duck boat blind

J

Jerod

New member
I am looking for ideas for a removable/trailerable duck boat blind. This is my latest project it is a 18' crestliner. I have 10' long by 6' deck space that I would like the blind to cover and I will use covers for the motor and the windshield/bow area. I have tried the scissor type blinds with alum conduit and it just seems so flimsy. We hunt mostly rocky piers and shorelines so marsh grass is not necessary.

We hunt lake erie and the blind needs to be sturdy. I have thought about a banks boat style top that would clamp to the gunnels but not sure how that will ride down the road or how heavy it will make the boat. The blind needs to be removed at the end of the year because I plan on using the boat to fish out of.

Also I will be using a dog in the future so I would like some ideas on dog doors. Thanks for the help and I will be putting up more pictures as it warms up

View attachment 1112001707.jpg
 
Greetings fellow Ohioan.

I have a little experience with most of them, and, in my opinion, there is no blind design available that would beat the "Bankes or TDB or Duckwater type" of blind. On my boat I have a Bankes blind that I bought off of someone here on the DHBP. I had to make my own frame but that wasn't too hard. Actually, I like my frame better because I made the height of the sides fully adjustable. The hardest part was making up the brackets for the poles to fit into, which I actually had a fabrication shop make up for me.

When I'm done hunting, and for traveling, it all folds down, gets rolled up and fastens down with tie straps.

The blind basically uses four corner poles as uprights and attaches along the peremiter of the boat in what they call awning rail. It's sorta "P" shaped with an opening in the radius. The blind has the opposite shape sewn into it that slides along into the slot. Takes a few minutes to install before the season, but once on, can remain until hunting season is over. The rails take up very little room and can remain on the boat forever.

I can set it all up by myself in about a minute. When up, it keeps the wind off of us. I have a roof for when it rains, and the way it designed and attaches to the boat, when it's up, we have a lot of hidden storage room across the top of the deck. Taking it down may take two minutes, literally. When down, it travels well. I have put thousands of over the road miles at speeds up to 80mph and it has held up just fine.

I have a few pictures of my boat, but none show the blind well. Check out the web sites of either of the forementioned manufacturers for details.

I know there are several canvas shops around here who would do a real nice job on one for you.

If I can be of further help, drop me a line.

Jon
 
Hello ohioan

Can you send me the pics of your boat anyway. I think I get the idea of what your talking about. Just not sure how to go about it on my boat. Also what material did you use for the frame

I think I will use a local amish guy that has good reviews
 
I couldn't get registered in time to look at it whats the name of the thread. I have to wait for them to activate me there
 
In the "Mud Rig Photos" forum, the topic is

The story so far..... B.A.D.B. Project (2nd Chapter to previous thread...) ---------
 
Last edited:
Jerod
You could make a frame made with 3/4" EMT conduit. You could use Avery type quick-set design or make a frame that sets on the seats and secured to them. The blind material can be made to slide up and down the frame to get in and out of the boat. I think there was a boat blind that used black plastic backing for the outer camo material some years ago in DU magazine.

.
 
I'd be happy to send you some a little later when the weather breaks. I live in the NE part of the state where we're burried under 6" of snow and about 5 degrees out right now. Here's a couple I dug up.
Photo from the front-
I used 3/4" aluminum electrical conduit for all of the poles and uprights. I used a hydraulic press to "flatten" the ends of the pipe for the horizontal poles. Then used a hole saw, (I think it may have been 1"), to drill out the "flattened" ends. They slide up and down on the vertical posts. I drilled 1/4" holes, 2" OC, on the uprights. I use snap pins to adjust the height of the sides, depending on where we're hunting and conditions present.
Photo0487_001.jpg

Photo of the front of the blind layed down-
Photo0504.jpg

Pic of the "awning rail" mounted on the outside edge of the deck-
Boat2.jpg

Up and camo-ed-
WestBranch11-0817.jpg

Another angle-
WestBranch11-0816.jpg

Inside, note the shelf storage area the blind creates. Neat out of the way place to "sit" stuff.
100_7649.jpg



Hope I didn't bore anyone with all of these.

Jon
 
That looks like a great setup. I have a question, how did you mount the uprights to the boat. Also did you have issues with the conduit tearing when you flattened it out and did you protect the flat edges of it with anything?

