Devlin bluebill build thread.

That's a hilarious story, and sounds like something my dad would do to me!


Thank you everyone! Anchor cleats, some minors odds and ends, etc.


No electric shtuff in the boat, no..
 
Took it on its maiden voyage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0bSsXhTvO0&feature=youtu.be

Not only did it perform, it over performed. No porpoise, no water over transom, no nothin'.

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..... Did I mention it goes a literal 21mph with me (300) in it? :D video uploading soon...


In other news, any idea on a good way to do a winch stop on

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It's lowered as far as it'll go.
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Obviously it needs to be moved back, but the roller would just barely touch the top of the nose of the boat, I'm thinking cutting and welding something else.

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Paul, Awesome thread and a beautiful build. Enjoyed watching the progress and the documentation of each step. Congrats, hope you kill a pile of ducks in it this season. Jeff
 
Thanks everybody! That is a good idea Dave, simpler than what I had planned, too, lol.

For those of you that have used shock cord for grassing - which size is best? 1/4?
 
Fantastic job, I love it. You are gonna have a lot of fun in that boat.
 
Does anyone have any good pics of "blinds" that people have built on similar boats? I am planning on making this into a floating layout blind essentially, and was thinking of doing so with fabric that would roll out to cover most of the cockpit.
 
Paul, I have a "cockpit skirt" that mom sewed up for me. It is similar to what Dave Clark makes. Mine is very simple, has pockets sown in that I fit fiberglass rods into ($0.95 each at Tractor Supply). Some velcro on the ends, and it rolls up to around a 3 inch diameter or less. It will support the fast grass, a box of shells, my shotgun and a bunch of salt hay. Does a great job of shedding the rain too! When it poured, I slide back under the dodger, pulled the skirt up to my chest and was dry and comfortable. Also keeps some heat in too I think.

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Paul~

My approach is very similar to Dave's: a cowling (low dodger) and a lap canvas. I do not have great pictures of my Sneakbox - I last gunned it during my pre-digital camera years. I thatch up the lap canvas with pockets I sewed into it. It is fastened at its foot (to the back of the aft cockpit coaming) with snaps (I use Common Sense fasteners now). Because the cockpit is wide like yours, I have a broom handle sewn into a pocket up forward. Its ends drop into notched chocks inside either coaming. It is strong enough to support the gun, binoculars, etc but also just pops right out of the way when I sit up to shoot.

Here it is in gunning mode (BTW: Limit was 3 birds back then!)

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Here are the chocks to hold the "broom handle":

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On a newer vessel (DCE - digital camera era), I used just shock cord and thumb cleats to hold the upper end. The shock cord gives enough when I sit up to shoot.

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The low cowling is for open water gunning.

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Here it is in gunning mode - notice Common Sense fasteners at foot.

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Here is the lap canvas rolled up- for picking up birds, decoys, travel, etc.

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Dave: Thanks for the tip about the fibreglass rods at Tractor Supply. I once put Lucite rod in a dodger/cowling to stiffen it - it do not survive the first trip!

All the best,

SJS
 
Thanks guys! Good ideas. What kind of canvas fabric did you use? Wife says she will help sew whatever I cook up.

Gonna take the boat out again tomorrow night :)
 
Can you remove the lower bolt, slide the winch down on the other side of the brace and reinstall the lower bolt? Also possibly drill a lower mounting hole for the roller, then trim the excess stock protruding above the new roller position.
Click to expand...


Looking at the photo and thinking that if the winch can be unbolted and the whole arm turned over then remount the winch it will be angled correctly to meet the bow of the boat.
 
My Chuck Huff dodger is made from Sunbrella....it took Krylon Fusion nicely. Let me know if you want to see it. You could drag your boat over to New Richmond and set that dodger on your boat for size and sewing ideas...Bring your camera and take some notes and you could build one easily. Just let me know.
 
Can you remove the lower bolt, slide the winch down on the other side of the brace and reinstall the lower bolt? Also possibly drill a lower mounting hole for the roller, then trim the excess stock protruding above the new roller position.
Click to expand...


Looking at the photo and thinking that if the winch can be unbolted and the whole arm turned over then remount the winch it will be angled correctly to meet the bow of the boat.
Click to expand...

winch can't bolt on to the opposite side, I may flip it, and just weld a piece of steel on and then drill holes for it to accept a new winch. I think a flat stop would be better than roller though.
 
My Chuck Huff dodger is made from Sunbrella....it took Krylon Fusion nicely. Let me know if you want to see it. You could drag your boat over to New Richmond and set that dodger on your boat for size and sewing ideas...Bring your camera and take some notes and you could build one easily. Just let me know.
Click to expand...

Hank you for the offer, I may take you up on it saturday
 
Check with your local marina, usually a lot of winch stanchions around [usually don't got into water]. My brother picked up one cheap... Said he saw 8-10 there like new...
 
Mark~

I use Sunbrella. I sew all my canvas on a 1975 Sears Kenmore. The trick is the right needles and the right thread AND your wife will really appreciate a handful or pre-wound bobbins. I buy my supplies from either SailRite or Mainland Sails. Both are good to work with and can give good tech advice.

SJS
 
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