I might as well introduce myself. My name is Tony and I love duck boats and duck hunting. I have been lurking on here a while now gathering information and enjoying your pictures and prose. I have owned many boats and love buying, using, and selling airboats, jon boats, layouts, skiffs, kayaks etc. You get the idea right? Living in S FL we dont have the long rich history of waterfowling that is so well known in other parts. The type of duck boats that seem to dominate the Eastern shore and Northeastern states rarely makes its way down here. On opening day you dont see much more than aluminum jon boats with 10-50hp at the ramp. You do see some airboats but sadly they are not allowed in many places. There are some mud motors and i have owned several of those too but again where I want to go it has to be an outboard. I may be buying this boat this weekend unless you guys talk me out of it. It needs some work (optimist). I have never done much boat building and dont consider myself particularly handy but I have taken a Lycoming aircraft motor apart and put it back together with some help. I have done some stuff with wood and furniture but not built anything like the works of art you do. I tried to carve a duck once the result was so hideous it left me blind for two days. I have recovered but have to wear contacts or glasses to see the ducks.
Back to the boat. I can get this boat (with trailer that needs some work also) for less than I have spent on shipping my Four Rivers and Momarsh's Fatbiys. The bottom looks warped from years of being on a trailer stored nose down. Water has gotten under the lid and the forward part of the floor from being stored bow down. It seem to me, part of the floor and hull near the bow need to be preplaced. Transom and gunnels seem sturdy and fine. The trim/seam that seperate hull, floor, and deck is on and in good shape. Boat has some crappy patches on top of transom maybe where a stern light used to go. Also on the bottom of the hull looks like some fiberglass mesh is evident. Did not notice till I took pictures under the hull with the flash. My buddy will help me restore it and sure he will use it also.lol. He has built many boats but mostly out of metal. A couple out of glass and wood.
I know the now defunct boat co that made this boat mostly made some fiberglass boats in the 80's and early 90's. They made mostly bowriders with tri hulls. What you see here was their "duck boat". Dont know how many they made but have heard at least a couple dozen maybe lots more but I have never seen one. Dont know if its glass and wood. Probably made in 1990-1991. The boat has been sitting in a field for about 5 years. Who knows maybe 10. For less than it costs to ship a Four Rivers or a Fatboy to FL. I can have this boat and trailer. I dont have a lot of money but the price seems pretty cheap to me. What am I in for? What do you guys think? What historical hull is it most like? Heres a few pics for reference.
Cool lines and easy to hide
Transom with lid on and my buddy saying "your crazy lets go"
deck gunnels and floor look good but under the shadows its not so pretty
hull looks pretty bad huh?
Options
Get it, fix it up put a 20/25hp on it and a happily hunt in a little piece of history
Save yourself the hassle and get one that is in better shape even if you have to travel to NC VA NY
Buy a cheap jon boat and hunt out of that like everyone else around here.
Thanks guys,
Tony
Back to the boat. I can get this boat (with trailer that needs some work also) for less than I have spent on shipping my Four Rivers and Momarsh's Fatbiys. The bottom looks warped from years of being on a trailer stored nose down. Water has gotten under the lid and the forward part of the floor from being stored bow down. It seem to me, part of the floor and hull near the bow need to be preplaced. Transom and gunnels seem sturdy and fine. The trim/seam that seperate hull, floor, and deck is on and in good shape. Boat has some crappy patches on top of transom maybe where a stern light used to go. Also on the bottom of the hull looks like some fiberglass mesh is evident. Did not notice till I took pictures under the hull with the flash. My buddy will help me restore it and sure he will use it also.lol. He has built many boats but mostly out of metal. A couple out of glass and wood.
I know the now defunct boat co that made this boat mostly made some fiberglass boats in the 80's and early 90's. They made mostly bowriders with tri hulls. What you see here was their "duck boat". Dont know how many they made but have heard at least a couple dozen maybe lots more but I have never seen one. Dont know if its glass and wood. Probably made in 1990-1991. The boat has been sitting in a field for about 5 years. Who knows maybe 10. For less than it costs to ship a Four Rivers or a Fatboy to FL. I can have this boat and trailer. I dont have a lot of money but the price seems pretty cheap to me. What am I in for? What do you guys think? What historical hull is it most like? Heres a few pics for reference.
Cool lines and easy to hide
Transom with lid on and my buddy saying "your crazy lets go"
deck gunnels and floor look good but under the shadows its not so pretty
hull looks pretty bad huh?
Options
Get it, fix it up put a 20/25hp on it and a happily hunt in a little piece of history
Save yourself the hassle and get one that is in better shape even if you have to travel to NC VA NY
Buy a cheap jon boat and hunt out of that like everyone else around here.
Thanks guys,
Tony