Boat Building

[collegekid]

Hello all, I am wondering if anyone has any experience working with fiberglass or registering home-built watercraft. I've searched the past few pages in this forum, but found nothing. I will be starting construction on my first full size boat(a 16' flat bottom jon) this March, and hope to finish it sometime before June. Any and all tips, comments, or criticism is welcome, Thanks.

[sparcebag]

I've built a few boats and glass was the hardest to work with,and you yet need a wooden keel, gunals, ribs. transom.backing for seats etc.

[mechanictim]

Registering a homemade boat is pretty straight forward. Go to your local deputy register office and tell them what you did and answer some questions about length, type and horsepower of motor, pay the fee and your set to go.

I would not use fiberglass for a jon boat, as the typical use for a jon is in shallow water with a good chance of impacting some rocks or logs. If your going to duck hunt out of it, a lighter hull is important if you ever get stuck or want to drag it up into some cover.