Thanks hope you don't mind if I borrow your design
 
The upright holders were made up for me by a local shop. Cost me $60. basically a piece of tubing, with an inside dia large enough for the conduit to slip into easily, welded perpendicular into the center of a piece of flat plate with a hole cut into it. I then drilled a hole in the decking and fastened them to that. I'd probably have to take a few pics to show that.

The aluminum conduit is very mailable. It flattened out nicely. I just rounded the edges with a power sander and drilled a hole in the center of the flattened part. Again, pics would probably show better detail. I'll try to get some for you later.

I'll try to help you all I can. Unfortunately right now, everything is burried under the snow.

Jon
 
I think I get the picture...almost like a plate to mount bow rail or hand rails into. I could live with those staying on the boat all year. I figured you had rounded the edges on the crossmembers. I think your setup is an easier configuration for me to follow and will work out great for my boat. I will gladly take a look at your pictures when all this dang cold weather and snow go away.

Thanks
 
I may have asked this before as I have admired your boat on other posts. But a few questions. How long is it? What brand of hull and what size of outboard do you have on it?
Thanks
 
Nice conversion Jon.

Jerod. to make it simple, ditch the crestliner and get a TDB/Bankes/Wrangler. Easier to make a fishing boat out of a duck boat than a duck boat out of a fishing boat. As Jon said, the hard part is making the sockets that attach to the boat that the blind supports insert into. You want to use 1" OD by 1/8" aluminum tubing for all of the blind parts. Fittings to fit EMT conduit just don't exist and you'll have nightmares if you go that route. Spend the money and do it the right way the first time. I struggled for years trying different setups to put a blind on a 14ft V hull and one 23 high temp degree day I was determined to have a TDB Seaclass the following year, which I did and haven't looked back. Anyhow, go to my blind parts posting about 4 pages back to find where to get the right fittings and tubing.

Oh, my fishing conversion to my TDB was to get the Scotty rod holder adapters and Scotty rod holders, remove the plastic piece from the end of the adapter and grind a slot into it to lock into the pin at the base of the blind sockets in my TDB. Took around 30 minutes to make two. I basically have this but I had to buy the pieces separately http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Flush-Mount-360HT-Rod-Holder-Combo/737661.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch%2F%3FN%3D%26No%3D20%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Drod%2Bholder%26Ntx%3Dmode%252Bmatchall%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts%26WTz_stype%3DSP%26form_state%3DsearchForm%26search%3Drod%2Bholder%26x%3D17%26y%3D12&Ntt=rod+holder&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products
 
Jim,

I would love to have a Bankes or wrangler boat but I have too many hobbies to spend that much money! The boat is a really good fit for hunting the shores of lake erie. The blind is not going to be that bad to build. The hardest part is going to be making the frame and that shouldn't be too bad. Thanks for the tip on the aluminum tubing! Why do you suggest 1 1/8 tubing?

Thanks for the help

Post some pictures of your boat when you get rid of all the snow, I never get tired of looking at boats
 
F. Miller,

My boat is an '83 Smokercraft Alaskan. It's actually only a 14 footer, but it's a BIG, wide, deep 14'. Deep V in the front, flat in the back. I have more room in it than a lot of 16 ft boats.

I have an old Mercury twenty on it. Loaded with 2 guys, dog, guns and gear, I can get 20 MPH on the GPS. If it were a newer motor, I seriously doubt it would go quite as fast. They don't make em like they used to.

Jon
 
Jon,
I had a buddy ask me about adding a deck to an AL boat and I told him I would send a few link to pictures. The 2 boats I was thinking of were Scott Farris's and yours. I have pictures of Scotts saved, but I looked thru 56 pages of search on the DHBP under deck because I didnt remember who's boat it was and never found yours.
I know I said this before, but it bears repeating, cool job on the mod and thanks for the repost. Now I can bookmark it. I had not seen the blind idea but it looks like it works well also.
Do you have any more shots of the motor well or the deck attachment?
 
Joh,
I found the link to the older Post with your boat in it. A few of the pictures re post but there are a few that are only in the original.

http://duckboats.net/cgi-bin/forum/...360;page=1;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25;

No problem on this site with pictures of duck boats. ESP if it is something that might get used by a newer guy building his rig.


Thanks for Posting the Work done on your boat. If you get her dug out by July post a few shots of the framing and deck joint and under side. Its not the glamor shots, but stuff like that really helps a guy figure out how he can make it work on his boat.

Bob
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top