I have a boat that was built 25 or so years ago. It is a 12ft juniper strip boat, with a flat plywood bottom. They were designed by a couple of guys back home. They got their design from wing designs on planes. It can handle a 40hp. If your brave enough to run it. The design gives them lift but keeps the lower unit in the water. The guys back home use to race them in the rivers as well as fish in them. They are still being made and the biggest I've seen is a 20ft boat. Most are 16ft. I only run a 15hp on mine. It'll run 25mph with two grown men and fishing gear. I love the little boat and won't ever sell it. I have the plans and patterns to make them. The guy that more or less did most of the designing and building tought me how they built them. I plan to build a few when I get my shop done. For people who think that wood and fiberglass don't mix, think again. The oldest boats are made of wood and like I said mine is 25+ years old. They are awesome boats for fishing rivers. They are either stick steer or tiller.
That's a funny story and I do agree with you izzy, they can be dangerous. I have a bunch of stories about the dangers of these boats myself. As long as they are used for fishing and not daredevil stunts they are great and handle better than any boat I've ever driven.