I'm going to grass my boat

MIKE-SID

MIKE-SID

Active member
I was going to do this for the early season, but I went out of state with work.
I harvested some grass from the marsh, and now it's in the shed drying out.
Do you guys dry your grass? Or what is your method.
Is this salt hay?
Thanks Mike


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MIKE-SID said:
I was going to do this for the early season, but I went out of state with work.
I harvested some grass from the marsh, and now it's in the shed drying out.
Do you guys dry your grass? I do not. Or what is your method. The grassing materials I cut, go directly to the boat as I cut them. I weave my grass under and thru grassing loops on the blind and grassing rails on the hull. The fresh grass is much more pliable and easier to work with before is looses it's moisture. I pack it as tight as I can because yes, there will be some shrinkage.
Is this salt hay? I have no idea where you harvested this. If it was growing anywhere near my location, I highly doubt it is salt hay.
Thanks Mike
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First question that comes to mind is did you cut it along edges of salt water bay or shoreline? If not definitely not salt hay. That being said it looks like it might work as grassing material. Salt hay due to its tuffness holds up well thru out season. Pack it tight and overlap your bundles and it might work. If not you,ve learned what not to use!
 
Not salt hay (spartina patens). What you have is spartina alterniflora, aka cordgrass.

Of course in NJ I call spartina alterniflora spartina and call spartina patens salt hay.
 
Craig F said:
Not salt hay (spartina patens). What you have is spartina alterniflora, aka cordgrass.

Of course in NJ I call spartina alterniflora spartina and call spartina patens salt hay.
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Thanks, I didn't think it was, but I really didn't know.
I'm in CT, and that's what's around the marshes in Stratford.
In another area,(North Haven) , inland brackish river there is different vegetation.
Here's a picture


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The last picture is of Phragmites, here we call it cattails, The Alterniflora, or cord grass works ok for grassing but falls apart faster, the patens, marsh hay, or meadow hay, can be found on slightly higher elevation in the salt meadows,
 
Craig hit the nail on the head as did GCS.

You harvested what we just call here in NJ "spartina." I personally favor "salt hay." What you posted a picture of as GCS said, is "phragmites." We have all three here in NJ as well. My boat is mostly grassed with salt hay with some spartina on the bow. Spartina holds up ok on horizontal surfaces. We only grab some phrags for early season as you don't need the green they have once we hit about December here.
 
I use spartina as I hunt mostly salt marshes. When in other areas. I add what's on the shore line or a little debris on the shore.
Cut a few extra bundles to use as fill in as it dries. I keep them in the p/u bed and wet, burlap bag works well.
 
Thank you to all for the great information on grass. I don't have any salt hay in my hunting areas. I'll be on the look out for salt hay for future seasons. I'll see how the spartina alterniflora, aka cordgrass. holds up for the late season.
 
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If you are looking for marsh hay (the S.patensj, it can be found further south on the waterbody where you took the pics of the Phrag. There is cordgrass along the marsh edges, but salt hay on the flat dryer marsh areas.


It isn?t ever as nice in ct as the guys in nj get it, though.
 
Either throw shore line debris on your decks or install some footmans loops with bungee cord run along perimeter of deck and x,ed across bow and tuck loose grass over those areas and it will help your boat blend in a little better. Its awful hard to grass a boat to well! Have you got a motor cover. Can be as simple as an old camo tshirt or as fancy as a constructed cover w/grassing loops.
 
Mike , The 2 that are horizontal going forward need to be turned around. The webbing that is on the back of the dodger is for the grass to cover the hole and the webbing on the top is for the grass to go aft.
I miss my Estuary. What # hull is yours?
Phil
 
Phil said:
Mike , The 2 that are horizontal going forward need to be turned around. The webbing that is on the back of the dodger is for the grass to cover the hole and the webbing on the top is for the grass to go aft.
I miss my Estuary. What # hull is yours?
Phil
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Thanks Phil. I'm making a flapper board to cover me in the boat. I just started glassing the board.

This picture is from David Clark, I'm making one similar.

I think I'm hull #22 or #26, I'll check later. LOVE the Estuary!! The previous owner too fabulous care of it.


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SCOTT SALZER said:
Yours is Hull #22 Mike
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Thanks Scott!

FYI, I would have been better off buying a flapper board from David. But I guess I wanted to buy a router table, fiberglass, wood, glass mat, brass hinges and hardware etc, and spend hours making it. I guess that's what we do here, right?

Seriously, buying the flapper board from David Clark would be the smart thing to do.
 
All this FLAPPER BOARD talk has got me thinking of a new Estuary. But after talking to Dave I would need to a new CC with a big credit line. You guy should take care of those boats, it would be hull # 65 all glass. I did ask about building me a cedar decked one, he would do it but said I should just wait for a good used one to come up for sale. You guys ready for this,,,, $12,000 with the trailer.
Phil
 
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