“Lisa B. Good” is the result of a discussion on the Yahoo Shantyboat Group. The design turned out to be an economy-sized Shantyboat, about the minimum size that offers stand-up headroom, decent deck space, and long-weekend accommodations for a couple.
I’d build her 16 foot as drawn. That length is handy, because you can easily get lumber that long. But there’s no reason why you couldn’t splice the longitudinals and facias to add a few feet to the middle of the boat, if you needed more room. Just keep the ends the same and take the extra length for the cabin or the decks as you want.
Lisa B. is a very simple boat, and construction will be particularly straightforward; should be a quick build. There are only two curves on the boat, the bottom of the hull, and the crown in the cabin roof. The wood is all construction-grade lumber and plywood. Use is made of epoxy and glass, but just enough to ensure long life without rot or excessive maintenance.
Essential statistics
Length overall – 16′
Beam at trailer bed – 7′ 6″
Beam at rubrails – 8′
Weight – about 2500 lbs
Draft – 5″
Headroom – 6′ 5″ at center
Power – 5-10 hp outboard
Speed – 5 kts downhill