Wanted - Plywood pond toy boat design for 4-6 year old, 40-70lb child

[Mike Goodger]

Mike, would a little dory like 'Mark's Ark' in the link below be suitable for your child?
Setting the Record Straight: Mark’s Ark | Cruising World https://www.cruisingworld.com/setting-record-straight-marks-ark/

Unfortunately the additional links in this article for more information and plans no longer work

I have got a copy of this article saved somewhere safe (a hard copy though, not electronic) - and I cannot find it now......

This article is also mentioned in this neat thread on the Wooden Boat Forum about small boats -
https://forum.woodenboat.com/forum/designs-plans/131866-super-small-boat-for-kids

Thanks, yes, I have been sketching some shapes much like that, and I am teaching myself to work out the draft-per-bottom-area-per-weight-0f-child/adult. I can get the bottom area well enough by dividing it into short trapezoidal bits and then adding up the areas. This is simple on a flat bottom. It's amazing how small a boat can be, as a pond toy for a 40-60lb child.

Short fat sharpie prams are one area, but I could stow a slimmer 6' pirogue (double-ended) or dory (transom) under my Selway-Fisher 8' Surf 8 on my cartop, so I am looking at those, and that is looking promising.

Decked mini-kayak designs exist and are very good, but they are more single-purpose and I want to challenge the child's imagination, with room to move about and, maybe, try both double paddle and short oars.
Mike

 

[Mike Goodger]

Maybe try a small child's canoe design in ply, widened a bit, make the outer sacrificial runners as bilge keels 2 - 3 inches deep, so no centre board and case, with lateen or balanced lug, and rudder. Craft shop glitter can be mixed into varnish, paint, or epoxy, for anti-skid, it's not so gnarly as sand since it mostly lays flat, but gives some grip. Paddling may be easier for a youngun than the coordination needed for rowing. As a child I had a ball in a very simple flat bottomed canoe, - flat at bow and stern too, vertical stem and stern, with a slat floor so no wet bum. I'd fillet and epoxy the inside floor only, for wear, and then varnish / paint the lot.

I am reverting to your reply because, leaving out sailing for this year, I like the simple idea of a pirogue/ canoe, completely flat bottom - but with a little, not too much, rocker, so that turning is not too difficult?
I am playing with a "bottom area/all-up-weight = draft" calculation and maybe if I go for 6 foot long (would still go under my Fisher Surf 8 pram on my cartop) and ultralight 4mm ply she can be narrow enough for the child to mainly use a double paddle, with mini-short-oar rowing as a second fun toy? I like bamboo for toy paddles and oars.
I have watched videos of very tiny children (talking maybe 3-4 years old here) sitting sailing in ready-made, ready-rigged flattie mini sailing dinghies and the children look lost and bored, with little to do, and at that age, a simple pirogue and a double paddle and short oars might engage them more? Especially if one tiny friend might be able to get in with them sometimes? So sitting or kneeling, as they wish, on your slat floor (bare wood or paint?) would give more moving-about options than a fixed-position seat, I think that is what you meant?
Or no slat floor but 2 little move-about seat pads, maybe 2" thick, waterproof but with non-slip mat (like router mat) glued underneath? If they tried to float away this would be part of the fun?
All, of course, in shallow pond conditions with careful supervision.
And a knock-about finish, not Boat Show Lovely Varnish to worry about.
Your "Craft Shop Glitter" might be good for moderate non-slip, in paint or varnish, maybe more user-friendly and less likely to rub loose than sand?
Mike

 

[seasquirt]

From memory, nearly 60 years ago now, mine was very simple, about 10 feet long, or a bit less, and maybe 2 1/2 feet wide max, sides about a foot high, flat gunnels, with the slat false floor less than 2 inches above the bottom, almost full length and width, strong enough to stand / jump on, varnished, as was the hull inside, and hull painted red outside. Double ended plain home made paddles were used, not angled kayak paddles. There was room for my sister also, and as I got older I used it to explore 1 - 2 km up river on my own, and try fishing in it. It was very stable, and not too difficult to turn with the flat bottom; built up my muscles a bit. I could drag it over grass and sand but needed an adult to take it any distance to the water. I used an old children's umbrella without the fabric, as a lightweight folding grapple anchor. Never caught any fish but had a lot of fun. One weekend the lake we camped at had a storm and it was washed off the bank and under a jetty, got bumped around, no bad damage, some kids found it and kept it in their tent but told everyone, and I got it back when they showed me. As a teenager I was too big for it, (too un-cool also) and I gave it to another little kid. It's probably still going somewhere. Great memories. These days it might need a small pocket for a mobile phone or game boy.

 

[Mike Goodger]

From memory, nearly 60 years ago now, mine was very simple, about 10 feet long, or a bit less, and maybe 2 1/2 feet wide max, sides about a foot high, flat gunnels, with the slat false floor less than 2 inches above the bottom, almost full length and width, strong enough to stand / jump on, varnished, as was the hull inside, and hull painted red outside. Double ended plain home made paddles were used, not angled kayak paddles. There was room for my sister also, and as I got older I used it to explore 1 - 2 km up river on my own, and try fishing in it. It was very stable, and not too difficult to turn with the flat bottom; built up my muscles a bit. I could drag it over grass and sand but needed an adult to take it any distance to the water. I used an old children's umbrella without the fabric, as a lightweight folding grapple anchor. Never caught any fish but had a lot of fun. One weekend the lake we camped at had a storm and it was washed off the bank and under a jetty, got bumped around, no bad damage, some kids found it and kept it in their tent but told everyone, and I got it back when they showed me. As a teenager I was too big for it, (too un-cool also) and I gave it to another little kid. It's probably still going somewhere. Great memories. These days it might need a small pocket for a mobile phone or game boy.

Thank you, a very nice story and the dimensions 10' x 2.5' x 1' sound rather like the shape I am thinking of, but scaled down for the smaller weight and size of up to 2 tiny children, but of course they will not be let loose on their own.
I really appreciate hearing of your experience.
Mike