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I want to thank all of you who took the time to answer my question. Some of you wrote especially detailed responses and have challenged me to rethink. It is true that I have built lots of boats, but many of them have been tanks. It is essential that I build this little 10.5 pram as light as...

I completed by duck boat and have quite a bit of Knytex X-Mat (bi-axial fabric). I have a ten-foot river pram that is old and very heavy. I plan on using it as a male-mold. I have lost a lot of range of motion and strength in both shoulders. I really need to keep the weight down on this...

I designed the boat looking at old specs from Zack Taylor's boats and some of the classic duck boats that have been modified through the years. I lofted my design and then built a male mold. I laid up fiberglass over the top and bottom mold. Although I did a lot of sanding to smooth the hull...

I love it. It handled better than I hoped it would. Cuts through chop real well, the rear loading deck didn't get flooded under full throttle, and my 15hp Johnson will suffice. I did have one problem, however. Under full power with choppy water, the water climbs up the side and I get some...

Onwards to the finish work! I have decided to keep a low profile while seated. My son suggested that I make seats like a chaise lounge. I had thought about such a seat for my layout boat, but with plenty of leg room to sit sideways, we found that the idea has a lot of merit for this new boat...

Just finished the top plug for my duck boat. What you see in the photo is just a plaster mold that will be fiber glassed. Then the top piece will be glued to the bottom piece. For you duck hunters, note that the transom will have a step-down dog entry (old man entry) that will be completed...

I want to thank Tom Ayers and Lou Tisch. The information that you two have provided is so valuable to me. As an amateur I have so many knowledge gaps. Working with a ten foot layout boat is not as critical as moving up to a 15-foot boat. I have been aware of changes in this field, but I...

My Fuzzy Math: OK, I checked the Fiberglast site again. 1.5 oz mat is .060 and 18 oz woven roving is .025. (I don't understand how mat is thicker than WR.) At any rate, if I used three layers of mat, encompassing two layers of woven roving, I end up with .23 thickness. If I add a final coat...

Tom, thank you for replying. I am unfamiliar with 1810 biaxle so I will look it up. The mat I will use is 1.5 oz and the woven roving is 18 0z. The hull is a slight vee. I just don't know how much polyester resin adds to the bulk or thickness of mat and WR. Already, I think I screwed up on...

Scott, thanks for sharing. In addition to two bulkheads, I will have support ribs every two feet, which will give a good measure of stiffness and support. I plan on using plastic deck planks (Trex) cut down to size. They are heavy, but when cut to size won't be too much of a factor. They...

How many layers??? I am building a 15' fiberglass duck boat with a shallow vee hull, 10% dead rise. In the past I have built layout boats and a scull boat. I am building a one-off fiberglass boat using a male plug. I will reinforce the inside later, but I wonder how many alternating layers...

Scott, Frank, thank you so much for your imput. Yes, the Coosa Composites are impressive. I found a source in Seattle. I will use the material for bulkheads and knees, as I just don't want to use plywood, even though plywood would outlast the number of years that I have left. Shipping is...

I have a sample still. This material is solid, although my guess is that the material has air cells added in the manufacturing process. I followed the link, but as yet I can not find it. All of these materials are so expensive. I'll keep looking because I have a sample from Bob Hayden. He...

I only have book knowledge of core materials such as C-Flex or sandwich core materials. This is a small budget project, although I do worry about hull strength. When I get to the inside of the hull, I will add bulkheads and ribs. I may add some hull stiffeners inside from end to end. I would...

Thank you. Although it seems like the obvious, I was really struggling with how to go about this. Yes, it will be a lot easier adding them later. I just wish I didn't have to wait for spring to do the lay up!

I have almost completed my male plug for a one-off fiberglass construction. The boat plug is 15' long with a 10% deadrise. If I add a keel to the plug, it will leave a recessed keel in the inside that I can stiffen, which will provide a long stiffener. I understand that the keelsons protect...

Thank you for the help. I just copied it to a reminder note. I really do want to share my design and progress because I know there are other amateur boat builders out there. My wife wife and adult sons just roll their eyes and remind me that I had said of the last boat that it was the last...

I added an attached photograph, but it showed up as an attachment that has to be clicked. I re-edited the post and clicked "in-line", but I still did not get the photograph to show up on the post. In the past I really enjoyed looking at someone's post where they had the photographs right in...

I had hoped to put a skin on the hull and then flip it over and work on the plug for the top piece. I even had a cradle design, but now I am fearful that I could warp it or knock it out of alignment during the flip. So, I'll put on the skin and wait until spring arrives to fiberglass the hull...

I know they are a lot of money, but there are some great layout boats that are very safe and can use an electric motor or a kayak paddle. You would also have another strategy for hunting low cover. They are made out of plastic and do not weigh much. Short of that, buy a used kayak, but NOT a...