Thread: Boat design for fishing??

Hi Studley .. you mentioned this in an email I think ... I am just getting round to clearing all the difficult emails ... but an answer here means everyone can read it.

I don't really know of anything that is a really modern equivalent. You see the modern boats have gotten rid of a lot of the timberwork of something from about 40 years ago and just replace it with a ply skin more or less stitch and glued together with a few ply bulkheads filleted in place. Hard to compete with that approach as it reduces the budget to about a half if you are buying timber at normal commercial rates.

Also in these days it reduces the weight, which means the same performance at lower revs.

I don't know if it is suitable for what you need but one of my favourite utility boats is the Bolger Diablo.

It is a deep vee hullform ... which normally leads to poor fuel consumption and instability when not moving, but designer Bolger in his typical approach has cut the apex off the vee to resolve both problems!

What a dude. Not a "proper" offshore boat now as it won't land softly if you are flying off waves ... but boy does it go with 25hp. think of the fuel, think of the fuel.

You could build it with temporary bulkheads, then pull out the bulkheads and put a false floor inside with a few ply bulkheads across underneath filleting into place a stringer along the middle of the bottom and some stringers at the double bottom height to support a 9mm ply floor.

I can provide some advice about just how much structure you would need (not much)

It is a big husky boat with a lot of capacity.



The building method in the book "build the new instant boats" by Dynamite Payson suggests polyester resin and glass tape. I would epoxy and epoxy and epoxy because then you get a structure that is super strong and won't get water into it over the very long term.

The epoxy coating also will take care of the vulnerable area inside the false bottom.

Fire away with the questions ... what I have said here is sketchy.

But here is a great website on the Diablo
http://www.dropsheet.com/diablo/html/pages/diablo.php

Best wishes
Michael Storer

G'day Studley,

Mind if I chime in here Mik?

Studley,

Will you be using your boat primarily for bream tournement fishing? or mainly offshore.

My understanding is that the tourney boats are designed primarily for fishing sheltered waters in relatively calm conditions. They were never intended for use in rough or open waters. hence the low sides and relatively flat bottoms.

The low freeboard also has the advantave of a smaller wind signature hence less blowing round in the breeze while trying to work the boat into position with a leccy on front. These are serious fishing boats - in their intended environment, sheltered waters.

I love the boat Mik posted but I think it would have bad wind signature for tourney fishing.

A flats type boat might suit your needs if mainly fishing inshore.

Hope this helps a bit mate.

Cool Mick ... no worries.

Problem is that while simplified sailboats and canoes abound, there are not many wooden powerboats that have been rethought in the same way. Most I know about are relatively small.

As you say the type of boat required might be too specialised but one good thing about timber boats ....

... you can saw the top edge to any shape you like. But though I think the Diablo type might have enough stability for the job .. I don't really know for sure.

MIK

The stuff they do at Bateau seems to be done with inshore lakes etc type fishing in mind. As mentioned the serious tournament boats are pretty special beasts. Typically much longer than the stuff mere punters use. They have 300 HP outboards and are close to being speed machines only, they do this to get out to the best spots before the rest of the crowd and provide some TV Spectacle.

I am not trying to set the world on fire but like fishing and it would be nice to go in the local comps that happen once or twice a year.

What I was thinking was small boat mainly for inshore estuary stuff with a bit of Vee for the choppy conditions that we can get on the Port River here in Adelaide. Actually the Port River isn't a River at all more of a peninsula where the sea just wraps around the coast. Parts of it are really open to the elements.

Mick made a really good point about being stable at rest for lure fishing.

Studley

Originally Posted by Studley 2436

Michael
I have been searching for a design that would make a good Bream fishing boat.
Studley

Have you seen http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5649e/y5649e00.htm ?

A couple of Bolgers power boats in "Boats With An Open Mind" might suit.
Fisherman's Launch & Slicer were both designed with choppy water & low HP in mind.

cheers
AJ

Studley,

There is a prototype boat being built at the moment that might suit your needs.

I am hesitant to post links to other designers here but it is an American design for fishing the flats around Florida, 15 feet long and 53 inches beam - designed specifically for fishing in waters similar to what you describe and to run well with 20hp.

put it up mick .. no worries ... I am open to discussing other things ... particularly when I have nothing suitable except for my punt. (someone is building a stretched one now for a fishing platform).

MIK

OK Thanks Mik,

Here it is.

http://www.jemwatercraft.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=75

Chalk has been doing a "Midge" on this one but is getting pretty close now.

I think it could work pretty well as a bream buster.

Hirsute Michael. Why the tumblehome sides? Surely a "slop" side-on would flow straight into the boat?

Michael, how about a few plans for a wooden one of these?

http://www.claytonmarine.com.au/inde...76be36a0e187f0

Originally Posted by hairymick

doing a "Midge" .

I love that term....

Let's face it, Midge makes us all feel good about the projects that we haven't finished (or even started)...