# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > Making Stuff >  $40 Plywood Jon Boat

## DayAfterTomorrow

Howdy, I just found this forum, been a member of several similar forums for quite some time!

I figured this was as good a place as any for a first post, since making things from scratch is my favorite thing to do!

$40 is a little light since I got a lot of these materials were free including the screw, silicon and a couple pieces of wood!

I wanted a small boat I could transport in the bed of my pickup and carry to the water, for the times I can take out the 14' bass boat! Its 95"x36" and weighs about 75lbs

I didnt take nearly enough picture through the constuction so a little imagination is required!

I used 2 sheets of 3/8 exterior plywood, 1 1"x12", some 2"x"3s, and some 1"x2"s

I started by laying out my profile of the gunwales, the I glued/screwed the gunwales to the hull!

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Then I began framing in seats, stiffners, runners, and the transom!

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I sealed the hull with some free blackjack waterproof roofing sealer, silicon on the inside! Painted it with some "oops" exterior paint from home depot, the paint was $5 for a gallon! The "tab" sticking up out of the transom is for mounting a Transom Mount 30lbs thrust Trolling Motor!

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Time for the maiden voyage!

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Fruits of my labor, nice little 12" Bass!

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It out preformed my expectations! No leaks which was awesome. I could get around pretty good paddling from the middle seat, Not as effective from the rear seat which was expected, the torque applied from paddling in the rear tends to turn the boat rather than drive it forward.

All and all I am very happy with it!

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## crashdive123

Well done.

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## Sparky93

That's a cool little boat!

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## BENESSE

Outstanding!
A great project and not too overwhelming to tackle. Cheap. Fun to do with the kids too.

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## jfeatherjohn

Hats off to you.
That's a nice little basser.

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## Old GI

Super job!!  Would small tiller of some kind help with the rowing direction?

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## DayAfterTomorrow

You have the same problem in any vessel when paddling from the very rear, the torque is always going to want to spin the boat. That why oars are located in the middle. Simple physics really. 

With two people the boat will sit more level in the water, and you can balance you paddling.

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## hunter63

Very nice job, I like it........One can never have too many boats.......

I have my Uncle Johns Pirogue kit on a shelf......you may have been the insperation I was needing to get going......LOL
http://www.unclejohns.com/boat/

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## RobinD69

I like it and I think I have all the materials and even a book with a simmilar design.

How did you make the wood water tight?

What paint did you use?

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## DayAfterTomorrow

I sealed it with rubberized roofing sealer, and the paint is exterior enamel. 

Got the sealer for free and the paint was $5!

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## hunter63

Too bad you didn't just buy the materials, so the average guy/gal that doesn't have a pile of free stuff around to use, would have an idea what the cost would be.

Nice boat, but the $40 bucks would put someone off after they found out that that really wasn't the cost........

I wrote an article for Mother Earth News magazine, and after I had submitted it w/pic's for building tomato stands, the e-mailed me back to nail down costs for a reader that just wanted to build one and what the cost would be.

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## DayAfterTomorrow

Fair enough, a clever mechanic could build it for under $80 in materials at Home Depot! Probably 60$ if you shopped around!

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## Sparky93

> Very nice job, I like it........One can never have too many boats.......
> 
> I have my Uncle Johns Pirogue kit on a shelf......you may have been the insperation I was needing to get going......LOL
> http://www.unclejohns.com/boat/


I have been wanting to build one of those for a while, thanks for the link it might make a good winter project...

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## hitec4you

Nice job you did.

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## RobinD69

> I sealed it with rubberized roofing sealer, and the paint is exterior enamel. 
> 
> Got the sealer for free and the paint was $5!


Thank you I will look for the book my son insists he saw me looking at a similar boat project.

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## DayAfterTomorrow

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9gqOEoyuJfg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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## DayAfterTomorrow

https://www.youtube.com/user/GaryBriggs3?feature=mhee

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## kyratshooter

I made one a year or so ago and found that there was too much wind on my pleasant little lake to use mine.  One can not make any headway with just the paddles.  I must have power of some sort to make headway and my state will not allow me to put a motor on my home made boat.

DRATS!!!

I do have a 12' aluminum J-boat that is sufficient with either the electric motor or the little gas jobbie.  Lots of fun.

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## RobinD69

My 10 year old found one of my books with several boat designs but not the jon boats. I will have to look for myself.

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## Batch

I have been contemplating a glades skiff of Glen Simmons' design for some time. It is made of 1/4" plywood.glen Simmons.jpg

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## Adventure Wolf

That's awesome! I've never thought of doing that but I have the skill and tools. I'm going to follow your lead.

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## old2531

ok after build this nice boat and it is nice how much did all the safety gear and boat registration set u back

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## old2531

im in a state that requires a boat safety class before you can register a boat

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## hunter63

When becoming one of the "Boat People" the concept of "money" looses all meaning......you do what it takes to get on the water.

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## old2531

lol i was a boat person for 7 yrs u either follow their rules or they ruin your boat

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## Dennis

Awesome job for the money. I was looking yesterday at another jon boat build for the river must be spring is coming.

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## scumbucket

Very nice, I once saw a similar boat plan in Boy's Life magazine years ago and still have the plan. You simplified it somewhat which I like.  Guess I need to build one, where I live, there isn't any large lakes that require a larger boat anyway.

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## kyratshooter

> ok after build this nice boat and it is nice how much did all the safety gear and boat registration set u back



Here in KY there is no registration unless one places a power scource on the boat.  PFD is required but that is a common sense necessity anyway.

If you decide to put a motor of any kind on a home made boat you have to get a 

transom number from the Coast Guard
Safety inspection by the dept of wildlife
tax assement by the sheriff
registration.title by the state DMV

It's easier to just paddle it around.

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## bowfish

Hi; Im new to the site. I hve a few questions about your build. If you used blackjack for sealer were you able to paint over it? Also did you build a frame first or put the stiffners in after? If the boat is 8' why did you use 2 pieces for the bottom? Thanks for the thread this will be my first boat project.

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## hunter63

Hunter63, saying Hey and Welcome.
There is an introduction section....
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/forum.php

As far as you question.....seems the OP joined this site, posted about his boat build....cool project I might add......last October, then not come back.

Too bad was a good post.

This is a similar project from Mother Earth News:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/h...#axzz2Vpw2HKCz

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