Posted by James Staudacher on May 25, 1999 at 19:49:35:
I live near Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Lake Michagan. I mostly hunt ducks on Horicon Marsh and various small rivers and marshes in southern Wisconsin as well as well as on the Mississippi River. I also hunt eastern wild turkeys in southwestern Wisconsin. I have built two boats, one a Greenland Kayak of epoxy, plywood and canvas and the other a Sam Devlin designed sneakbox, Broadbill, "Miss Tobi". I own a Reelfoot Lake Boat named "African Queen" which is a 17.5' double ender with an eight HP air cooled inboard four cycle motor and a hand rudder. This boat has prop protection and a smooth bottom that allows it to run in very shallow water and over rocks and logs. The African Queen got its name because it sounds just like the steam powered boat in the classic movie. Both my boats have bow facing oars which I consider mandatory for duck hunting. I just completed Miss Toby in May 99 and I plan to build another lightweight Broadbill later this summer. I discovered Eric and this site while doing research on duckboat plans. I am very grateful for the advice and assistance I got during my boat construction project and hope to pass on some of the knowledge I've gained. Oh, yeah, I'm 40, married with two teenage kids and a wife.