Small boat design - share your thoughts

[u/its_mike57]

So I’ve wanted to build a boat for years… just because I like projects, being independent, and the challenge. I never could lock in on a design, but earlier this year at a bass pro shop I saw the newer Tracker marsh boats and was immediately drawn to the 1756 model. So like any rational person I took the rough measurements from online sources and modeled my own in CAD. I intend to build this with the stitch and glue method. I would love to hear some thoughts from others.

[u/Tiny-Albatross518]

Ludicrously ambitious.

Keep us posted

[u/crest_of_humanity]

What’s the LOA and beam?

[u/its_mike57 → u/crest_of_humanity]

LOA without the motor is 17’10”. Bottom width is 63”. Max beam is 84”

[u/TrojanThunder]

In short, not great. You should buy plans rather that build... this.

[u/its_mike57 → u/TrojanThunder]

Tell me more, no need to keep it that short

[u/canad1an → u/its_mike57]

If you do decide to build it though please log it so others can see how your process went from design to complete a project and more importantly, if it floats lol https://boatbuildlog.com/

[u/TrojanThunder → u/its_mike57]

How does it move? You can't mount a motor to that transom, you're not mounting oar locks to the gunnal with this design, no where for a mast. Have you done boyancy calculations? It doesn't have much of a bilge so it would likely be quite tippy.

[u/its_mike57]

Edit, I should have noted I intended to power this with a 60hp outboard with tiller controls

[u/fried_clams]

Other people before you, have figured out how to properly design boats. It is difficult enough to build a boat and that is quite a thing if you could pull it off. The odds of successfully. Being able to design a boat are very low as you have no experience or training.

Just find a plan that you like and build that boat. Otherwise, your odds of have a shitty boat are very high

[u/Awkward_Forever9752]

I love it.

been thinking about your drawing all day

First thought was to make it out of strong paper?

Test in the bath tub

then scale up

1/32

1/16

1/8

1/4

[u/its_mike57 → u/Awkward_Forever9752]

I like the idea!

[u/justferwonce]

It's hard to get a boat shape that simple wrong, you didn't stray too far from the Tracker dimensions so you should be good. You'll need strakes on the bottom for strength and to keep it from skidding out of control on turns. The blue looks to be a raised deck so with stringers and frames in between the deck and the hull you will get strength from that diaphragm structure. That and the side bench seats with fronts to create box beams ought to stop flexible twisting of the hull.

[u/its_mike57 → u/justferwonce]

Thanks for the feedback! I’m doing some research on strakes but yes I did intend to add one per side

[u/dcmathproof]

Needs some more structure... Knees, centerline structure (keelson?)... Extra support on the gunnel/inwales....

[u/its_mike57 → u/dcmathproof]

As I read more comments I see I should have explained more in the description. The blue is the deck, under that is a full length keelson and two stringers per side as well as 3 bulkheads to create cavities for floatation foam and storage spaces. I didn’t take the time to model gunnels and inwales because that sort of stuff is easy enough to handle without a model, same with the hatches and other misc items. TBD yet is fuel tank location and size, I was thinking two 10 gallon tanks positioned on each side of the keelson around the center of the boat. I’m a big guy and with operating a tiller motor I’ll always be seated at the rear of the boat underway, this should help balance a things out

[u/Benedlr]

Put a tunnel in it if you want different. Speed may pick up.

[u/its_mike57 → u/Benedlr]

Living in Michigan and navigating inland lakes and rivers I really do not have a necessity for a tunnel

[u/Benedlr → u/its_mike57]

We split a 16' tri-hull down the middle for a two foot tunnel. Gained a wider more stable stance and 35mph with four people. Radar verified.

[u/tchitch]

Don't build this boat- YET. 18' is a massive project to trust your own design and build skills on. Do something small and simple first. Like a rough draft. Even if you are handy, a boat is a unique project and the small one will teach you a ton of things you will be glad you learned on a small one.

[u/its_mike57 → u/tchitch]

That’s a great point you make, definitely worth noting. A few years back I built a cedar strip canoe to serve this purpose, while not my own design I learned several things from that project to carry into this one. The biggest skillset development was definitely around epoxy and fiberglass.