Boat Builder Central - Builder Forums

Do you build the version with the sole?
If yes, you must keep frame C under the sole.
Above the sole, you need at least a 3" wide frame. If you build with the gunwale option, you need that anyway.
With just the rubrail, you need a frame to stiffen that side, a small one is OK, 3" wide.

Yes, I will be building with the gunwale and sole options. My main concern was removing the seat area between B and C. The other requirements that you indicated are understood.

You can remove the seat but leave a 3" frame along the side under the gunwale.
Watch the pictures that we will post on Monday. There are two XF20's here in Homosassa and they don;t have the mid seat.

Three XF20's in fact: a fishing guide was there with his XF20.

Well, I had back surgery last Thursday and just started to feel OK. I've gone around and around viewing all of the plans out there for what I wanted. None covered it. My home river is the White RIver in Arkansas. Blue ribbon trout fishing. Everyone down there uses 20 foot fiberglass jon boats. Narrow beam - most are around 48", some 42".

I had written off the plans for the Spira that showed a 19' length with a 6' beam as being not great construction. So I was back to where I started.

I finally bought the plans for the XF20 and started building 10:1 scale models both to familiarize myself with the plans and look for gotchas.

Building straight to plan had no hidden surprises. Parts were drawn to scale, cut and assembled without trimming.




I then cut out parts to reduce the beam by 20". This leaves me with a 6'4" beam and 20' OAL. I only had to shorten all of the frames, front and back transoms, seats, front deck and the boat bottom by 20". No other changes were made. It again went together as anticipated.

Now that I was satisfied that it would work out and be proportional I went about building a third model with the changes that I wanted.

First the prow became pointed. All changes here took place ahead of Frame A. Some mild trimming on the sides and bottom brought it together.

Second I removed the middle seat. The front casting deck goes to Frame B. Frame C was eliminated but the bottom and sides remain intact.

Moving back I added three more sub-frames between Frame C and Frame D.

The seat was cut through the center at the stringer line. Both frame D and E are present minus the top section in the center. I'm planning on a 30hp jet outboard tiller motor so I can sit on either side with legs between the bench and drive. The sole has not been cut for the models but would be in place.

Thoughts? Comments? Criticisms?

Why not just build the FS18 and enlarge it by 10%? That's what the third one looks like to me.

It would be a lot less complicated than adding length and reshaping the bow. It would be ~60" wide...

Your models look good. Friends and I have had an annual trip to the White RIver to fish the area in and around Calico Rock for the past ten or twelve years. The boats we rent are a lot like your second model. Long, skinny flat bottomed fiberglass john boats. More like a punt than a garvey. Very unique to the area. Designed to fish two or three comfortably, four in a pinch if some are kids. We have also fished the Norfork, and the tail waters off of Table Rock and Bull Shoals. The trout fishing can be very good if the water levels are right. Last year we got flooded out.

Good luck with your boat build. There are lots of choices out there. It looks like you are on the right path to get the boat you want and need. Look forward to seeing it built.

Nice modeling Your last one looks a lot like a PH18. Have you looked at those?

I really want a 20 foot boat. Browndog is talking about where I would be fishing and he is right, the boats are unique to the area.

We will often fish with 3 people. An 18' boat is just a little too short. I looked hard at the PH18 and FS18 and almost went with the FS18 until I saw this photo.



It's a really small boat for an 18 footer. Good for two but not practical to fish three.

As to BB Sig's question, it is extremely easy to make the modifications that I made. None structural, just shortening some lengths and tweaking the bow a bit. All of the designers measurements are retained. Side panels are to print and the bottom and sole only shrink a set 20" on one axis. To scale up an FS18 would be a major undertaking.

What about the SF 19