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Eagle
Our EAGLE has landed and it's a scaled-down trailerable replica of those quick, nimble, easy riding, and seaworthy round bilge boats from New England better known as lobster boats. Modern materials and specially adapted construction methods make this boat ideal for the home builder who may have been put off by the idea of building such a boat using the more difficult and expensive traditional methods. The hull can be built in wood or fiberglass, with plans separately available for each. In wood, the plans for EAGLE show the hull built over temporary forms. Planking is the conventional strip type noted in popular boatbuilding texts, or a strip planked inner core with solid wood veneers applied in double layers on the outside, bonded with epoxy and sheathed with fiberglass. Either method results in a light, strong, cold-molded hull having a total thickness of 3/4" minimum.
With fiberglass, EAGLE can be built using the "one-off" male mold materials like fiberglass planking (C-FLEX), PVC foam core or Balsa core, with fiberglass laminates. In both the wood and fiberglass options, deck and cabin structures are simple, low-cost lumber and plywood, with exterior surfaces covered by fiberglass. Whether you choose wood or fiberglass, you can power EAGLE with the proven reliable inboard centrally located and driving through a straight shaft with the underwater gear all protected by a long, deep skeg. Or you can choose a stern mounted inboard engine driving through a stern drive (I/O unit), or even single or twin outboards hung on the transom, with either option using a skeg of less depth for propeller efficiency. No matter how you power, this boat takes little effort to drive so that economy will be a pleasant surprise. And when coupled with huge tank capacities, the range of your EAGLE will let you go where you want, when you want.
While EAGLE is easily trailered, there's plenty of room to make this a serviceable boat. The cockpit lends itself to all sorts of commercial and pleasure fishing operations, and is a good load carrier. The canopy offers a bit of weather protection, but can be easily deleted for fairer climates. If you want to lay over, the compact cabin offers two berths, a space for a head, and a couple of hanging lockers with tops that could provide a minimal galley. The plans include a simple method for varying the length plus or minus 10%. A Table of Offsets is provided for those who wish to loft the lines to full size, however, the full size patterns included make this job unnecessary. Instructions include hull material listings to make building your own EAGLE a rewarding and enjoyable experience, resulting in a boat for much less than one you would buy.
Additional
Specifications and Photos
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