Advice on storage/travel cover for the duck boat

Terry Desilets

Terry Desilets

Active member
I want to construct some sort of cover for storage and travel. I guess my choices would be to build a hard cover and coat with fiberglass or have a snap down canvas cover. Optimally, I am leaning toward the hard cover with some sort of facility to lock it down. I would also have a hood made for the engine so no water or critters could get into the boat that way. Maybe use a door skin and fiberglass that? How do I go about locking it? Any feedback/advice or suggestions would be appreciated. I only want to do this once. Many thanks in advance!

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Duckboat01.jpg

 
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Terry,

Just a quick thought, how large is yourcockpit? If you go with a one piece solid cover, will it be too large and unweildy to handle alone in a wind at the ramp? Where will you put it when you are out hunting?

If you go with a canvas cover, it can be rolled up or left partially on during the hunt if you so choose.

Just something to consider.
 
I like a solid cover - for me to be a duckboat it almost has to have one. Very nice to keep your gear dry and hidden from prying eyes.

Solid can be 2 or 3 piece that can fit in a truck cap or a one piece that is light enough to drop next to where you park and then put it on the trailer when parked.
 
I agree with Tod. Solid is the way to go but can be heavy if one piece.
I would build what you want out of thin ply and glass it. It could be two or more pieces if you need to fit it somewhere or need the lightness for the moving.

Ply can be bent quite a bit and will give a nice mold for epoxy and cloth which is then waterproof with paint to protect from UV. Basically an upside down boat. Because you have a combing all you need is a pair of hoop type fittings on the deck that fit thru the top and then get a pair of pad locks if you need to lock it up.
 
Terry,

A solid cover certainly gives one extra peace of mind over a soft cover. In fact some of my boats have hard covers and some have soft covers.

My Chuck Huff has a one piece molded fiberglass which attaches with two (one fore and one aft) simple overlapping hasps and can be locked thru said hasps. I am fortunate that this cover is only 26 x 74 and will easily fit inside my truck topper. Even then the wind can grab it pretty swiftly if one is not paying attention.

I am certain that a properly built hard cover will outlast, by many times over, the lifetime of a soft cover, especially if stored outdoors.
 
On my snowgoose, I have three piece covers that stack nicely in the back of the truck. I bring them whenever I take the boat, in case I need to leave it or stop somewhere. I seldom lock them, although they are keyed for locks.
 
I'm not doing very well on this thread. Anyway, my covers are 1/4 plywood and glassed. They have a lip around the edge. 1/4" is too thin to stand on, so I added some oak ribs.
 
Geeess! Here I am pounding out my questions and you guys are adding on!!!


Thanks for the feedback guys! I truly appreciate it. I'm leaning toward what Tod describes, if only for the security. Although, I do like the idea of a soft cover that would cover the cockpit while hunting. If I start with a 1/8" door skin or foam core that they use for boat building, I should be able to keep the weight down.

Tod:
I figure I'm going to have two sections. I can imagine making an interlocking lip to prevent water intrusion. Does each panel lock to the boat independent of the others? Thanks for the pics!!
 
I way over built my covers, but I love them.

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I have keyed alike locks for the cover, my spare, and the trailer tongue. Dry locked storage under the covers and no external hardware on the deck. All the hardware is contained on the covers that are in the back of the truck while hunting. The covers have aligning pieces that butt up under the blocks inside the coaming. Slide the front forward 3 inches and lift, same on the rear. The draw latches pull everything tight and the padlock keeps the honest people honest.

I could have gone lighter, but each weighs maybe 10 to 15 lbs?

Dave
 
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Geeess! Here I am pounding out my questions and you guys are adding on!!!


Thanks for the feedback guys! I truly appreciate it. I'm leaning toward what Tod describes, if only for the security. Although, I do like the idea of a soft cover that would cover the cockpit while hunting. If I start with a 1/8" door skin or foam core that they use for boat building, I should be able to keep the weight down.

Tod:
I figure I'm going to have two sections. I can imagine making an interlocking lip to prevent water intrusion. Does each panel lock to the boat independent of the others? Thanks for the pics!!
Click to expand...

Yes, my covers have pins that connect them to mating holes in the rear of the boat (bronze flanges), the next cover has pins that mate with the first cover and so on. The front of the rear two covers have latches that pin to the side of the boat and the front cover has a lock at the front. I also have the rubber straps on the covers to keep things tight - I like those a lot. You can see them on the front cover/deck.

I went to a lot of trouble to make the covers watertight and they are (notice the overhang and drip edge on each joint) - they don't leak, but I don't know if the extra work is worth it.
 
I had a locking cover that I used to use at a public launch. I built up the forward compartment of the jon boat to make the seat area level with the gunwale and a little built up on the net deck. I thought that if I needed something lighter I could have a HVAC shop use their brake and make it out of galv. sheet metal. Never did it but thats what I would do again. Bob
 
My boat is very similar to Tod's Snow Goose and did basically the same thing. 3 individual pieces with 1/4" ply and they still are a bit large when handling them. However I did not glass mine. They are all slightly different sizes so they nest together when not in use. I only use them when the boat is in storage not for travel so they don't lock down an any way but I wish I had for when I do go on overnight trips. It's on the someday I'll get to it list. Sorry I have no pictures.
 
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