I built Bantam and Grinder, both modified Phil Bolger designs. Grinder turned out very well, but I thought I could do better. My idea was to build a boat similar to Grinder, but much lighter, with a different profile and a bit longer cabin. Since a flat bottom boat gains efficiency as it loses weight, I wanted to try a smaller engine that needed less battery, all Okume construction, a laminated 3/4" hull, and get rid of the heavy shoe Phil had on the clam skiff. I changed the sheer line to something I liked, eliminated the raised coaming of Grinder, and added an extended gunwale to stop spray and provide a walkway and seating all around the boat. The cabin is 9'6" long, and Grub is 21' overall.
The construction pretty much follows the method I used on Grinder. Here are some build photos.
In place of Phil's 1 1/2" x 16" shoe in the center of the hull bottom, I used twin 1 3/4" skegs. This turned out not to be enough to stop a disturbing "bump and wiggle" hull flexing when underway.
My immediate fix was a cross batten mid-hull in the cabin, which solved the worst flex, but I still was not happy. I wanted stiffness but not weight, so I took the cabin off after the first season, turned the boat over and put a keel on. The photos will help explain. It's made of left over 3/8" Okume, 1 3/4" high and 16" wide.
Here are few beauty shots, and an action video:
