# Know anyone who makes boats?



## Ogeechee (May 4, 2010)

When I was a kid growing up around Bulloch/Screven Co. in the early 80's I remember my dad and uncles talking about  retired gentlemen who hand made gheenoe-style wooden boats. 

Does anyone know of someone who still builds homemade "river" boats around Georgia?


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## Nicodemus (May 4, 2010)

I had several uncles, and my Grandfather, in Wheeler County, who made boats like that. Unfortunately, I no longer know of anyone who works this almost lost art. Good luck, and I hope you find one of these craftsmen.

I wish now, that I had paid more attention...


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## SASS249 (May 4, 2010)

If you mean something like this then yes a number of us build them.

You can build one for yourself with a little instruction and some patience.


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## ccbiggz (May 9, 2010)

Wow. That is nice.


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## BowArrow (Jun 22, 2010)

They were probably talking about Mr. Racer Evans. The boats, made from cypress, are known as Racer Evans boats. He built these boats about five miles north of Statesboro. He passed away several years ago. I paddled one of these boats many miles in the Ogeechee begining in the late 40's until the 70's when I bought a 14 ft. aluminum boat. This thread caught my attention because I happen to see my first Racer Evens boat in the Ogeechee today. This was the first one I had seen in the river in several years. I have the plans for this style boat if you can find someone to build one.


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## Twenty five ought six (Jun 23, 2010)

I had a "swamp boat" or "Ogeechee River" boat that was built by a local builder on that river.

It sort of a half jon boat and half canoe.  The back was narrow like a canoe, so you could steer it easily, and the front was broad and flat like a jon boat, with a lot of rocker, so when you were fishing solo, the front was mostly out of the water, reducing drag.   A big bream could spin that boat.

It had a locally unique  seat in the middle -- the seat was in the middle and ran long ways -- it was called a "casting seat" because the front man could fish from either side, and it included the fish box.


I loved that boat, and caught I don't know how many fish out of it.   A good size mudfish would tow me and the boat.

The fellow that built it found some 14' marine plywood, and the bottom and sides were built out of one piece of plywood (two pieces all total) so there were no seams other than where the sides and bottom met.  The few frame pieces were old growth cypress.  


Fit in the back of a PU, and I fished it all over SE Georgia.  The builder just disappeared on me.

At that time (late 70's, early 80's) there still was quite a market on the Altamaha for what were called "river skiffs", which were V-bowed, flat bottom boats that the locals would hand outrageously large motors on -- the "bootlegger's slide" was the preferred way of going through curves.

If you want to see some of the old time Georgia river boats, try to locate a copy of a book "Tidecraft".


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## cb1967 (Jun 23, 2010)

*boats*

ej davis baxley, ga used to build them. you'd have to give him a call. not sure if he's still in it or not but there's many of his boats still in this area.


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## russery (Jun 24, 2010)

There's a company that still makes hand built boats called, Big Branch Canoes, ph. 413-884-2573


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## Ogeechee (Jun 25, 2010)

BowArrow said:


> They were probably talking about Mr. Racer Evans. The boats, made from cypress, are known as Racer Evans boats. He built these boats about five miles north of Statesboro. He passed away several years ago. I paddled one of these boats many miles in the Ogeechee begining in the late 40's until the 70's when I bought a 14 ft. aluminum boat. This thread caught my attention because I happen to see my first Racer Evens boat in the Ogeechee today. This was the first one I had seen in the river in several years. I have the plans for this style boat if you can find someone to build one.



That's the ones I remember. I grew up in the Clito area.

I found some pictures of the boats in this book and that's what made me wonder if anyone still made them...


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## WilcoSportsman (Jun 25, 2010)

I just returned the book "The Ogeechee River and its People" by Jack Leigh and it has a page about a guy who builds these kind of boats. I don't remember his name, but the book said that he made them out of a old corn mill in Emanuel County.


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## Twenty five ought six (Jun 25, 2010)

That's exactly the boat I described above -- what a great boat.  See how the paddler sits in the "pointy" end.






And that's the "casting seat" I referred to.   A great innovation.

Thanks for posting those pictures, had a lot of good times in the little boat, a lot of good memories.  My builder was a young man.


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## BowArrow (Aug 4, 2010)

Google "Racer Evans"


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## Sea-N-Double (Aug 4, 2010)

WilcoSportsman said:


> I just returned the book "The Ogeechee River and its People" by Jack Leigh and it has a page about a guy who builds these kind of boats. I don't remember his name, but the book said that he made them out of a old corn mill in Emanuel County.



Billy Bishop.  I don't know if he still makes them or not.


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## Scabman (Aug 10, 2010)

*Bishop boats*

We called them bishop boats. and no he does not make them any longer. There has been a lot of memories made in the Bishop boats!!!


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## injun joe (Aug 10, 2010)

Another man who made them was John Greene down by Lake Blackshear, now deceased I believe.


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## Smackover (Aug 13, 2010)

*Geechee Boat*

You might want to look on Southern Paddler.com in the Pirogues section.

There is a fellow who recently ran a series of pictures
of an "Ogeechee River boat"  that he builds.  Close to the boat you speak of.

I would love to get my hands on a a copy of measurements for the boat.  Want to build one for  myself and one for my son.

