Homemade Duck Boat

[Harry Collins]

Not much happens at the office so I built a duck boat. Going to use it like a Barnagat Bay Sneakbox and shoot faceing aft. When I get the numbers on the side I will power it with a 5HP Briggs & Stratton air cooled outboard. I intend to give it a good coat of mud too. Like everything else I own this is a 20 footer, looks good from 20 feet and won't bare close inspection. The truth is it is 12' 9" X 4' and weighs about 150 lbs. I have some good spots picked out on the Kentucky River.

Harry

[scott kittredge]

very nice, you will have a ball with it. i went to a 20 ga, because the birds would come very close. post pics after your hunts! scott

[Dean Romig]

Nice one Harry, that'll do the trick! An electric trolling motor would probably work well too but without the noise. I keep getting the urge to get back into waterfowl hunting but I'd probably have to live in my truck...

[Greg Baehman]

That's a cool looking rig, Harry!

[Pete Lester]

Looks good to me, it aint got be pretty, just functional and watertight. When it's grassed the defects won't be seen. I'll bet if you built a 2nd one you'd have no trouble selling it.

[Dave Suponski]

Thats one hell of a sneak boat Harry....Looks great from where I'm sittin! Now we need pictures of some duck's laid out across her bow...

[Harry Collins]

Scott,

I'd like to see some pictures of the boat in your avitar and hear your experiences.

Harry

[Thomas L. Benson Sr.]

Harry: That is a great looking layout duck boat. I had the urge to get me a layout boat about 15 yrs. ago and a friend of mine designed and helped me build it and it is a great boat designed for a man and his dog and some decoys. Happy hunting. Thomas L. Benson Sr.

[James T. Kucaba]

Harry ... WHAT A GREAT BOAT ! ... Please tell us more ... I bet there's a good story that goes with the building of such a great watercraft ... Did you build it from scratch, from plans, or from a "kit" ?

Best regards,
Jim Kucaba
AriZOOna Cactus Patch
Email: JimKucaba@aol.con

[Harry Collins]

I looked around for a Barnagat Bay Sneakbox and found a few, but the cost was out of my reach. Then I started looking at plans and found these for Spira Internationals Marsh Rat. Committed many sins building this boat and was able to hide most of them with fiberglass. By nature I am a "chain saw carpenter". I nail it together and trim it up with a chain saw. It would realy have helped it I had understood the basic concept of a ruler, straight edge and how a saw works.

[Larry Frey]

It would realy have helped it I had understood the basic concept of a ruler, straight edge and how a saw works.

Measure "twice" cut "once".:) Hope that helps Harry.

The boat turned out wonderfull and we can't wait to see the results of her maiden voyage.

[John Dallas]

No matter how many times I cut, it's still too short!

[Travis Sims]

I seen it in person just the other day. Not knowing anything about boats, id say he did great job. Just hope he has enough fiber glas on it!:whistle:

[calvin humburg]

WOW!!! I'd say it looks good from 2 inches. Finish work on a duck boat is well not to nessary. Looks like a ton of fun. Would you come finish my bathroom? ch When duck season ends of course.

[Harry Collins]

Calvin,

I'd sure like to help, but to save a lock of your skalp hanging as a decoration from your brides blouse I'll respectfully decline.

Harry

[calvin humburg]

Thanks, she has all ready been tapping me with a coo stick. ch

[Fred Preston]

Nice work Harry. Bet it doesn't draw more than 3 or 4 inches; ought to get you where you want to go.

[Francis Morin]

Fine piece of work- I fiberglassed a custom 2 man layout boat a few years ago- and I have a modified sneak box copied from the Barnegat Bay design- courtesy of Norm Strung's plans and dims--

I have way more experience in welding and metal fabrication, so I noticed the welds on the trailer as well and the brace that holds the tail light assembly- My guess- a straight downhand position weld with 6013 mild steel stick rod from the resultant weld bead-- but just a SWAG- nice boat, can we see some later fotos with the brush or camo treatment as well?:cool:

[Harry Collins]

Francis,

I just received permission from the state to register the boat today. I will do that Monday and get the numbers on the hull Tuesday as that is when the boat store opens. After the numbers are on I am going to slosh it down with a slurry of mud then try camo netting on it. I may order some grass to hide the boat or just bust a bail of straw. This is my first try at this and I know of no one here that has. Runing by the seat of my pants and will take any advice one will offer.

