Homemade Flatbottom Boats

[mic]

What were the old river boats made of before marine grade plywood?

[Gavin]

Pine or Cypress lumber...http://hootentown.wordpress.com/2011/02/06/ozarks-jon-boat-plans-information/#comments

[mic]

Sorry second question. What is the shortest flatbottom that would be stable in the water?

[Gavin]

I dont know....My buddy has a 1232 aluminum jon on his lake, its stable enough for both of us to fish...but I wouldnt want one that small.

[junkman]

I had a aluminum 8 footer once that needed repaired. Finally junked it for got tired of looking at it. It had two seats and looked like it would have made a good little slow water boat. it weighed less then 50 pounds. Put many a mile on a 10/32 i used to have as well. the smaller ones are nice when loading and unloading.

[mic]

I have a bunch of oak I'm not using. Thought about making a boat out of it if it would fit in the back of my truck. From my research, it looks like 3/4 marine grade is the same wieght as 1/2 oak at the same sq/ft.

[fishinwrench]

I'll make you a fair deal on "Stump Jumper"

[mic]

Is that a 10 or 8 footer.

[fishinwrench]

It's a Lowe 1232 (12 long, 32"hull, 46"beam)

Hauls in a truck bed.

[Al Agnew]

I think some of the old wooden johnboats on the Big Piney were about 14 feet long. Don't know that any of the old ones were ever built of oak. When I was a kid, I used a 12 ft. aluminum jonboat (I spell the aluminum boat differently) for floating the river all the time. It was plenty stable enough for two people, but it was fairly wide for its length and wasn't real pleasant to paddle.