Lewis Boat Works: Custom Boat building and Plans
Building Chugger
A 12 ft Flat-bottom Minimalist Overnight CabinCruiser.
Please read this Disclaimer before building any plans found on this site:
Update: 10.01.02
Frame and bottom
Painting and sealing.
Been doing some painting/sealing. The red paint is oil based and the white is latex. We'll see which is better. I sealed all the screws and joints with silicone caulk, to which the oil based paint stuck, but the water based latex didn't.
Here is the cut out that I made for the motor, to get the prop into the water.
Shot from the inside. Its a little dark, but you can see the transom doubler that I put in to support the motor properly. There will be another layer of 3/8" ply ( the leftovers from the bottom) installed as flooring in the cockpit. I will buzz the ends of the screws off with a grinder.
The second+ coat of paint is on and the 'dot' is done. There is a great winking Smilie in MS's Instant Messenger that I want to put on the front. The strakes are 2 layers of 1x2s for a 2x2 outline. The bottom has developed a curious hump in the middle of the curved area, just before it straightens out for the aft run. It is almost rounded, and should provide a slightly cushier ride than a strictly flat bottom. Looking at a launch date of Thursday, 10-03-02, ....two days from now. Tomorrow I will attempt to install the bunks, but the boat might be launched without them. The structure is amazingly stiff. I was climbing and walking on the bottom all the while I was painting it and it didn't wobble a bit. With the bottom runners on , the bottom itself has stiffened up enough that I don't think that additional framing on the inside is needed. I think that the final boat will hit the water with less than $150 invested and at less than 180 lbs sans motor 'n Stuff. I haven't put the windows in tho and that could bump it over $150.
Free plans are available on this site.
