Blue Bill: A Free Plan for a Canvas-Covered Flat-Bottom Boat
A 13 ft 6 in canvas-covered boat for three, paddled or powered by a 1 to 6 hp outboard.
Blue Bill uses one of the oldest lightweight building tricks around: a wooden frame wrapped in canvas. The hull is 13 ft 6 in (4.1 m) long and a slim 3 ft 2 in (1 m) wide, with a flat bottom shaped by knuckle joints. It seats three and can be paddled or fitted with a small outboard. The name and the low, narrow lines suggest a boat made for marshes, creeks and early mornings on still water.
Blue Bill at a glance
| Detail | Blue Bill |
|---|---|
| Type | Canvas skiff |
| Length | 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m) |
| Beam | 3 ft 2 in (0.97 m) |
| Capacity | 3 persons |
| Construction | Wood frame, canvas covered; flat bottom with knuckle joints |
| Power | Paddle, or 1–6 hp outboard |
| First published | Boat Builder's Annual, p. 72 |
| Craft Print | No. 80 |
| Plan sheets | 6 |
Light, simple and quietly capable
Canvas over a wood frame keeps weight down without needing thick planking or sheet goods. The knuckle joints let the flat bottom turn up into the sides with a bit of shape, so the boat is not just a box. Done well, a canvas skin is surprisingly tough and easy to patch, which is handy for a boat that will be dragged over banks and through reeds.
With power options from a paddle up to a 6 hp outboard, Blue Bill can drift silently along a reed bed or cover longer distances when needed. The narrow 3 ft 2 in beam favours easy paddling over carrying bulky loads. A light hull is also easy to carry to the water, so you are not tied to launch ramps.
The original plan sheets
These are the 6 original sheets, scanned from the magazine. For building, use the full-size PDF in the download section below.
Before you build
- Stretch the canvas tight and evenly over the frame, working from the centre outward, to avoid wrinkles that trap water.
- Keep the outboard within the 1 to 6 hp range and mount it on a reinforced transom, since a canvas hull has little spare strength.
- With a beam of just over 3 ft, load passengers low and centred and treat the boat as a calm-water craft.
Download the plan
All six original sheets for Blue Bill in one file, covering the frame, joints and canvas skin, ready to print.
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