2025 Devlin Snow Goose Thread

HenryHawthorne said:
I've got a spot cut-out for a thru-hull transducer, though I somewhat wish I'd gone with an in-hull transducer. I did make and install and epoxy in a wooden fairing to offer protection for it. I'm confident it will be much more durable than the ones screwed to the transom, and it will offer some side-scan capability an in-hull wouldn't (good for "mapping" unknown areas more quickly) - but at the expense of protruding from the hull slightly.
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I went with a system like this on my duckboat when I was running a transducer off the transom. I didnt like the idea of drilling into the hull when I first got my boat. I attached it, and then I went around all the outer edges, against the transom with 3M 5200 so no water could potentially get to the 3M adhesive. This plate is still on my boat to this day, despite not having a transducer mounted to it for the last 5 years.

 
HenryHawthorne said:
I've got a spot cut-out for a thru-hull transducer, though I somewhat wish I'd gone with an in-hull transducer. I did make and install and epoxy in a wooden fairing to offer protection for it. I'm confident it will be much more durable than the ones screwed to the transom, and it will offer some side-scan capability an in-hull wouldn't (good for "mapping" unknown areas more quickly) - but at the expense of protruding from the hull slightly.
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That is awesome; pictures please!
 
Playing with blind options a bit as that may impact cleat placement, etc. Still leaning towards flapboards. 18" will get coverage above the shoulder while seated. Sanford-style bifolds are also an option. This was a cutoff I have for shelves... Will probably mockup some flapboard frames from some cheap pine strips.

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HenryHawthorne said:
Playing with blind options a bit as that may impact cleat placement, etc. Still leaning towards flapboards. 18" will get coverage above the shoulder while seated. Sanford-style bifolds are also an option. This was a cutoff I have for shelves... Will probably mockup some flapboard frames from some cheap pine strips.

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Whats the white block and the cut out half circle on the bow of the boat?
 
HenryHawthorne said:
White block is a trolling motor mounting block. The other piece is a template I made a while back of a TM base. I have them out thinking about where I want to mount, both for proper backing and thinking through impact on lines/fairlead.
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Tm for fishing or as a backup way of getting back to ramp? I’m assuming fishing.

Next question then, do you plan on having a pedal mount for tm if meant for fishing? I’m assuming if you’re gonna stand and fish off front deck? Are you planning to install tm pedal mount so pedal is flush with deck to prevent fatigue throughout day so you’re not standing like capt Morgan all day?

Also, do you plan to have removable carpet for front deck? Standing on a jon green color bow all day in the summer months kind of sucks. Don’t ask me how I know.

Lastly, if you intend on taking tm in winter months, when hunting, I recommend a quick detach tm mount. Makes life really easy removing and taking off. That white block kind of looks like it might be one, but hard to tell from picture.
 
William Reinicke said:
Tm for fishing or as a backup way of getting back to ramp? I’m assuming fishing.

Next question then, do you plan on having a pedal mount for tm if meant for fishing? I’m assuming if you’re gonna stand and fish off front deck? Are you planning to install tm pedal mount so pedal is flush with deck to prevent fatigue throughout day so you’re not standing like capt Morgan all day?

Also, do you plan to have removable carpet for front deck? Standing on a jon green color bow all day in the summer months kind of sucks. Don’t ask me how I know.

Lastly, if you intend on taking tm in winter months, when hunting, I recommend a quick detach tm mount. Makes life really easy removing and taking off. That white block kind of looks like it might be one, but hard to tell from picture.
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That block is, actually, a quick detach mount. Primary purpose is fishing, debating about using that as my back-up get-home.

Hadn't really thought much about the pedal - good call, thanks! I have thought a little about footing and heat, but havent decided on a solution, yet
 
HenryHawthorne said:
That block is, actually, a quick detach mount. Primary purpose is fishing, debating about using that as my back-up get-home.

Hadn't really thought much about the pedal - good call, thanks! I have thought a little about footing and heat, but havent decided on a solution, yet
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All looks good.

The flap boards would be great to be able to lean them in more towards the centerline to close off as much of the top opening as possible if you are going to mess with puddlers from the boat. Also consider having a ditch the boat mode where you can cover the cockpit and leave the boat near where you are hunting but also able to get into it as easily as possible to chase crippples. I don't know your conditions, but often leaving the boat will get you some better gunning.

A picky critique is that trolling motor mount needs inset into the deck for clearance and to look intentional. Little things like that take forever, but that is why I have to scheduled to launch march 2027.
 
boat is looking fantastic.
I would offset the TM mount to the left or right of the centerline so you can have a chock (Steve will tell me if that is the right term:) ) for your anchor line in the center.
Agree with Todd, in that position a standard plastic transducer will take a beat if you beach the boat. But it’s better than hanging off the stern on a cheap plastic mount. Either way, duck boats are rough on transducers. Unless you do a shoot-through.
 
tod osier said:
That looks sweet, I know the conditions you are hunting in are vastly different than I did in CT (rocky coast), but that location you have the transducer is prone to abuse just to warn you. My hull in that area from the first time I flipped it.

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Yes, I agree. Perhaps less so in our area than yours (sand v rocks), but still a risk (oysters/random debris) - and a trade-off of sonar capability vs flush/protected. In the end, I decided it was easier to give it a go this way and, if it gets damaged quickly rather than replace I can grind it all back to flat and install an in-hull.

