Opinions Wanted on Plans

Tom

Those are all reasons why I chose this design too!

As for the drywall screws . . . Spira has put together a pretty in-depth ply-on-frame manual you can download for free from his site, or I could send you a copy. (He sent me one that may be newer than the one on the site.) In it, he discusses several different types of fastener and says you can use whatever you want, but that the real strength of the joints comes from the epoxy and that you could theoretically remove the fasteners completely once the epoxy has cured. After all, isn't that how stitch & glue works?
 
I have no idea if this boat will weigh 100# or 200#, but when I compare it to other plans available such as the Mallard or the Broadbill 14, it looks like a simpler boat to build, is probably less expensive, and can transport two hunters and gear.

It looks like Spira has designed lots of boats and at least one of this design has been built. I don't see him giving out misinformation.

I'm looking for a design that will hunt one guy, transport two with gear, and can hopefully get on a plane with a 9 1/2. I could probably buy something for about what this will cost to build but sneak boxes seem to be rare around me and by building something, I get that satisfaction and can spread out the expenses so the wife doesn't get wise.

I have built a stitch and glue boat before and it's not that easy even if you're somewhat handy. This frame construction seems to be a little simpler and more straight forward. I do question using drywall screws in the frames.

Every time I try to get ideas here, somebody says something to change my mind about what boat design to attempt, but I'm still thinking that this Spira design might be the one.
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Tom, I agree that the boat as spec'd would be less expensive and easier to build than the Devlin's you compare. No question. It would go together quickly. The boats are really different things, although roughly similar size. The Devlin would be more work, but would last longer and a nicer boat. I like S&G boats and strip or plank boats, I don't love plywood boats on frames, it does not fit my thinking. Bob Butler will say that he has logged 3 million nmiles in a plywood on frame boat and that they are great and all the old baymen used them, and they last almost forever, etc... My feeling is that time is time and money is money, my time being worth more than money and if I spend my time I want someting to last as long as possible and be as nice as possible. You are already investing money and time, for a bit more of each you will get something that will last longer and be nicer.

I understand the weekend skiff, but first that isn't for me and second it isn't for most from what I've seen. I've seen hundreds (yes, probably hundreds) of Kara boats built over the years and most (almost every last one) was built beyond what the designer intended - that is more time and money invested than the designer planned and they end up with really nice Kara's - boats that are heavy and hard to dry out and that don't last for the long term because they are hard to seal and dry out. They were designed to be slapped together in a couple weekends, hunted a few years and thrown out. Slap another together when the one rots out. That works great, EXCEPT, they were designed to be hunted in 4" of water so when it rots out you have to walk home through the mud, not swim.

This boat shares the construction with the Kara and the frames are going to make it hard to dry out and seal. On top of that you can't seal "lumberyard plywood" with epoxy and expect it to last without checking and water infiltration, so you end up with a boat that was a little cheaper and a little easier to build than S&G, that will not last nearly as long. With that construction, you also have to be willing to fix or throw out the boat when it is ready - not something that I feel people can evaluate objectively.

T
 
Tod-

Thanks you hit on a lot of my own thought process. I waiver between good and good enough. I am sure I will look for more input from you. maybe in the meantime a good deal on a good boat will fall into my lap.

For now though, I have to go back to work to pay for this addiction!

Ben-

Thank you too. Keep us posted

Best,
Tom
 
Tod-

Thanks you hit on a lot of my own thought process. I waiver between good and good enough. I am sure I will look for more input from you. maybe in the meantime a good deal on a good boat will fall into my lap.

For now though, I have to go back to work to pay for this addiction!

Ben-

Thank you too. Keep us posted

Best,
Tom
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Tom,

I'm in Newtown if you ever want to look at one of the Devlin models, mine is a snowgoose, a different class, but they are all pretty much the same construction.

T
 
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Tod

"...my time being worth more than money..."

So what are you worth on an hourly rate? Just curious...that comment struck my funny bone..

Matt
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[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Tod

"...my time being worth more than money..."

So what are you worth on an hourly rate? Just curious...that comment struck my funny bone..

Matt
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Depends on who it is I'm working for - ha (of course you understand I meant that my time is worth more than the couple hundred bucks differenance)!

I owe you an email.

T
 
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Tod,

I was thinking about more along this line....If you are worth more than time, and time is capable of being distorted, came into being at the "big bang", and could eventually stop...you must be traveling at some excessive speed and living in some twisted quantum worlds extra dimension to be capable of living on a professors salary, that is until it all comes to an end in a bag of quarks, or was that quackers?

Now what the heck does that have to do with building quacker boats or even duck boats?

such dribble

Matt
 
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