Boston Whaler Duckboat

J

Joe Daly

Active member
I was having a conversation with Curt Matzinger from South Shore Waterfowlers about how the grandkids were progressing as duck hunters. I told him I have 3 that want to hunt but I can only take one at a time in the Sneakbox. I said I need to find a bigger hull to gun from or use as a tender to take all 3 out together. He offered that he knew of an older Boston Whaler 13 that was owned by John Nolan from the SSWF. John passed away some time back. He said that his family wanted the boat to go to a young duck hunter as that was their father's request. The boat was local and I went and looked at. A bit rugged, mostly from sitting in the weather uncovered and quick rattle can camo paint job. A quick check revealed it was solid and not water logged, transom was solid. The family wouldn't take any money for it as long as it was going to be hunted over with young hunters. I gave them that commitment and hauled it to my house. Removed the rotted wood and power washed it. Some minor damage repairs that I plan on doing over the summer. Right now the priority is to get it out on the bay for the boys to enjoy. View attachment IMG_0283.jpg
 
I painted the inside with duck boat brown enamel. Turned it over and bottom painted with Interlux anti-fowling paint. I decided that the best option was an Avery Quick Set blind to get it on the water quick. There was no easy way to mount the blind so I built a rear deck to sit on for tiller steering as well as a blind mount. Front deck followed. I got some nice almost clear cedar from Lowe's for the frame and I used some cut off and salvaged plywood to skin the decks. We usually sit on a Spackle buckets when hunting so no other interior wood needed. I designed the decks so they lock in without holing the hull. It has remained dry since 1966. Don't want to add any holes not required. I should have it on the bay next week.View attachment IMG_0320.jpgView attachment IMG_0321.jpgView attachment IMG_0322.jpg
 
I received the Avery blind and this looks like should work just fine. The boys are picking out where they can sit inside. They also mentioned I add the Mr Heater that I use in the garage to warm us. I don't think that will happen. No open flames on small boats with cloth blinds and grass covering

Joe
 
I have a 15 horsepower Evinrude that I can take off the Sneakbox. Runs good but it will be a under powered. It will have to do until I can find a 30 hp motor that would be a better choice.

Joe
 
Nice save on the whaler. As a younger man my gunnin buddy had a 13' whaler we use to use as transportation to some off shore islands out in Sinepuxent Bay. Then we carried 2 doz. carrylite canada geese up front loose and probably a couple dz. duck decoys. He had a 30 merc on his. Can rember rides where it was so rough i,d have to spread eagle across the decoys up front to keep them in the boat. That front ride in them in rough weather will beat you to death. (good place to season the kids!). His had a little side console and the ride there wasn,t bad at all. Always amazed me how that hull will lift though going into a sea taller than bow. Looks like your going thru it but at last instant they,d pop right over. I believe Zack Taylor may have mentioned about a blind build in his book Successful Waterfowling. Plywood though if I remeber correctly. Lots of better options today.
 
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I only travel a mile or so inside east Merrick Bay. Don?t envy the rides you took win a whaler. It really needs 30 hp to be powered correctly. Joe
 
Had an OLD whaler that we used to hunt out of eons back, which I powered with a 25 hp Johnson short shaft. Easy to conceal, as I did a Petit dull dead grass paint job on it. It came from Center Island, in N Y. Somehow, my Dad was given the boat, and passed it to me.
That was one helluva good boat for breaking ice years ago. Two of us had them and kept a large part of the Little Creek W A in Delaware open in the winter. When we did not get drawn in the lottery, folks couldn't get out and turned in their blind cards. I f we liked the location, we would play ice breaker, up to 6 inches of salt ice. Yep, I did have some areas that were repaired with oak and good epoxy. Amazing what that boat could push around in reverse!
You have a great deal, my friend. We need kids in the sport. Hey, perhaps you can get them to help with the renovation? What a great experience!!!
 