Harry

[scott kittredge]

hi, make shur you set the decoys on the side you can shoot to the best(right hand shooter can swing left better than swing right and left the right side) this way you wont get " bound up " . yes cover boat up with a little of the cover you plan to hunt in., use a face mask,keep gun with the muzzle out of the boat,(saves on toes and holes) most of all don't move until you are ready to shoot! they will be close!! (in side 20 yds) good luck and i'll try to get you pics of my boat, scott

[Pete Lester]

Harry I think you can skip the mud. I would simply cover it in burlap stapled down. The burlap will kill any shine and last longer than mud. Screw small eyelets into the boat through the burlap. Do it so you can make a zig zag patterns of nylon decoy line everywhere above the water line and over the burlap. Then ziptie bundles of grass to the decoy line unitl the boat is covered in grass.

[Steve Kleist]

Hi Harry.
Steve Kleist here from northern Minnesota.
You did a great job on your duck boat. Attached (I think) is a photo of one of my duck boats a few days before freeze-up. The boat blind is down in this photo.
Pete's idea about burlap is a good one. I have tried that also but if you expect ice, the boat may get quite heavy, but it is a great way to reduce shine. Flat camo paint on the hull will work also if it is under some vegetation. I like to use fabric covered shock cord which can be purchased in any length that you like from a local hardware store. I use light machine screws with a nut holding a loop through the hull then lace the shock cord though the loops (pretty tight) then weave local vegetation under the cord. Machine screws are better than wood screws if they extend inside the hull. I also use a light boat blind with about five or six 1/2 " dowels on each side as vertical removeable supports held onto the hull with plastic "U" shaped 1/2" pipe wall clamps. A foot high or shorter tennis net is attached to the dowels with hog rings and vegetation is attached to the net with more hog rings. The blind can be removed for rowing and motoring. I paint the bottom of each end dowel and "U" clamps with a different color to make set up in the dark a little easier.
I hope you can follow this. Send me a PM if you'd like more info.
Best Fishes, Steve Kleist

[Dean Romig]

Francis,

Runing by the seat of my pants and will take any advice one will offer.

Harry


Here's the best advice I can muster Harry - Get that thing to the water and shoot some ducks!

All Good, Dean

[john hickerson]

I built one years ago decking a Sear's fiberglass row boat. It worked very well and was almost unsinkable using a spray curtain. Gotta have a spray to shield the cockpit in rough water.

Hick

[Harry Collins]

Hick,

It is good to hear from you. I was trying to rig a pup tent as a spray shield the other day. It serves two purposes; to keep the water out and to hid your face and head. If I can get it out of the pony pasture today it is going into the water.

Harry

[Harry Collins]

She is very stable and calm. After I pulled her off the trailer and rolled into her she was the perfect lady. I had to row in circles to break ice until I got into the lake. She is very responsive to oar. I was going to put the outboard on but discovered a leak in the hose to the tank. I had the 10 gauge D and some #5 Niceshot, but no ducks.

[Dave Suponski]

Harry, That is one great boat. Congratulation's on your maiden voyage. Glad all went well....except for the duck's....:whistle:

[Bill Murphy]

I don't know a whit about duck boats, but I'm glad to hear from Mr. Hick.

[scott kittredge]

She is very stable and calm. After I pulled her off the trailer and rolled into her she was the perfect lady. I had to row in circles to break ice until I got into the lake. She is very responsive to oar. I was going to put the outboard on but discovered a leak in the hose to the tank. I had the 10 gauge D and some #5 Niceshot, but no ducks.

nice job on the boat test, the duck should be there soon, getting cold up here ! :crying:

[Harry Collins]

Scott,

The ponds for the most part are frozen here and the lakes have ice around the shore line. Rivers and moving creeks are open. We will welcome your ducks as they pass through. Ours have headed south as well.

Harry

[Thomas L. Benson Sr.]

Harry: Will you have to fill your duck boat before season with water for a couple days to let the wood swell so it doesn't leak or is your boat sealed some other way. The reason i asked is i had one back in the 1970's and that was what we did. good hunting Thomas L. Benson Sr.

[Harry Collins]

Thomas,

That's how a lot of people did it around here as well. I have fiberglassed the hull and eopxied the interior.

Harry