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Started By
Message
Need input in designing duck boat..
Posted on 5/30/17 at 8:26 pm
Posted on 5/30/17 at 8:26 pm
About to start building a shallow water boat for marsh duck hunting. Need an open interior to be able to hunt a few guys, but would also like to be able to make some evening fishing trips out of it as well. Have only owned lake skiffs and bay boats, so came to you knowledgeable fellas for some do's and don'ts, and any must-have's.
Appreciate any input!
ETA: best surface drive motor?
Appreciate any input!
ETA: best surface drive motor?
This post was edited on 5/30/17 at 9:05 pm
13
Posted on 5/30/17 at 8:31 pm to bootlegger
Double floor with air so it won't sink.
Posted on 5/30/17 at 9:25 pm to bootlegger
we built a mold and laid up six 14' flats with it
couple of things
1) unless you are an engineer there will be some trial and error
2) we had to add on a cavitation plate under the transom because they wanted to hop up and down
3) know your outboard weight and design to that
4) flat bottom is what you want for duck hunting but it will beat you to death in a chop
5) higher gunwales are better
couple of things
1) unless you are an engineer there will be some trial and error
2) we had to add on a cavitation plate under the transom because they wanted to hop up and down
3) know your outboard weight and design to that
4) flat bottom is what you want for duck hunting but it will beat you to death in a chop
5) higher gunwales are better
Posted on 5/30/17 at 10:02 pm to bootlegger
Running lights built- in to bow. Many ways here is one.
Posted on 5/30/17 at 10:14 pm to bootlegger
Prodrive. Not the fastest or the cheapest but sure as hell you will never get stuck with that full power reverse. Yeah it can be a little bit of a pain in the arse at times but I don't know how many times I have gotten myself out of bad situations in a much larger and heavier boat than some of my buddies with their gator tails and one who has a boss (it's a piece of shite btw don't look at them). In the mud it outperforms everything.
Posted on 5/30/17 at 10:18 pm to bootlegger
As far as the motor goes it depends what you will be hunting out of.
If you have mud in the areas you will be hunting you can't do any better than a ProDrive. We hunt in marsh area and have to deal with mud and tides that fall out during hunts. We have never gotten stuck in my buddies ProDrive in the 5 years or so he has had it. He has had to pull out a handful of other surface drives.
If you want more speed and the instant reverse then one of the other surface drives may be what you need.
As far as the boat design. Make it narrow. It will make your boat faster no matter what motor you go with an building blinds around it will be easier.
If you have mud in the areas you will be hunting you can't do any better than a ProDrive. We hunt in marsh area and have to deal with mud and tides that fall out during hunts. We have never gotten stuck in my buddies ProDrive in the 5 years or so he has had it. He has had to pull out a handful of other surface drives.
If you want more speed and the instant reverse then one of the other surface drives may be what you need.
As far as the boat design. Make it narrow. It will make your boat faster no matter what motor you go with an building blinds around it will be easier.
Posted on 5/30/17 at 11:08 pm to bootlegger
If only you had a brother who was an engineer with a few years of experience building duck boats..... 
Posted on 5/30/17 at 11:44 pm to bootlegger
Posted on 5/31/17 at 6:51 am to bootlegger
Here is recent thread I started. might be time to bump it: LINK
Are you building it yourself or having it built? I am in the process now. I went to Pierre Part and talked to a few guys that build. You can save some money if you source your own aluminum.
I went 18' X 48", round bow as I hunt in marsh. If I hunted timber, I'd get a pointed bow. I ordered the new Gator Tail XD. it is a pretty slick new motor, but untested I will admit. Will source all of my rigging (or do myself) and paint/hydroturf etc. doing two hatches in rear and a 5' front deck with built in fuel tank.
All in all, I think I will be about $13K in, wheres buying a rigged out unit from Gatortail would have been about $20K.
Sure it's a bit of a hassle, but I'm getting exactly what I want and I like the idea of building my own. Kip Gaspard is building it. similar to this config without the pointed bow:
Are you building it yourself or having it built? I am in the process now. I went to Pierre Part and talked to a few guys that build. You can save some money if you source your own aluminum.