Re: the TM quick-mount, to your point (I think) I'll either need to inset slightly or build-up a little to ensure the mount has a nice, flat surface. I'm leaning towards the latter. Also thinking through location. Dead center minimizes inset/build-up and is aesthetically more pleasing - and fairleads immediately to either side should accommodate anchor rode needs. And I think would allow the TM to operate most efficiently. But offsetting to the port or starboard side of the nose allows a central fairlead, handle, clean spot for a painter - and gets the TM, when stowed, a bit more out of the way and more space for whatever I decide to do for a dodger. My gut tells me to offset - function over form.

I'll be toying with mount/blind options over the next week/10 days before removing the deck and getting on with the work. A cousin has invited my dad and me to join him in S Georgia for a quail hunt mid-month, so that provides a target date for transitioning from planning back to labor.
 
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HenryHawthorne said:
Yes, I agree. Perhaps less so in our area than yours (sand v rocks), but still a risk (oysters/random debris) - and a trade-off of sonar capability vs flush/protected. In the end, I decided it was easier to give it a go this way and, if it gets damaged quickly rather than replace I can grind it all back to flat and install an in-hull.

Re: the TM quick-mount, to your point (I think) I'll either need to inset slightly or build-up a little to ensure the mount has a nice, flat surface. I'm leaning towards the latter. Also thinking through location. Dead center minimizes inset/build-up and is aesthetically more pleasing - and fairleads immediately to either side should accommodate anchor rode needs. And I think would allow the TM to operate most efficiently. But offsetting to the port or starboard side of the nose allows a central fairlead, handle, clean spot for a painter - and gets the TM, when stowed, a bit more out of the way and more space for whatever I decide to do for a dodger. My gut tells me to offset - function over form.

I'll be toying with mount/blind options over the next week/10 days before removing the deck and getting on with the work. A cousin has invited my dad and me to join him in S Georgia for a quail hunt mid-month, so that provides a target date for transitioning from planning back to labor.
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TM needs to be to the side significantly IMHO. I don't know how tall you are, but unless you are freakishly tall, I've found the rise of the bow is significant at 10-15 mph just when you want to be able to see.

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HenryHawthorne said:
Yes, I agree. Perhaps less so in our area than yours (sand v rocks), but still a risk (oysters/random debris) - and a trade-off of sonar capability vs flush/protected. In the end, I decided it was easier to give it a go this way and, if it gets damaged quickly rather than replace I can grind it all back to flat and install an in-hull.

Re: the TM quick-mount, to your point (I think) I'll either need to inset slightly or build-up a little to ensure the mount has a nice, flat surface. I'm leaning towards the latter. Also thinking through location. Dead center minimizes inset/build-up and is aesthetically more pleasing - and fairleads immediately to either side should accommodate anchor rode needs. And I think would allow the TM to operate most efficiently. But offsetting to the port or starboard side of the nose allows a central fairlead, handle, clean spot for a painter - and gets the TM, when stowed, a bit more out of the way and more space for whatever I decide to do for a dodger. My gut tells me to offset - function over form.

I'll be toying with mount/blind options over the next week/10 days before removing the deck and getting on with the work. A cousin has invited my dad and me to join him in S Georgia for a quail hunt mid-month, so that provides a target date for transitioning from planning back to labor.
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On the transducer I would worry that it woudl hang me up on a rock a falling tide, but you are probably smarter about me than that and I know your tides are lower and the bottom more forgiving. I just threw it out there as an FYI. I'll be putting a fancy transducer on mine in the next year or two, so I'll have to solve that (partly solved it by leaving the tidal zone)).
 
SJ Fairbank said:
I thought you finished your boat? When are you installing the trim tabs? :) Henry will be done with his boat before you.
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;) That is how the boat is designed with a short planing surface (Devlin calls it rocker, but it is really just a short planing surface, about the last 6-7 feet) and is supposed to ride significantly bow up at slow planing speed. You can't muscle that out with tabs (I've tried), there isn't the hull there. That is also why these boats nearly never behave without some sort of addition like trim tabs for fine tuning.

That bow up attitude has saved my bacon in nasty seas more than once.

I have interceptor plates on mine as a final solution...
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tod osier said:
That is how the boat is designed with a short planing surface (Devlin calls it a rocker, but it is really just a short planing surface, about the last 6-7 feet) and is supposed to ride significantly bow up at slow planing speed. You can't muscle that out with tabs, there isn't the hull there. That is also why these boats nearly never behave without some sort of addition like trim tabs for fine tuning.

That bow up attitude has saved my bacon in nasty seas more than once.

I have interceptor plates on mine as a final solution...
View attachment 74384
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I like a bow high attitude in a heavy boat. As you say, it takes the big stuff much better. I'm not familiar with interceptor plates. It looks like an adjustable vertical plate?
 
SJ Fairbank said:
I like a bow high attitude in a heavy boat. As you say, it takes the big stuff much better. I'm not familiar with interceptor plates. It looks like an adjustable vertical plate?
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Yes, vertical plate like the volvos. I didn't want conventional tabs in the way hanging off the back to tangle things up. I had wedges but I wanted to be able to fuss with adjusting for optimum performance.

www.volvopenta.com

Interceptor system - improved safety | Volvo Penta US

Simplify boat driving with Interceptor System. Integrated with EVC for easy handling. Trim angle control reduces fuel costs and environmental impact.
www.volvopenta.com www.volvopenta.com

Mine are obviously static, but they make a big differance and are easily micro adjustable. Henry is installing a compact manual tab that I think will work really well.
 
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