It’s amazing to me the breadth of initial assumptions people make when you tell them you’re “building a boat.” Some assume it’s a sail boat, and some that it’s a power boat. Some assume it will be quite large, and some that it will be tiny. They are universally shocked when their assumptions are borne false.
What we are building is a small – by my way of thinking – center console fishing boat styled after the traditional Carolina hulls that are more typical of larger sportfishing boats. This means it has a fair bit of tumblehome aft, transitioning to a very pronounced flare in the bow. While I’d much prefer an inboard for fishing, the reality is that it’s pretty challenging to shoehorn one into a boat this size, and the project is considerably simpler if an outboard is used, so I’ll be mounting a 115HP Evinrude motor to the transom.
I knew what I wanted before I found the plan set, and spent considerable time searching around for a suitable set of plans. Ultimately there were a couple of contenders, but I kept coming back to a design by Timm Smith of Smith Marine Design. The boat is the Kitty Hawk 18, a smaller version of a larger Carolina style hull he’d designed previously. When I first began discussing the project with him, nobody else had yet attempted to build the boat. Fortunately by the time I got around to actually starting another builder was already working on it which allows me to benefit a bit from his experience.
The goal of this project is to build something that’s inexpensive to operate, easily trailerable, and suitable for two fisherman, fishing inshore in fair to moderate weather.
I’ve got a bigger boat that’s good for long, offshore trips, bad weather and large groups. I want something that’s easier to single-hand and easier to move around.
-Ben