Flat Bottom Scow-Type Boat - Vintage Projects

1 flat BottomScow-Type BoatFISHERMEN WHO LIKE to work theshallow backwaters and weed patcheson lakes and rivers will find this flat -bot-tom Scow-Type boat an ideal craft. Althoughthe boat is only 12 ft. long, its wide, flatbottom provides more usable space thanmost round or V- Bottom boats of similarsize. Low-cost, readily available materialsare used throughout. Frames, gunwales,deck beams, chine logs, seat stringers andseat back are made of pine lumber. Therunners and chine moldings are solid exterior plywood is used for thedeck, Bottom and side planking and tran-som 3/8-in. stock for the former and 3 for the construction by cutting out theplanking. To assure correctly fitted partsand reduce assembly time, make a full-sizehalf pattern of the Bottom tracing one half the Bottom from thepattern, the latter is flipped over and theother half is traced on the plywood panelused for this purpose.

2 Next cut the chinelogs, seat stringers and frame members ac-cording to the dimensions given. Positionthe frame side members on each of the ply-wood sides as required. Then glue andtemporarily nail them in place, using smallfinishing nails of a length that will notpenetrate the outer ply. Before the gluesets, turn the sides over and fasten theSolid-oak runners strengthen Bottom and protect itfrom damage when boat is pulled across rocky beaches90frame sides and chine logs with screws, orannular-ring type nails. Such nails may beused in place of screws for fastening , nail the seat stringers to the framesides, fasten the Bottom frame membersin place, and glue and nail the bottomplanking to the chine log as shown. Ply-wood gussets are nailed and glued on bothsides of frames 1 and 2 as indicated in and 5. The transom consists of two layersof 3/4-in.

3 Exterior plywood glued together,and screwed to the sides and Bottom as indetail B, Fig. 5. To avoid leaks, cut and fitthe laminated transom accurately, and ap-ply a liberal coating of waterproof glue onall three seats are installed as in lifts that are through-bolted to upper cor-ners of transom and bow, serve as carrying handles5 and 6, after which the deck beams andseat back for the bow seat are nailed inplace, Fig. 1, and detail A, Fig. 5. If an out-board motor is to be used on the boat , omitthe molding on the transom and cut thegunwale moldings to fit flush with the backof the transom. Then cut the plywood fore-deck to size and nail it to the gunwalesand deck beams as shown. Next the boat isturned over and 1 x 2-in. oak runners areattached to the Bottom , as in Figs. 3 and 4,to protect it from damage when pulling theboat chine moldings fastened to the bot-Chine-molding strip cut from 1 x 2-in.

4 Oak, protectschine from damage, can be easily replaced if brokentorn corners at the sides, Fig. 7, serve assacrificial members to protect the exposedplywood edges of the Bottom . These mem-bers should be bedded in an elastic seamcompound and screwed to the boat so thatthey can be replaced easily when worn orbroken. Apply a wood-preservative solu-tion, such as Cuprinol, to all surfaces andcover the completed boat with at leastthree coats of marine paint. Rowlocks andcarrying handles are the only hardwareused on the boat . Window lifts serve ashandles that are through-bolted to the bowand stern as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7.