First build: Broadbill (I hope)

Bought the Devlin electronic Broadbill plans today; had them printed in the actual PDF size, got my material estimate from J. Gibson McIlvain Company. All's well to that point. Have them spread out on the table for the last hour....totally intimidated! Not so sure this should have been my first build. Don't understand the measurements. 0-11-1 measurement; does that mean 0'-11 1/10th"? I don't want to appear dumb. I can read a rule; worked construction all my adult life. Also have the Gator "Duckhunter" plans but decided it wasn't the boat I wanted; I understand those though. Any advice or help would be appreciated.
 
Ffeet-inches-eights or 11 1/8" in your case. I built a broadbill in 2000 and still have it. In fact it just spent the last four days in Arkansas in flooded timber. That little boat does so many jobs so well I like it as much today as I did the first time I hunted from it.
 
Thanks. I hunt the coastal salt marsh here in SE Texas on the TX/La border. Never seen a boat like the broadbill here; don't know why, seems like the perfect boat for it. Very, very tidal. My plans are to fiberglass the topside and Kevlar the bottom, and then mount a 10 or 12 hp long tail. IF I get over the heebie jeebies of just committing and getting started.
 
Robert,
Did the plans come with the direction package? These boats really are not hard to build, and folks here are always helpful.


-Bill
 
Robert,
Did the plans come with the direction package? These boats really are not hard to build, and folks here are always helpful.


-BillYessir, "Building instructions Booklet For Stitch & Glue Construction" going through that now. Is that the direction package your speaking of?
 
It might look intimidating now, but it will make more sense when you actually start building. Print your panel layout sheet onto a regular 8 1/2" x 11 sheet of paper, and use it to make a scale hull model out of 1/16" balsa-it will really help you put together how the hull panels go together. Good luck, you will love it once you get going!
 
Go on YouTube and enter (stitch and glue boat building), there are some videos you can look at. Making good fillets may be a problem if you have not made any. Practice on some scrap first. When mixing epoxy and additives to used for bonding or filleting, do not make large batches. After mixing some, take it out of the mixing container and spread it out in a pie tin. If you leave it in the container in a thick mass and do not use it fast enough, it will heat-up and ruin the batch. You should not coat with epoxy in hot weather. Air bubbles can start coming out of the wood and will not completely seal that area. Early in the morning before the heat of the day will work better. When you apply fiberglass cloth and epoxy, you may get a bubble that you cannot workout. If this happens, use a razor blade and cut an X in the bubble and let it overlap. When working with large areas, use the slow harder for more open time. If you use a roller to spread epoxy, be careful if the epoxy on the roller starts to setup and leave pieces of the roller on your work. Be prepared the change out rollers. When coating with epoxy the first time, you want to fill weave on the cloth. Do not a use heavy coats as the epoxy will run or sag. Use thin coats. When the first coat is a little tacky to the touch, you can apply next coat and it will chemically bond to the first coat. You want to buildup the coats so when you sand, you will not get down to the cloth and cut into it. Also, look at Eric's post on building the scaup, it may help.
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