I went 18' X 48", round bow as I hunt in marsh. If I hunted timber, I'd get a pointed bow. I ordered the new Gator Tail XD. it is a pretty slick new motor, but untested I will admit. Will source all of my rigging (or do myself) and paint/hydroturf etc. doing two hatches in rear and a 5' front deck with built in fuel tank.
All in all, I think I will be about $13K in, wheres buying a rigged out unit from Gatortail would have been about $20K.
Sure it's a bit of a hassle, but I'm getting exactly what I want and I like the idea of building my own. Kip Gaspard is building it. similar to this config without the pointed bow:
This post was edited on 5/31/17 at 6:56 am
Posted on 5/31/17 at 7:08 am to bootlegger
I'm in the same boat now (no pun intended). I have a 16ft Go Devil boat with a 35 surface drive now, but I've been wanting to get a new boat built for a while. I want something a little bigger and more capable. I know the must haves for me are crimped sides, , round chine, huntdeck, and an open floorplan.
Who is building the boat?
Who is building the boat?
Posted on 5/31/17 at 7:48 am to bootlegger
I designed/had this one built last August. It's an 1848 with pointed bow/rear hunt deck. Has dual pods in the back for storage, and a removable drop in section in between them with a pedestal mount for fishing. I have interior LED's under the catwalks/in the front storage hatch/in the pods I use when frogging or early in the morning pulling up to the blind to be able to see to get things. Same principle though, open floorplan for more space to be able to put gear/people/dog etc.
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Posted on 5/31/17 at 8:19 am to Dmaxxx37
quote:
Dmaxxx37
Nice boat, hound ain't shabby either. Have an upvote sir.
Posted on 5/31/17 at 8:22 am to Dmaxxx37
quote:
Dmaxxx37
Who built your boat?
Posted on 5/31/17 at 8:40 am to dfintlyHmmrd
Jason Romero aka Uncle J Custom Boats in Morgan City
Posted on 5/31/17 at 8:59 am to Dmaxxx37
Sweet looking rig. What did just the boat cost if you don't mind saying? Is it a square chine or round?
Posted on 5/31/17 at 9:07 am to Dmaxxx37
I thought it looked like an Uncle J, awesome looking rig. He's who I have been looking at the hardest to build a boat soon. How much was your hull if you dont mind saying?
Posted on 5/31/17 at 9:16 am to jdavid1
Myself and a friend of mine will be building it. He has built boats, and my brother and I have both worked for shallow water boat manufacturers in college. Never designed one for myself, and just started duck hunting in recent years...that's why I figured I would come here for some advice.
Definitely like that one, dmaxxx37
Definitely like that one, dmaxxx37
This post was edited on 5/31/17 at 9:18 am
Posted on 5/31/17 at 10:13 am to dfintlyHmmrd
I don't remember exactly, but I'd probably say somewhere in the $7-8000 range. If you take custom paint, gator glide, hydroturf, sharkeye nav lights, outlets, switch panel, led lighting and trolling motor plug etc. out of the equation, I'd say the boat itself was in the $4500-5k range I guess?
Posted on 5/31/17 at 11:22 am to bootlegger
For what you want 1848 or 1854. If your hunting 4 guys mods will be in your future for sure. I run a 16x48 with a 37 gdsd. It's a fun little boat, can hunt 3 no problem, but it sucks. Definitely a 2 man boat. Easy to hide, I fish out of it as well. All the guys in my camp are running bigger boats, they carry a load slightly better and are more comfortable if your hunting out of a boat blind.
Seems like 18x60s are getting popular, but I've personally never driven or rode in one. I don't care what anyone says most stock combos struggle to plane 4 guys, assuming your friends aren't all 120 pounds. That's why your going to need mods, or an outboard. Maybe the 18x60 does and hence it's growing popularity.
Seems like 18x60s are getting popular, but I've personally never driven or rode in one. I don't care what anyone says most stock combos struggle to plane 4 guys, assuming your friends aren't all 120 pounds. That's why your going to need mods, or an outboard. Maybe the 18x60 does and hence it's growing popularity.
Posted on 5/31/17 at 11:28 am to bootlegger
quote:
best surface drive motor?
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