Anyone converted old speedboat/bassboat glass hulls into sneakboxes?

BamaBill

BamaBill

Active member
Maybe this has been hashed over, but I can't find it.....Just wondering if this has been tried, etc. I'm getting some ideas, based on some of the older hull shapes, etc. on stuff like old strykers, skeeters, and speedboats in the 14-16' range...some have a little rocker, V, low profile, etc. I know of the old skeeter hustlers, but you can't find them. I can get derelict glass bass/speedboat hulls all day long with good hulls, sides, and transoms that would seem to be suitable for coaming over, etc. at a savings over building an entire rig...with maybe a better bottom end than I could make myself. Has anyone else ever done this? I mean, the SWAT and Lee Canvasback are basically speedboat/bassboat hulls with a top on them.LOL My searches didn't turn up anything yet. Thanks.
 
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My friends and I used to buy old trihulls and cut them down and then put oak strip gunnels o n them and they worked great. The only thing was you had to build gunnels so that it would make the sides ridged. Never heard of using a bass boat only because those hulls were to much money even used.
 
Sounds like a good idea to me. I was considering something similar, but then bought a smaller layout, that I hunt out of, so the tender is less critical.
 
I've got my eye on a couple of good candidates....one has a good, aluminum caprail on the gunwale to work with for mounting some sort of removeable cockpit/coaming to, but is a cross between a true v and a true tri-hull...so I'm worried about bounce/slap in waves. The other has a nice, deep V, covered bow, etc. but may be a little high in profile and the coaming is flat, not rounded. If I can find one with the right shap and hull characteristics for the right $, it may be a fun project.LOL
 
Yo Bill, I know where a tunnel hull is with a motor well like a BLACK BRANT, CACKLER, ECT. I have had it offered to me for $0 with a drive on trailer. Call if you want more info. david
 
Maybe dozens if not a 100 sunfish sail boats have been gutted and decked to make sneak boats. Some one on here some years ago picked up a free "run about" and gutted it, cut it down, and decked it to make a nice sneak boat.

Take your gutted hull out and float it with the load you will be hunting with and mark the hull for the amount of free board you want, about 10 inches. Take it home, level it, mark all the way around, cut it and start the decking process.

Taylor documents in his "Successful Waterfowling" the making of "Zac Box" boats by decking over any existing open hull.

The resin used to make the hull is a less exspensive laminating solvent based poly resin. I recommend using an epoxy resin which will stick to pretty much any other type of poly resin.
 
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Like this? I have been hunting out of this boat for 2 seasons now and like it alright. It is a little over 12 feet long and wish it was a little bigger to haul more stuff.

Kevin
 
Kevin,

I think I've just been inspired.......I think I might try something like that......Nice work!!
 
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Very nice Kevin. I've done the same thing with five aluminum boats, both semi-v and flat bottom hulls, but always thought of doing one in glass.

Oh, by the way, boats are like garages, everyone wishes they were bigger!
 
That's what I'm talking about! Thanks....great looking conversion. I have a sunfish waiting on conversion, also....but I'm still mulling over a couple of hulls...one I have to measure some more....the other is not a v hull, but a tunnel/flats cat-style glass hull that is wide and low...but may give issues with slap...though it's a neat boat with an inset transom like a black brant....thanks Dave.
 
Wow, that is a very nice conversion. Looking at that first pic, it took a lot of "vision" and imagination to see that last pic in your mind before starting the project.
 
I've always thought the Glasstron GT series of speedboats would make a good conversion. They almost look like a bigger version of some of the Schellinger sneakboxes.

http://www.classicglastron.com/78gt150.jpg

You could use it as a sneakbox by pulling up on a marsh or lake shore and brushing up or use as an open water layout - paint it open water gray, put a cover over the motor and lay on the fold down seats sneakbox style facing the stern. The only downside is that it would appear they probably draw a bit more than a "real" duck boat.

78gt150.jpg
old,

I've seen no motor versions in classified ads for a couple of hundred bucks, I've just never made the leap.
 
Kevin when you started with an aluminum boat did you use wood/fiberglass on the top and sides and for the inside how did you attach it? Any helpful hints and photos would be great, I have an old lund 17' runabout and have been playing around with the idea of cutting off the top and making a big water duck boat out of her.
 
Greg, on the aluminum boats that I decked, I used metal deck hangers and riveted them to the boat. Completely framed the boat with redwood and decked with marine plywood. The cross piece at the front and back of the cockpit has a 1 1'2" curve from the center to the side. Water rolls off, but is still flat enough so I can stand and flyfish off the deck in the summer.

I have pictures of all this but lack the skill to scan and size into this contraption.
 
Sorry to jump in a bit late on this one, but here's a hull I was looking at for just the idea you guys are talking about.

http://anchorage.craigslist.org/boa/637307836.html

I've also wondered about retired bathtub racer hulls or maybe the hull of a seadoo as a 1 man craft. Anyone done that?

Mike
 
Mike, that's exactly the 'style' of hulls I've been most drawn to. That one actually has an awesome coaming already in place...if you find out the brand/model, etc. let me know....anything to save on materials, etc. for an experiment is good with me and I can likely find one similar down here...if I know what to look for. We have a lot of areas that are open water diver spots and under 12-18" deep over hard bottom....those hulls I've seen like that have a VERY deep V, all the way to the stern....this might pose a problem with draft for shallow hunting...not sure. Snatch that one up and get to work...we need some progress pics.LOL
 
Nice to meet you Bill,

I called the guy a while back on that one and he's moving out of AK. I told him I didn't want it for $1000 but if it was going to go to the dump I'd give him a couple $100 for it delivered (he'd have to drive past my house to get south anyway). I had a 17' bass boat that I duck hunted out of a few years ago and it was fine all cammo'd up with spruce bows and tucked in against the lake shore. I never shot any mallards out of it, but I killed a bunch of divers, scoters, and GE's. It was a fast ride to the spot with a 115 hp on it!

I still think a seadoo hull would be a riot with a 35hp hung on the back!

Mike
 
Bill,
Here you go in " The Ham", try it out and let us know how it goes. Shawn

http://bham.craigslist.org/boa/612404004.html
 
I'm waiting to hear back on that one...looks like it might slatten out at the stern, which would be a good thing....looks like it would run good with a smaller motor, too.LOL
 
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