skiff 15 from Bateau.com and is a skiff like hull. It can handle rough water and offers good performance. This is a "taped seam" type of build, which has a higher "goo factor", but the result is lighter and stronger with less materials.

    As to material choices, the plans will cover these and the same applies to building method.
     
  9. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

  10. kraythe
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    kraythe Junior Member

    What exactly does "stitch and glue" refer to? Although I am a novice at boat building, I am a fairly mechanically adept guy and have built large portions of my house, including tear out and remodel. I can also pass all welding certs on mild and stainless steel, I have been doing blacksmithing for 3 years. So I am not a guy looking for a "no woodworking slap together job" I dont mind, at all, learning to glass and do other tasks. In fact thats the fun of it. :)
     
  11. kraythe
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    kraythe Junior Member

    however, looking at the examples you snet makes my budget cry. From what I can tell the motor alone will cost me upwards of 2 grand. I would not have that kind of cash floating around (no pun intended). Also I am not really looking for a power boat but rather a boat I can stand up on and cast without too much worry about ending up in the drink.

    Looking around that site, what I am looking for is more like: http://www.boatdesigns.com/12-14-Mr-John-jon-boat/products/179/

    Dont get me wrong, Id love to have a boat like those you showed but I don't think I could afford to power them.

    Id have to find some junkyard motor (though where I could find that is another question) and rebuild it. My budget doesn't permit extravagance.
     
  12. hoytedow
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  13. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Weedeater setups just plain suck, in spite of the small group of fans. By the time you "engineer" one to be reliable, you could have purchased a used outboard.

    Yep, new outboards aren't cheap, but a reliable used one can be a fraction of the price.

    Stitch and glue is a plywood building technique - one of the methods employed in taped seam construction. Taped seam construction is a building method where the plywood panels are cut to shape and each seam is glued and taped with epoxy and 'glass fabric, which seals them and holds them together in a water tight fashion. This building method can eliminate the frames in a more traditional plywood over frame build. The decks and interior furnishings replace them, in regard to stiffness and strength.

    A taped seam build is high in "goo factor" (lots of epoxy and fabric work), which some find unrewarding and messy. A plywood over frames build is much simpler to understand, with a much lower goo factor, as fasteners and frames replace the epoxy and 'glass coverings. Plywood over frame builds tend to be heavier, than taped seam and you have to make more parts (the frames and related pieces).

    Foam core (composite) builds (several types) are even higher still in goo factor and you can easily quadruple your sanding time (easily), just smoothing out your handiwork. I don't recommend this type of build method for the novice, unless you're just bent on learning how to itch, sand and play with goo. These methods (composite) require layer after gooey layer of fabric to be applied over the foam (or honeycomb, etc.), until the desired thickness is achieved and you have to do this on both sides of the foam. Once the fabrics are down, you have to fair and smooth it. Literally over 50% of the build effort, will be sanding the goo and fair compounds. If you're into sanding, itching and elbow pain, give it a try.

    The jon boat you've selected is an easy build, but the hull just barely accommodates 2 adults and more importantly will pound in any kind of chop. You'd be better off with their "Console Skiff", which is a taped seam build. If a more traditional build is desired, then take a look at "Scrambler", though this boat will need more power than the Console Skiff.

    I have a 17' clamming skiff design that would be suitable for you and it's a simple build. It's stoutly constructed and can be built from big box store materials. It is a flat bottom boat, which is easy to build, but because of its overly thick bottom and fine entry not as bad at pounding as a jon boat. Look up "Digger 17" and get back to me by email if interested.
     
  14. upchurchmr
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    upchurchmr Senior Member

    Stitch and glue is a method of joining plywood panels.
    The shape of the panels desired is cut out.
    The two beginning panels are layed over each other and 1/8" holes are drilled along the edge about every 1', near the edge.
    A wire (the stitch) is threaded thru the holes and loosely twisted to hold the panels together.
    The panels are spread apart to whatever shape is desired, held there with some temporary cross-section shapes. All the panels for the rest of the boat are then "stitched" in place in the same manner.
    The whole joined panel set is now floppy, but in the basic shape of the boat (the hull).
    Take some mixed up epoxy and put it on each seam. Let it cure. Now the boat is stiff.
    To provide the strength you then use fiberglass to join the seam permanently.

    There are more details, and the shape of the panels is very important.

    Check out this description from a kayak kit company: http://www.pygmyboats.com/kit-construction-process.html

    Google "stitch and glue boats" and you will get lots of information.
    There is a good cross section of the joint on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stitch_and_glue
    Note that many do not bevel the edge of the plywood. Many remove the wire, some do not. The section also does not show the glass ply on the outside of the joint which is absolutely necessary for your boat to stay together.
    Lots of different ways to do stitch and glue.

    Don't worry about the diverse opinions and budgets of those of us on the forum.
    You can find something that will work to suit your budget, but it will not be free.
    Even a new electric trolling motor can be a bunch of money for many of us.

    Ps. Some people can stand up an fly fish in a canoe - not me. Any way you can borrow or rent a jon boat and see if you would be comfortable standing up?

    EDIT: Just saw PAR explained stitch and glue before me. His advice has proven to be quite good.
     
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  15. kraythe
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    kraythe Junior Member

    Definitely a lot of food for thought. The standard Jon boat is used by many for bass fishing so I could go that route as well. I would just have to factor in a boat trailer to go with the boat as well. The only thing that concerns me about a jon boat is rowability to sneak up on the fish. I suppose that could be solved with a design that had a more pointed bow and a keel. Im not looking to go really fast, though I do want to actually get there.

    As for the outboard, I am wondering if finding an old one and rebuilding it is an option.

    Also can you recommend a minimum horsepower for say an 18 foot Garvey boat? I want to get there, it doesnt have to be fast, just get there.
     
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