AA Broadbill and Complaint

C

Craig Horsman

New member
Hi, first post.
I first hunted out of a new friends brand new Arthur Armstrong Broadbill in 1985. We hunted out of that boat for over 15 years and I could borrow the boat anytime I wanted. In 2004 I found and bought a 1986 vintage on eBay.

The boat is 32 years old now and in need of a little tic. Also, I put a 18hp electric start Tohatsu on it which is 50ish pounds heavier than the 9.9hp Johnson that came with it. Plus the weight of the battery and the 35ish pounds I have added to my butt in those years makes me and the boat a bit heavy in the stern.

So I got to thinking that while fixing the issues that need attention and putting a storage area(s) in the bow for the battery and gas tank, maybe it would be a good idea to ad sponsons to the stern.

So, while searching around the internet for ideas I found this forum. And I found a post by a member who mentioned he had added sponsons to his AA Broadbill
 
I accidentally hit post. Such are my keyboard skills. I continue:

So I pm?d John Augustine and his suggestion of what and how he had added sponsons was excellent !
Much better than my small brain was contemplating.

Now my complaints:
First, for the past six days, since I found this forum, I have not gotten a dang thing done. I can?t get away from it.
Second, based upon several re-build threads of AA Broadbills on this forum it would seem my boat may not be as sound as I thought and a full rebuild may be appropriate. And the members who performed these re-builds have set the bar so high, such beautiful work. :-(

I will keep an eye on the transom and hope I do not see a need for a re-build. Will cut out and put in a box for added storage which will also fix a problem in the deck. Will post pics when I do.
Great forum, btw
 
Craig,

Welcome to the page. If you have been reading many past threads, you can tell that pictures are always welcome. Many folks here willing to share both information and possibly a lending hand depending on your location to them. With that in mind you might consider adding at least a general location to you profile. Who knows, you might even find someone here on this page who is a nearby neighbor.

Good luck with your project. BTW; we love to help others spend their money. [whistle] If we can't get you to spend more money on ducks and boats, we can always suggest many other interests and endeavors.
 
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I had a 15hp Yamaha 4 stroke electric start and power tilt/trim on my old 14' jon. The boat was a completely different animal with that motor vs my 15 hp Johnson 2 stroke. That may fix a ton of your issues. 50 lbs doesn't seem like much but when it's on the farthest aft piece of the boat, it creates a whole new animal.

The Yamaha was 125# and the Johnson I have now is like 72#.
 
"Since I found this forum, I haven't gotten a dang thing done..."

Better stop now Craig. The rest of us are all unemployed because we couldn't get a dang thing done during season.. which is year round.

Welcome to the forum. Don't be intimidated by the craftsmen and artists here. I am neither. But they still accept me.

You won't find bragging and fighting here. Just a bunch of guys who love the marsh and the birds of the marsh and building stuff towards that end. I have purchased gear and boat without ever testing them out just on the recommendation of guys I respect here. In fact I am in the process of doing that again right now!

Watch guys like Dave McCann, er. HuntingDave. He is always encouraging others to buy another boat. And he's good at it!

:)

For what it's worth, that seems like a lot of weight on the back end of your Broadbill.

Perhaps one of us should take it off your hands? We wouldn't want you to get hurt.

In good humor,

Larry
 
Jay K, yep, adding weight to the stern changes the boat. I am thinking adding sponsons and moving the battery and gas tank under the forward deck will rebalance the boat.
 
Larry, thanks for the offer to take this boat off my hands. I appreciate your concern, I really do. I assume you won?t mind if I throw in the trailer and motor ? ;-)

Please do not tempt me with other boats. If I had the coupons I would have a yard full. I really like these AA Broadbills. I don?t go in any big water far from the ramp, mostly used in river, along marsh edges, and in an impoundment.

Cheers, Craig
 
Phil, that is a lot of boat, does it have a mini bar ?

There were a few years I hunted with a rig that big. Don?t really want to go back to picking up and wrapping that many decoys, so I?ll pass. Thanks, though.

And if you made that boat, wow, that is a beautiful boat.

Ciao, Craig
 
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