Joe,
I also converted a Boston Whaler hull 1969 into a duck boat. I use it for when I hunt the marshes.
It's powered by a 25hp Johnson moves it along. It has served me well over the years...prior to becoming a
duckboat l used it to fish out of when I was a kid. For years it sat behind my barn,l couldn't part with it because it was the first boat I owned. One day I decided to convert it into a duckboat to use as a marsh boat.
 
Very clean and simple job, the older and more mature I get the more I really appreciate seeing old boats get new life for the best reasons.
 
One member of the Merganser Hunt Club has a fully camouflaged Montauk that he hunts out of. I think he has had that boat around fifteen years now . I picked-up a 1994 21' Outrage down in Sister Bay in fall of 2019 that spent much of its life as a tender on a yacht that rotated from the Great Lakes to Florida. The twin Yamaha Saltwater 150hp outboards on it had all of 147 hours on them. I had to restore two sections of the non-skid pattern on the work deck and in front of the center console via a Fex-mold matching sheet to restore the pattern correctly. I have one more interior fiberglass repair to finish to improve the cosmetics of a previous repair of a tree limb penetration in the interior foredeck gunnel and then it is fully ready to fish.
 
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Good morning, Joe~


Great deal - and great work!


I recall John Nolan well. He would certainly be glad the boat is in your hands.


Many happy hunts!


SJS

 
Joe, Had 2-3 13' whalers over the years. Still have one that I use for crabbing and fly fishing out in the local flats. Had another set up with a solid plywood blind in the 70-80's. We shot sitting sideways on a plywood floor, had a flap door that folded over our laps. Worked well for us, but the high back was like a sail in high winds. This was before cabela and other soft blinds. Think it ended up with member john livoti.
One thing I did on all the boats was put a full deck over the bow. Great place to sit or stand up and fish. Put storage under the deck for preservers etc. Will try to post pics if I can. Great boat for the kids to explore the back creeks with...
 
Joe,
This will fun to watch your work and tales of the boys' hunts.

I had a 13' Whaler on Hilton Head Island. It came with the side console that severely limited the room. Tiller is the best way to go.

Pick attached shows how I dressed it with a homemade blind. I chose not to paint it so that I might eventually re-sell it in original condition. Whalers kept original command a much higher price.

I loved the low profile. As others said, that front bow will beat you in a chop. Still loved the boat.

The birds we had were buffies at that time. They acted as if the boat wasn't there. For divers in general, with the boat painted as you will have it, I'm not sure you need a blind, just lay low. For puddlers a blind will be needed.

It floats in about 5" of water with a motor, another great feature.

Glad this old girl has been resuscitated. Also good to hear the deal you were given. Great sportsmanship!

Larry

View attachment 90EDD0BE-5CF5-4DE5-9663-A4B2673237F3.jpeg
 
I am going to add a hatch to the front plywood deck for access to fire extinguisher/flares/strobe/anchor. In NY we have to wear life vests during winter months. I plan on being able to remove the front and rear deck for the off season. I will assemble the Avery blind this week. Want to get this boat hunting

Joe
 
Back it the 70's I hunted from a 13 whaler with a 40. We used the boat to get to the part of the marsh we were to hunt. We then would build a small blind .
That gave us a lot of elbow room and a solid ground great seating.
 
Thinking about your new whaler and thought popped in my mind. Put a rolled over fiberglass top on it similar to top section design of TDB or Outlaw duck Boat. That would make for one neat whaler.
 
I considered an angled deck like a conventional duck skiff but I need the interior space to seat me 3 young hunters and me.
This will really be a powered floating blind
Joe
 
Joe Daly said:
I considered an angled deck like a conventional duck skiff but I need the interior space to seat me 3 young hunters and me.
This will really be a powered floating blind Understand your approach. Pretty tight confines for 4 bodys to shoot from. Only problem is now you,ve got the wheels turning and i,m wanting to convert my own whaler into a tdb clone!
Joe
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