Devlin Designs Scaup -vs- Snow Goose

[naytep]

First off I will be building this rig from Aluminum not the popular plywood and glue.
I would like the input of some of you who actually have used these boats. If your in S. NJ area I would love to see yours. I want a all around boat that will work well for duck hunting in the mud that we have here in NJ. Always used a 12' Gruman Jon with no real issues. Needs to be very easy to launch and recover by one person, will wear a 9,9 Johnson at least for the near future. Should work well enough for perch fishing, crabbing and clamming but be comfortable for ducking. No matter the use it needs to work for at least 3 people, 4 sometimes. I have a newfoundland/poodle mix so its unlikely she will become a good retriever for ducks. I will be the retriever, so need to be easy enough to step in and out of in water under 2' deep. Its likely I will have to drag it off the mud and into the water on more than one occasion.
Can either of these designs do all this? Or do I need to simply buy a flat bottom Jon?

 

[tod osier]

First off I will be building this rig from Aluminum not the popular plywood and glue.
I would like the input of some of you who actually have used these boats. If your in S. NJ area I would love to see yours. I want a all around boat that will work well for duck hunting in the mud that we have here in NJ. Always used a 12' Gruman Jon with no real issues. Needs to be very easy to launch and recover by one person, will wear a 9,9 Johnson at least for the near future. Should work well enough for perch fishing, crabbing and clamming but be comfortable for ducking. No matter the use it needs to work for at least 3 people, 4 sometimes. I have a newfoundland/poodle mix so its unlikely she will become a good retriever for ducks. I will be the retriever, so need to be easy enough to step in and out of in water under 2' deep. Its likely I will have to drag it off the mud and into the water on more than one occasion.
Can either of these designs do all this? Or do I need to simply buy a flat bottom Jon?

Neither are going to even close to plane with one person and a 9.9. They will go 5-6 knots max. Neither is a boat for 4 people, not by a long shot. With 3 people and a 9.9 it will barely move.

Both are very low boats compared to jons, with the scaup being lower. The snowgoose is a better platform for fishing and can take bigger water.

Neither in aluminum or wood could be drug off mud.

I think you need to reevaluate your expectations.

 

[naytep]

[/QUOTE]

Neither are going to even close to plane with one person and a 9.9. They will go 5-6 knots max. Neither is a boat for 4 people, not by a long shot. With 3 people and a 9.9 it will barely move.

Both are very low boats compared to jons, with the scaup being lower. The snowgoose is a better platform for fishing and can take bigger water.

Neither in aluminum or wood could be drug off mud.

I think you need to reevaluate your expectations.[/QUOTE]
Everything I mentioned are not the norm, however they have happened in my past experiences hunting tidal waters. Would you have any suggestions for a better design for my needs? I originally set out to build something more like Gator boats makes and is often used in the Gulf states.

 

[Eric Patterson]

I do not think you will ever be happy in any boat that can safely carry 3-4 people yet powered with a 9.9.

 

[naytep]

I do not think you will ever be happy in any boat that can safely carry 3-4 people yet powered with a 9.9.

I should have specified that the 9.9 is only used in a couple lakes due to 10 hp restriction. I had a 14' DV MirroCraft with that engine on it years back and it certainly wouldnt win any races it would move along with 2-guys and fishing gear at a fair pace. If the new boat needs a 25-40hp I can handle that.

 

[Tom Wall]

John,

Don't undersell your dog. Labs and chessies come out of newfies and poodles were the original continental retriever. Give a little training I bet she would surprise you.

Tom

 

[tod osier]

I do not think you will ever be happy in any boat that can safely carry 3-4 people yet powered with a 9.9.

I should have specified that the 9.9 is only used in a couple lakes due to 10 hp restriction. I had a 14' DV MirroCraft with that engine on it years back and it certainly wouldnt win any races it would move along with 2-guys and fishing gear at a fair pace. If the new boat needs a 25-40hp I can handle that.

I would suspect that you would need a 30 to get either to reliably plane with 2 guys and gear. I wouldn't have under a 40 on a snowgoose and I know Eric feels similar on the scaup (which he built, but has since sold).

All the devlin designs have much more deadrise than a jon (which has none), so they are not skinny water boats. Both would be more seaworthy than the DV mirrocraft, but are completely different beasts. I grew up in a 14' mirrocraft dv with a 9.9 and 15 hp, so I know that 2 guys and a 10-15 would be good, but either of the devlins would need a lot more hp and be a lot heavier.