Those pictures from the book reminded me of fishing out of Morgans' bridge with my father in law.

Regards

Smackover


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## Tacoma (Jan 15, 2011)

I have cyprus lumber and marine plywood in hand to build one of these boats...  sure wish I had some plans or measurements to get started.  smile


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## Twenty five ought six (Jan 15, 2011)

Smackover said:


> You might want to look on Southern Paddler.com in the Pirogues section.
> 
> There is a fellow who recently ran a series of pictures
> of an "Ogeechee River boat"  that he builds.  Close to the boat you speak of.
> ...





Tacoma said:


> I have an abundance of cyprus lumber and marine plywood in hand to build one of these boats...  sure wish I had some plans or measurements to get started.  smile




Check this out.  Builder lives in Woodstock.
https://sites.google.com/site/jrobbinsbarnworks/new-project-ogeechee-river-paddle-boat

Pretty much looks like the real thing.

http://forums.bateau2.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=24548&hilit=racer+evans

I know this fellow (Cracker Larry), and he's pretty good about sharing information.  He's also a first class boat builder, so there is a lot of good building information in this thread. Lives in Effingham County, so he's a neighbor to Smackover.


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## Deadduck (Feb 22, 2011)

If you look close at my picture you will see that the boat is a Bishop Boat.
Mr. Bishop would not sell you a boat if he thought you would not take care of it.


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## poolecw (Feb 22, 2011)

Lavern Wommack in Cedar Crossin built many of the boats running on the Altamaha and Oconnee rivers.  He built several for Benton Lee.


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## Deadduck (Feb 23, 2011)

*bishop boat info*

I cant find this can you give me better information






Smackover said:


> You might want to look on Southern Paddler.com in the Pirogues section.
> 
> There is a fellow who recently ran a series of pictures
> of an "Ogeechee River boat"  that he builds.  Close to the boat you speak of.
> ...


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## Deadduck (Feb 23, 2011)

*bishop boat pictures*

here are a couple more pictures of a bishop boat ready to duck hunt on  the ogeechee.


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## Bream Pole (Dec 9, 2012)

Ryan Craft in the 60's made an aluminum jon boat that narrowed in the rear like these wooden boats.  I used to own one, and it is still being used last I heard in an ox bow lake in Wayne Co.  I don't know if EJ Davis still makes cypress boats or not, but I have been in them.  One I remember had a 30 hp on it and it would fly.  Nothing responds in the water like a wooden boat.


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## LipRipper45 (Dec 11, 2012)

This is really cool! my grandad used to have one of these boats in arkansas and he would paddle it with one hand while we fished i thought that was the coolest thing!


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## Bilge Rat LT 20 (Dec 13, 2012)

Try Ga. river fishing forum, they had a lot of info on these boats. Learned to fish out of these boats and had a glass version with a 3hp. rude that took me all over from Uncle Sheds to Statesboro fishing.


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## oops1 (Dec 13, 2012)

LipRipper45 said:


> This is really cool! my grandad used to have one of these boats in arkansas and he would paddle it with one hand while we fished i thought that was the coolest thing!



Mine did the one hand paddle as well... I was in awe.


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## jrobbins (Dec 18, 2012)

I built one, starting another one after the first of the year, I posted some pictures in my profile if you like to see what one looks like...


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## Wiskey_33 (Dec 18, 2012)

I know the family that owns Aristocraft boats, though they're not riverboats.

Very nice boats.

http://www.aristocraftboats.com/


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## jrobbins (Dec 18, 2012)

I think I posted to the wrong thread, sorry about that


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## smith island crabskiff (Oct 23, 2014)

BowArrow,
I'm looking for a set of plans for the river boats that we fished from on Ogeechee river from the Brooklet landing(50's and 60's). my uncles had one. I race classic wooden boats on the Chesapeake Bay. Relocating to Bluffton, SC and I'm planning on building one if I can get my hands on the plans.


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## The Longhunter (Oct 23, 2014)

smith island crabskiff said:


> BowArrow,
> I'm looking for a set of plans for the river boats that we fished from on Ogeechee river from the Brooklet landing(50's and 60's). my uncles had one. I race classic wooden boats on the Chesapeake Bay. Relocating to Bluffton, SC and I'm planning on building one if I can get my hands on the plans.



PM me.


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## jrobbins (Oct 23, 2014)

I build a few, got one for sale now...


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## Artfuldodger (Oct 24, 2014)

jrobbins said:


> I build a few, got one for sale now...



Glad to someone continuing the art form.
Those boats always look backwards from traditional boats. I understand it's because the fisherman sits up front and his buddy paddles him around.

I'm assuming this is your site? Nice workmanship!

http://jrobbinsbarnworks.blogspot.com/2013/08/ogeechee-river-boat-build-racer-evans.html


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## jrobbins (Oct 24, 2014)

*Thats a old one, I set up a new one with more pictures*

http://www.jrobbinsboatworks.com/home.html


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## Artfuldodger (Oct 24, 2014)

We have home movies when I was little in the late sixties of my Dad and his friends fishing. Almost all were using homemade boats. My Dad and his brother made their own ski boats too. My Dad made a standard cypress fishing boat a few years ago. Not anything too fancy though.


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