Bigger is Better

[memaquay]

Well, boys, I have been bitten bad by the building bug. All alliteration aside, I will tell you guys a story. Our little town has a walleye fishing derby every June. It is a big deal, with a first prize of 10,000 bucks. 120 of the best walleye fisherpeople from all over enter. My wife has wanted to do it for years, and she came up with the great idea of entering with my 17 foot square stern and the 2.5 suzuki. I agreed and paid the $330.00 entry fee.

Here's the rub....there are huge boats in the derby, up to 300 horsepower boats, who don't give a rat's arse about other boats and whiz buy like Satan going to a Halloween party. I fear for our lives in my 17 footer, which used to feel pretty big, but is now feeling small.

So after researching, I found plans from Tim Marchetti on WHCA site for a stripper freighter. This is a real freighter, not a canoe made to take a motor. 20 feet long, 53 inches across at the middle, 20 inches deep. 4 foot transom. Tim indicated it would be at home with a 9.9 motor, but one of the guys who built it did the entire length of the Mississippi river with a 25 horse on it. It is built using 1/2 inch strips and ten ounce cloth. Because of the weight, it will need to be trailered. Think I will build it out of white pine, just because it is easier to source the wood, and weight doesn't matter. Here's a pic of Tim's boat:

If you search the interwebs using his name, you will find pics of the build process.

Very exciting!

 

[Odyssey]

Just think of all the coolers of "fish" that'll fit in that !! Seriously though that's a beaut. It's about time you stopped messin' around and moved on up to a freighter.
Looking forward to the build and launch. That should be a party. How much ya wanna bet folks will be placing orders when they get a load of yours.

 

[yellowcanoe]

if I had sixteen grand
https://www.wooden-canoes.com/canoes/voyager/

 

[Guest]

It's about time you stopped messin' around and moved on up to a freighter.

I guess the 20 footer is just a big canoe; that is a freighter.

The 20 foot Esquif Cargo went on a boat trailer as soon as Joel got to Maine. So much easier to head out to fish a couple times a week with that beast on a trailer instead of roof racked. Motor already on transom, just back down the ramp and go. Especially for someone whose very existence involves daily boat trailer maneuvering.

Is this bigger boat thing a slippery slope? First a normal 20 foot square stern. Then a 20 foot by 53 inch true freighter. Next, I dunno, maybe a bigger motor.

There are probably stripper plans for a small houseboat.

 

[yellowcanoe]

An apropos boat name would be Hernia

 

[Quinn]

Assuming that this new boat will guarantee you win that $10,000, you'd be a fool not to build it. Are you thinking of putting a 25 on it, or sticking with a 9.9?

I bet in your younger days you would have portaged that boat, motor and all!

 

[memaquay]

Ha ha, well nothing can guarantee the 10,000, but at least the big freighter should guarantee that we finish alive!

 

[Sweetfancymoses]

[No message]

 

[Boreal Birch]

A friend of mine up in Eagle Alaska has one of these

 

[Iskweo]

There are a number of frieghters kicking around here. We had a Kildonan for a while (18') and I am sure Doug has a couple in his " storage area " .They are truly closer to a boat than a canoe. You deserve a nice canvas one with the lovely ribs and all though Mem. Perhaps a traditional peterborough boat ...try Giesler's... would work too. We had considered using the Crestliner as a form to make one. We have 8 more canoes to finish first though.

Sell off some guns/canoes/children to be able to buy a new Giesler?? Come to the dark side buddy.

 

[memaquay]

Hey Boreal, pretty sure the lines of the one I am going to build are very similar to nor-west co.'s 20 footer, simply called the Norwest. I googled it and found one for sale in Quebec, with a trailer and a 25 horse going for $14,000.00 Said the retail price for the package was 19,000. I think it will cost me about 1500 to build one.........hmmmmm.....perhaps retirement could be lucrative.

Iskweo, if I could find a big old cedar canvas freighter, I'd be all over it. Should have brought one home with me when I lived up north.