Trying to ID this Flat-Bottomed Thai fishing Boat and Track Down Plans

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I've seen guys fishing from these on TV, and the features I'm interested in are the platform in the front which is (very surprisingly) stable enough to stand and cast from, the narrowness of the hull, and the squarish design.

I build cedar strip canoes, and this Thailand-style narrow jon boat-esque thing seems like it would be a fun project and a change of pace being that it can take a tiller outboard. I envision building this at about 16 to 18 feet. The holdup is that I would like to get an idea of the lines, because I'm wary it would be tippy, and I can't believe how stable the fishing is off of that little platform on the bow. On TV the fisherman walk the length of these things in a way that you just can't do in a canoe.

Cool forum, by the way. I'm glad to see it is so active.

 

The ability to stand on that platform would be more a function of the weight of the person doing it, imo. The man posing with it would be about 8 stone wringing wet. The average westerner would probably submerge it.

 

The average american these days would need 3!! one for each foot and the other to carry his snack food for a days fishing !!

 

I should clarify. In the TV show where I did see a full grown dude (maybe 180lbs approx) stand on that deck, the boat was at least 18 or 20 feet long, and there was an outboard at the opposite end that looked to be about 25hp.

 

Americam? must have been a 125 hp out board !!

 

Thats what smoking does for you. And where did you get that picture of me from.

Thats a river boat, photo is of the Klongs of Bangkok,--definitely not for rough water.

 

A flat bottom with square chines will be much more stable than a canoe of the same length. However, anything less than 42-inch width will probably take a little practice to get your "sea legs" to where you can comfortably walk the length of the boat. As alluded to in earlier posts, it helps to have a counterweight on the other end. Also, I wouldn't go under 36-inch width if you plan to walk through the boat much. An outboard, or even an I/O, will be more stable than the typical longtail air-cooled motors they mount on those things.

Google "mud boats" for ideas on updated platforms and what is possible from a commercial standpoint (although none of those have the cantilevered bow platform you're seeking).

 

Very few are air cooled. Most are static Yanmar agricultural motors modified slightly for a flow of water through the single cylinder. Only in the last few years have air cooled Honda been used.

Some large ones use the Hino E 700 a six cylinder bus engine.