Hello All,

I have two small daughters who, in a few years, I expect will be lovers of water. I was gifted plans for a 20 ft., transom-free, flat bottom dory (redundant?). My idea is to have a stable, easy to row, boat that I can expose my family to the fun of picnics on lakes and sheltered waterways.

My question is how much bulk do I need to build into the boat. That is, the plans advise 1/2" to 1" bottom, 3/8" to 3/4" sides. This is a plywood make with 2 chines and about a 5' beam. This boat will be in the water a maximum of 4 times a year(with the grace of God but more like 1-2) for maybe 5 hours each outing, with the rest of the time spent covered and sheltered. Do I really need 5 gallons of Epoxy and a full fiberglass sheathing/encapsulation on top of the 6 layers of taped seams?

The plans from 1993 mention a build cost of about $350 so you can imagine the brick I dropped when I see today 5 gallons of just the epoxy resin and hardener cost upwards of $600. 6 Sheets of marine 3/8" 4x8 is $385 for the hull sides. 1" Okoume 4x8 for the hull bottom is $149 per sheet and I need 2. And don't get me started on marine primer, paint and spar unrethane (sp?) costs. What do you all suggest I really need for this project?