9' surfing/minifishing SOT

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Warmouth
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2008 1:42 am

9' surfing/minifishing SOT

Post by Warmouth »

I like the looks of the Bluefin 12, but how about going even shorter with your sit on top design, like maybe 9 or 10 feet? I've been thinking of a toy of a boat that can serve as a fun-if-not-serious surfyak and also as an ultralightweight fishing kayak for covering short distances like farm ponds or drifting down rivers and creeks. I fish some "secret" ponds where I have to drag a heavy plastic canoe through poison ivy jungles. An epoxy and wood kayak similar to a Wilderness Systems Ripper would be lightweight enough so I could strap all my gear to it and still be able to carry it a long distance. At the beach I could carry it from a third row cottage and have it for surfplay or to toss it into the ICW or tidal creeks for a little fishing.
Let me know when the Wadefish 2.0 is ready, I want to build one of those as well.
jbo_c

SportPram

Post by jbo_c »

Actually, he's working on something close, but not quite this for me. I'm hoping plans will be to me soon. Don't know if he will offer them as regular plans, but I would think they'd be available. What we came up with is 9feet 1/2inch long and 32 inches wide. I'd describe it as a hybrid between a kayak and a really small jon boat.

Here were my requirements for the design(which we hit 99% of all, but 100+% overall):

10 feet maximum length. 9 would be better.
Multichined, not absolute flat bottom like a pirogue.
Transom for small outboard - 2hp - or trolling motor.
Comfortably paddled with a double ended paddle
Capacity for boat plus 270-300 pounds(capacity is more negotiable than length and draft, but 200 pounds of me + battery + trolling motor is the goal)
Maximum 6” draft at designed weight
Can’t look like a wide, square stern canoe.

Intended use:
Primarily fishing small narrow rivers with lots of overhanging brush where length is a liability.
Deep holes separated by long shallow shoals. Submerged stumps and logs are common.
Periodically small farm ponds or backwaters of larger lakes(no lake crossings).
Many places will have to be carried through the woods, to the water.

I think it's a slam dunk for the requirements and intended use. Can't wait to build it. If I get the plans, I'll be cutting plywood the first of September.

I'll let Matt post other stuff about it since he may prefer a "public" release on his own time table. Beyond that, I'll be keeping pictures and notes of the build to share.

Jbo
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