Re: Why a Flat-bottomed Pram for Fly-fishing?

Posted by Charlie43 on
URL: http://riverswest-forums.266.s1.nabble.com/Why-a-Flat-bottomed-Pram-for-Fly-fishing-tp511p518.html

It's been a while since I posted, and my building plans have changed as well. Rather than do a sheet-and-half "dresser", what I've got on my building frame right now is the start of 8'10", flat-bottomed, single-chine pram to be planked with 4mm Okume and planked with WRC. The bottom is roughed out (over-sized, because I'll be using an external chine). The bow and transom have been built, though the bevels haven't yet been cut. The sides have been cut and butt spliced.

Why did I make the design decisions I did? E.g., why an external chine rather than a more hydro-dynamically efficient one? Think about the purpose of the boat, which is fly-fishing protected water. How much of one's time on the water will be spent rowing to get somewhere efficiently and quickly and how much time will be spent positioning the boat for the next cast? If one's goal is to travel long distances as easily as possible, then you're going to be choosing a wherry, whitehall, or guide boat, not a pram, not that even a very short and moderately beamy pram that puts at least 81" on the waterline can't offer a t
will offer a very respectable theoretical hull speed of 4 MPH.