Boating

Fishing poles get banged around enough in the car just getting to the boat. Once at the boat, they should have a neat, organized place where they can stand ready for use. You can buy rod holders...

Making floorboards to repair the damaged floor of a boat requires that you assess the damage, removed the damaged portion of the floorboards, and replace the damaged boards with similar planking...

Boat flooring imparts many benefits to a boat's hull. The supporting framing and floor can add stiffness and support to a hull. The flooring creates a dead-air space just above the hull's bottom...

Installing new flooring in your boat is usually simpler than it sounds. You begin by removing the old flooring, laying the old flooring atop the new to serve as a pattern, then cutting the new...

You can accent a boat's interior with expensive wood finishes without paying the price for a costly piece of wood. One way to do this might be by decorative painting--door frames painted to look...

Millions of people like to fish or go for short outings on lakes and rivers each year. One common type of boat they use is a John boat. John boats are simple flat-bottomed boats usually powered by...

If you lose a hatch cover to weather or rot, you might finish the season with a tarp or, if the weather is pleasant, an open hatch. Remember, though, that an uncovered hatch on a rough day is an...

As the boating season warms up and spring becomes high summer, you may find that bit of shade from your convertible bimini top over your cockpit is just too small and, as cooler nights take hold...

The stitch-and-glue method is a simple method of boat-building using stitches to hold a boat together. If you are new to boat-building, this is a great way to get the perfect hull shape. It is...

James Thompson once said, "Give a man a horse he can ride, give a man a boat he can sail; and his rank and wealth, his strength and health on sea nor shore shall fail." Nothing can make a person's...

Carpeting your john boat is no more difficult than carpeting your utility room, except that you'll be glueing the whole carpet down. The carpet will keep you from slipping when you try to move...

There are many ways to make homemade boats at home without big, expensive specialty tools or extensive training and experience. Simple boat designs without compound curves are the easiest to build...

An outboard motor on a jon boat makes a racket that lets every fish for miles know you have arrived and will be fishing. Even worse, it sends them scurrying for cover until they hear you move off....

Wouldn't it be nice if you could pull up to your favorite fishing spot and unload a fishing boat off the top of your car rather than fishing from the bank? Stop dreaming and start building. In...

Now that the decision has been made to replace that worn upholstery on your boat with new vinyl, you have a few more choices to make. To reupholster the seat, you may have to take the seat apart...

Your boat is probably one of your three largest investments, so when something not so great happens to it, you repair it. One of things most often damaged on any boat is the floor. Perhaps someone...

After fishing for a few hours while standing on the floor of a metal boat, you might begin to wonder if it is worth the discomfort. You might even think about putting in a wooden deck, or maybe...

When you're on the boat and fishing you might have a stringer over the side, but you have to pull it up when you move. If you move frequently, you might think about the refrigerator on your boat,...

Marine plywood is a form of plywood that has been constructed using waterproof adhesives to make it suitable for use in wet environments, including a home-built boat, the sub-floors of a home, the...

The first flatboats were built by farmer Jacob Yoder in 1782, and floated down Pennsylvania's Monongahela River. Flatboats were used to carry trade goods downriver, then broken apart and sold....

This method works well for patching a small hole (up to about a couple of inches) in the botton of a plywood boat. I used this method on my own boat, and it lasted for the life of the boat. Follow...

If there are soft spots in the transom of your boat, it may be time to reinforce the transom with a composite core material. The work is messy, creates toxic fumes, involves working with wood,...

Perhaps you've purchased an old wooden boat; the transom is stove in and needs replacement; or perhaps you've gotten too near to others playing "bumper boats" at the fuel dock in the marina and...

Your boat's transom carries the weight of the outboard motor. It forms the "rear wall" of your boat's hull. It stands a greater chance of being damaged by a bump from another boat because it's a...

Vinyl panels for the interior of your boat will add eye appeal and provide you with a tough wall surface. They work well to cover up the dings and smudges that grace the interior walls of any boat...

Take a few sheets of marine plywood, some 2 by 4s, add a bit of imagination and a few available hours on a weekend, and you can build a plywood boat. A well-built plywood boat, with a reinforced...

A home away from home, floating on a lake or tied to a tree along a riverbank, is an achievable goal for the do-it-yourself person with carpentry skills and the necessary tools; after all,...

Trolling motors are an invaluable tool for getting to fish quietly. The only quieter alternative is polling or paddling, but these activities can be not only time-consuming but also tiring. The...

Many boating enthusiasts dream of owning their very own boat but cringe at the thought of buying a brand new watercraft because the initial and long-term investment can be astronomical. By...

Rafting down the river with a friend sounds enjoyable, especially if you're using a raft you made together. To build a frame for your raft, you must create a plan and gather the necessary...