Barnegat Bay Sneak Box: A Free 12 ft Plywood Plan
William D. Jackson's 12 ft plywood sneak box needs no building form and can be fitted with runners to sled over ice.
The sneak box is a low, decked boat with roots in the bays of New Jersey, and this plywood version keeps that spirit. It is 12 ft (3.7 m) long and 3 ft 10 in (1.2 m) wide, seats two, and runs happily on a 1 to 3 hp outboard. One clever touch: you can shoe runners onto the bottom so it slides over ice like a sled. It suits hunters, anglers and anyone who likes cold mornings on the water.
Barnegat Bay Sneak Box at a glance
| Detail | Barnegat Bay Sneak Box |
|---|---|
| Type | Sneak box |
| Length | 12 ft (3.66 m) |
| Beam | 3 ft 10 in (1.17 m) |
| Capacity | 2 persons |
| Construction | 1/4 in. fir plywood, minimal framing, no building form; runners can be shod to sled over ice |
| Power | 1–3 hp outboard |
| Designer | William D. Jackson |
| First published | Boat Builder's Handbook, p. 144 |
| Craft Print | No. 291 |
| Plan sheets | 7 |
Built for marsh and ice
Using 1/4 in. fir plywood with minimal framing keeps the boat light, and building without a form means you can start without making a jig. That is a real time saver on a 12 ft hull. Fewer frames also mean fewer joints to fit and seal, which suits a first-time builder.
Runners on the bottom let you push or drag the boat across ice to open water, which is exactly why sneak boxes earned their place on cold bays. A 1 to 3 hp outboard is plenty for the low, compact hull. The low profile keeps the boat out of the wind, a quality anyone who spends cold mornings on open water will appreciate.
The original plan sheets
These are the 7 original sheets, scanned from the magazine. For building, use the full-size PDF in the download section below.
Who designed it
William D. Jackson drew this sneak box for the Boat Builder's Handbook, page 144, and it was issued as Craft Print No. 291. His seven sheets show how to build it without a form.
Before you build
- Stay within the 1 to 3 hp outboard range; a heavier motor will push the low stern too deep.
- If you add ice runners, fasten them to solid backing, because they take heavy knocks when sledding.
- Seal every plywood edge carefully, since this is a boat that will live in cold, wet and icy conditions.
Download the plan
All seven original sheets for the Barnegat Bay Sneak Box in one file, ready to print or keep in the shop.
Download the complete plan (PDF, 7 sheets, 4.9 MB)
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