H&H Outdoors duckbill head article online

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Richard Lathrop

Active member
Small Boats has an article on the H&H Outdoors duckbill head.

smallboatsmonthly.com

A Duckbill for a Push Pole - Small Boats Magazine

The push poles used in the mudflats and marshes in the East Bay area have lengths ranging from 12′ to 18′. There are many different attachments for the bottom end of the pole, and they play an important role. They should provide enough foundation for the pole to push against without sinking too...
smallboatsmonthly.com smallboatsmonthly.com

Rick
 
Richard

I get that publication and read it. Nice article. Remind me to take a picture of the duckbill pole coupler that one of the earliest members of this forum, Jeff Jacobs, made me. It allows one to break a pole into two pieces yet have all the strength of a solid pole. A real space saver.
 
Richard Lathrop said:
Small Boats has an article on the H&H Outdoors duckbill head.

smallboatsmonthly.com

A Duckbill for a Push Pole - Small Boats Magazine

The push poles used in the mudflats and marshes in the East Bay area have lengths ranging from 12′ to 18′. There are many different attachments for the bottom end of the pole, and they play an important role. They should provide enough foundation for the pole to push against without sinking too...
smallboatsmonthly.com smallboatsmonthly.com

Rick
Click to expand...
Good morning, Rick~

I stumbled across the same article - and had to comment with information about the original Herter's Broadbill:

sm Herter's Broadbill Push Pole Head - full page 1950.jpg

In doing so, I had some very nice conversations with Chris Cunningham - the editor of Small Boats. Of course, I am now a subscriber.

And - I just "won" an eBay auction for an original Herter's Broadbill.

All the best.

SJS
 
Richard & Steve

Neither of you were around in the first year of this site but there was an interesting discussion about push poles that took place. In particular one member needed a pole that broke down and folks were brainstorming a good way to accomplish that need. In typical Jeff Smith fashion he had a solution but didn't want to share it, just yet. So instead he posted a cryptic message, something like, "While you fellas are trying to solve this problem you ought to go shoot some pool." Jeff called me on the phone and explained himself. We got a hold of site member Jeff Jacobs who was a machinist from Iowa and active member plus a co-worker of Dave McCann's. Jeff Smith described his idea and Jeff Jacobs went to the shop with it and produced the below coupler. As far as I know he made two, maybe three. I have mine, that has seen plenty of use over the years, and Jeff's. It is a great addition to a push pole that must be stored in a smaller space.
 

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I just talked to the original machinist. He is willing to make a run if there is enough interest. I do not have a price yet, but keep in mind this is a small run with a lot of machine time. Let me know if you want one and if we have enough folks we will proceed.
 
Mine is probably 20 years old. It was offered by Redhead. Here is the same one offered today by Avery.
www.scheels.com

Avery Push Pole Marsh Foot

Avery Push Pole Marsh Foot SCHEELS
www.scheels.com www.scheels.com
 

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Steve Sanford said:
Good morning, Rick~

I stumbled across the same article - and had to comment with information about the original Herter's Broadbill:

View attachment 54802

In doing so, I had some very nice conversations with Chris Cunningham - the editor of Small Boats. Of course, I am now a subscriber.

And - I just "won" an eBay auction for an original Herter's Broadbill.

All the best.

SJS
Click to expand...
Chris should provide more detail on his strip built sneakbox.

Rick lathrop
 
Richard Lathrop said:
Chris should provide more detail on his strip built sneakbox.

Rick lathrop
Click to expand...
Good morning, Rick~

In my communications with Chris - and re-reading just Part 1 of his "Four Months" tale thus far - I learned that his design is based on one of my favorites....Howard Chappelle's plan from American Small Sailing Craft - and available from the Smithsonian. A framed copy hangs in our mud room.

sm Sneakbox - Chappelle page 213.jpg

Chris stretched the plans to make it 13'5' (if I recall correctly) and I believe his construction was cold-molded. He still has the vessel.

BTW: I concur with your thoughts about "skiff" - but ultimately defer to locals on such matters.

All the best,

SJS
 
Steve Sanford said:
Good morning, Rick~

In my communications with Chris - and re-reading just Part 1 of his "Four Months" tale thus far - I learned that his design is based on one of my favorites....Howard Chappelle's plan from American Small Sailing Craft - and available from the Smithsonian. A framed copy hangs in our mud room.

View attachment 54871

Chris stretched the plans to make it 13'5' (if I recall correctly) and I believe his construction was cold-molded. He still has the vessel.

BTW: I concur with your thoughts about "skiff" - but ultimately defer to locals on such matters.

All the best,

SJS
Click to expand...
Thanks, I think I have a copy of those plans from the Smithsonian. I went through the catalog and ordered copies of all their garvey drawings and a few others to see the construction details.

Rick Lathrop
 
Eric~

It seems harder now than it used to be....

https://americanhistory.si.edu/about/departments/work-and-industry/ship-plans

Looks like you need to buy a catalog first, then order specific plan(s). As I recall, the plans themselves are reasonably priced.

I'm guessing Chapelle's Garvey plans will be in either American Small Sailing Craft or his Boat-building - both of which I have owned and studied for decades. Because these vessels pre-date outboards, et cetera, they are displacement hulls, I believe. In the former book, on p. 65, Figure 20 is "Old garvey box, substitute for a sneak box."

In any event, I think every gunner should have a framed copy of traditional Sneakbox plans in their mud rooms, shops, offices, living rooms, etc..... The one I have is labelled "ASSC .28 - Fig. 79". It is on p. 213 in American Small Sailing Craft presented as: Figure 79. An old professional gunner's sneak box of a superior model.

Hope this helps!

SJS
 
Steve

Thanks. I think I've seen the catalogs online in the past. I may have already pulled the plans and added them to the Resource section. I need to check the catalogs to see if there are any boat plans worth adding.
 
Prior to COVID I worked in downtown DC. I went to the museum and was able to look through the catalog and fill out an order sheet. The American Small Sailing Craft plans align with the plate numbers in the book if I remember correctly. They also have copies of plans from Harry Suchers flat bottomed boats book as well.

Ship Plans

americanhistory.si.edu americanhistory.si.edu

I have the plans in the tube. I can take a look.

Rick Lathrop
 
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