You can make this simple, sturdy craft in a weekend.
Apr 1, 2003
Older duck hunters might recognize this boat. The design is often called a scullboat or sneakboat, and the hull is very similar to the all-purpose bateau. This plywood version is just under 12 feet long and 3 feet wide, and weighs 50 pounds.
The hull can be built completely open or decked for extra weather protection (as shown). The boat can be rowed, sculled, poled or paddled and the smallest of electric or gas motors will easily push the lightweight hull. This boat is best used in backwaters and marshes. It's not sizable enough to take out on big, open water.
You can adjust the boat's dimensions to suit your tastes. The plywood panels are joined with simple butt joints reinforced with butt blocks. Epoxy is used to seal all surfaces of the plywood; seams of epoxy and fiberglass tape hold the hull together (just like in the Maxi-Mac, Do-It-Yourself, February/March 2002). Here's how.
1. Prepping the Hull
Cut out the hull pieces-the two bottom sections and the four side sections (see diagram)-and seal them with two coats of epoxy, using a paintbrush. Smooth the first coating of epoxy with a scraper and then apply the second coat. Link the two hull bottom sections and the left and right hull-side sections by epoxying a butt block over the seam where the sections meet. Be sure to place the block on the inside surface.
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