Thanks, it's one of a few I've owned but definitely my favorite. She has slight rocker from to back, and also some curvature port to starboard. 3/8 cedar planked construction allow for gentle curves throughout. The rocker helps get her up over the rice mat, and the side camber makes turning a breeze. She has amazingly light for her 16 foot length, probably coming in at 125 pounds or less.
Sure thing Joe!
Thanks Vince. She's one of my babies.
We have a lot of clappers down by my marsh cabin on the salt water.
I agree wholeheartedly. Most of my real shooting friends prefer 28 gauge.
It was my dad's "thing" starting around 1970. He bought a bunch of fine damascus doubles, which could be had for nothing. Many were bought for 50 bucks, some nice Claybroughs, Parkers and Greeners were a whopping 200. We shot ducks when conditions were right to bring them in close. These were all breachloaders, we loaded shells with BP or pyrodex as the spirit moved. Sometimes we used plastic wads, other times felt.
Another story of misspent youth.
Wow, sounds like you have more than enough awesome memories to last several lifetimes. I'm glad that you do have at least a few of your father's guns.It was my dad's "thing" starting around 1970. He bought a bunch of fine damascus doubles, which could be had for nothing. Many were bought for 50 bucks, some nice Claybroughs, Parkers and Greeners were a whopping 200. We shot ducks when conditions were right to bring them in close. These were all breachloaders, we loaded shells with BP or pyrodex as the spirit moved. Sometimes we used plastic wads, other times felt.
The most fun though, IMO, was the rail shoots. The whole marsh would be a bowl of smoke if there were a lot of birds. Some of the guns had almost no choke, an ounce of 9s and 3 drams of bp was a great recipe. Your boat is old enough so it may have seen a little smoke back in the day, some old timer still bringing out old smokey. I question whether we could do it nowadays. I suspect the FD, and maybe the swat team, would be called.
He did have a beautiful Claybrough hammer sxs 8. Somebody had blued the barrels but the wood was original and it shot nice. I shot some skeet with it, the entire club would stop shooting to watch. What a smoke show. We used steel mill door empties, you had to pull the brass collar off before loading. I believe we used 2 Oz, 4 drams with felt wads. Basically a 10 gauge duck load. I like to think it was a 10, since using an 8 on ducks would have been frowned upon, even if it was only a few times.
Sadly many of my dad's guns were sold when he passed. I could only rescue so many. I do have a beauty of a 10 GA Greener on the wall. Some good memories there.
The shells we used were modern hulls. The shotgun chambers and bores are essentially the same as guns manufactured today. I have some brass hulls for display, but I don't recall shooting any.
You definitely have spend some time chasing the rails. A lot of guys think when the Sora fold their wings and drop that they actually shot them! How many times I have to tell them you did not hit that bird be ready it will flush again! L O L and sure enough there it goes
I haven't been in several years. Reading your posts has me wanting to get out, I need to make the time. Rail hunting really is a special sport, "The sport of Kings" it was sometimes called.
Double ended wood boat and Chock Full of Nuts in the same post...all while I am sitting on the porch drinking some "Heavenly Coffee"...
Yes, I think you're right. The guy that introduced me to it call it the "gentlemanly pursuit "
