looking for a sneak boat

L

len hawkins

Member
After years of thinking i needed a sneak boat, and then talking myself out of it every year, i have decided that i really want a bbsb type of sneak boat. I will buy a used boat, and I am in Michigan, so there aren't as many options here as there would be on the East Coast.
I have recently seen for sale an MLB Chuck Huff, and a glass over ply AA Broadbill within driving distance. If push came to shove i would make the drive east. I like the concept of a larger sneak- I'm a bigger guy (6'2 240ish) and will have a dog, so the size of those two look about right.
The areas i intend to use it in are smaller inland lakes, and rivers running through marshy areas. I really don't see myself using it on the great lakes or any of the larger inland lakes of Michigan. Probably the longest run i would make would be a mile and if the weather was rough i can run in the shallows. This would be primarily puddle duck hunting and geese, and will hunt mostly layout style with the dog behind me
What worries me is that a glass over wood will be too heavy for one man to handle (sometimes the best places to get a boat wet aren't launches- more drag and slide into the water). And some of the larger fiberglass sneaks are pretty heavy as well. I looked at the 14' classic barnegat, (170 lbs) and read some reviews that were mixed on the Don Warren version, but those were more negative in regards to big water. Are there other glass options out there that would be a better fit- a shellinger low boat for example, or go in a slightly different direction with a South Bay style of boat? I could probably go a little smaller, as long as the cockpit is adequate for myself and a dog. I will probably run an outboard- most of my travels will be in open water, or down river channels. I'd simply pole into cover to hunt and push back out. As i said earlier- the runs are short, so it doesn't need to be a speed demon.
Any suggestion or warnings would be appreciated.
 
First don't believe the hype about the don warren his boats were built to last, be seaworthy and affordable. He was not a follower and didn't cater to the writers and editors, giving them boats, so his boat didn't get the ratings. Ratings don't bring you home safe in whitecaps.
 
check out KMT Boats in Facebook light, all-glass and sea worthy sounds like the Highlands box is what you are looking for. Dont think you will find alot of used ones out there but you can have Marty build you new.
 
I have a Don Warren 12' sneakbox and like it alot there are also 14' Classic Barnegat sneakboxes which might be better for your size. They are still being made in Pennsylvania and meet coast guard specifications. You might also want to look at a Banke's Intruder.
 
I have an AA Blackjack, and had a wigeon before that. Good for water you described, not good for big water where you can get 1-1/2-2 footers(or worse). I also ran a Schellinger for a year, they are good to go fast in and handle rough water well, but I found it rocked some because of the hull design when at rest, but a good boat. Others don't mind or notice that. All of those are planing boats. The hunting you describe sounds like a planing hull would work for you. The blackjack is easy to handle, I have a 25 on mine and I push it through some pretty skinny water-5-6"s, at my tender age (59), but a 10 or 15 works fine on it also. The wigeon was the same as far as handling it, but a little narrower and the cockpit was smaller and not as deep. I would not let weight worry me, these boats are largely designed to be used in and around shallow water, and generally are easy to push around. Both the wigeon and the blackjack are glass boats with a glass over ply deck(I think).
 
I've had some good feedback on both pm and in the thread. I've found/seen a couple of the don warren 14' classics that were reasonable. I hadn't thought about it, but i actually saw a good deal on a carsten canvasback. not a classic look, but would fit the bill.
I should have mentioned this won't be my primary way of hunting. I have a scull boat, i run a full field rig and stay busy with the honkers. If i was independently wealthy i'd have banks to hunt lake St Clair and Lake Erie. I may only use this boat 4-5 times a year when i need some solitude and a solo hunt. Keep it coming. If someone has something they'd consider selling that fits the bill, let me know via pm.
 
Have you thought about building a Devlin Broadbill or Bluebill?

I had plans to build a Bluebill for similar conditions but then life got in the way.
 
Carl said:
Have you thought about building a Devlin Broadbill or Bluebill?

I had plans to build a Bluebill for similar conditions but then life got in the way.
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Absolutely thought about that. especially the bluebill. Broadbill probably would have been too tight. It would have been like putting 10 gallons of crap in a five gallon pail. I also got spooked when i was reading guys had a couple thousand $$$ and tons of time in the builds. I've worn out the Devlin site looking at them.
I would prefer a glass boat to keep the weight down since i want/need a bigger boat for myself and what i hope ends up being about 75 lbs of Chesepeake bay retriever.
 
I,ve got an AA Blackjack and believe me you don't want to be dragging it on ground to a launch. Boat is very easy to pole around in shallows though and will float in about 4 inches water. AA Broadbill is about same weight and capabilities. Both will fly with a short shaft 25 but a 15 will push them respectively loaded. Most sneak boats or barnegate style boats are fairly heavy which helps create their stability, especially with an outboard attached.If your looking to drag a boat to launch over dry ground I would think you may be better with some of the bigger carstens or something along those lines. Those boats are definitely not for rough water.
 
roy brewington said:
I,ve got an AA Blackjack and believe me you don't want to be dragging it on ground to a launch. Boat is very easy to pole around in shallows though and will float in about 4 inches water. AA Broadbill is about same weight and capabilities. Both will fly with a short shaft 25 but a 15 will push them respectively loaded. Most sneak boats or barnegate style boats are fairly heavy which helps create their stability, especially with an outboard attached.If your looking to drag a boat to launch over dry ground I would think you may be better with some of the bigger carstens or something along those lines. Those boats are definitely not for rough water.
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There is a carstens canvasback a quick trip away from me for a good price. It would work fine for what i do, and truthfully could be the best overall choice. They just don't look like a sneak boat. There is just something about the lines of a bbsb that the other layout style boats can't match.
 
roy brewington said:
4 rivers and momarsh also make boats similar to the carstens. Layout style but not made for rough water.
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Yeah, they are solid boats too, probably adequate for what I'd use it for, but leaves a little to be desired in the classic department.
 
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len hawkins said:
There is a carstens canvasback a quick trip away from me for a good price. It would work fine for what i do, and truthfully could be the best overall choice.
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Len,

I hunted from a Carstens Canvasback for several years. When I had mine I powered it with a 6.5 hp longtail MudBuddy motor. The Canvasback worked OK for a one man boat. It did NOT give me a warm fuzzy feeling when the wind would kick up. There was one spot I hunted which is about 3/4 mile across a wide open expanse (1/2 mile wide by 3/4 mile long). A decent 12-15 MPH wind would make the crossing wet and scary. There is virtually no lift to the bow and spearing a wave was quite common. The fairly long forward deck and the dodger (which I added) was the only thing keeping me afloat.

I sold my Carstens and replaced it with a BBSB style Chuck Huff. There is no comparison between the two boats. The Huff is deeper, wider, and much much more seaworthy.

I share this information solely for the purpose that you can make an informed decision.
 
Afternoon Len,

You might look at the Dave Clark (Estuary). Check out the Classified section, I believe that one is up for sale there.

I have one, great boat and safe for big or little water. If you need more info on the boat, just message me.

Best Regards,

Dennis S.
Rio Rancho, NM
 
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