Devlin Poleboat build-pt 2

Cody Williams

Cody Williams

Well-known member
Hey guys, I thought I would post up some progress pictures of the Poleboat that I'm working on-been able to work on her pretty steadily but I haven't been taking many photos! I'm hoping to have her in the water next weekend-my muzzleloader deer hunt starts a week from Wednesday and I have an elk hunt that starts as soon as that is over so I'm anxious to try her out! I got some 6 1/2' oars for her the other day, and I built a pushpole to pack along also.....can't wait!

Hull exterior glassed and taped
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1st coat of epoxy on the hull exterior
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Sheer clamps on and ready for decking-I did a graphite-epoxy mix on the hull bottom, and came back the morning after to find that it had bled up onto the hull sides quite a bit-nothing a little extra epoxy and some paint can't hide!
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I painted the bow and stern compartments before the decks went on-they are roomy but would be hard to paint when they're decked
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Decks on and glassed
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Next step is cockpit coamings and oarlock blocks-I'll post up some more photos soon!
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Cody~

Beautiful workmanship on a beautiful boat. I am anxious to see how you like her once she's done.

One thought I had for rowing - is to start with a movable AND removable seat. I build low benches for some of my boats - but it just occurred to me that my folding turkey-hunting seat could be pressed into service for such a purpose. This is made by H. R. Strut:

HRStrutturkeyseat_zps04edceba.jpg


You could fabricate something more permanent once you've found the ideal rowing position.

All the best,

SJS
 
Steve, that's a great idea-I had been thinking about finding a way to use my dog's marsh platform as a removable rowing seat. I love it when you can make a piece of equipment do double duty! What brand is your turkey seat?
 
Looking good Cody, nice job.

I put oar locks on my poleboat and then removed them within a month - hated them and rowing. The issue was that my oar lock blocks were made from 2x4 stock so were only 3 1/2" off the deck.





This wasn't high enough to allow the oar grips to get low enough to get the blades out of the water consistently - they were always hanging up in weeds. If I were to do it over I would put in pipes like Steve did on the Skidmore Scooter rebuild he just completed. That way I would be able to adjust the height by cutting off the pipes before permenantly bonding them to the deck/hull.

I use a very nice, low chair in my poleboat - Cabela's Gobbler Lounger. Very comfortable and also folds up for stowage.

I have gravitated to using a double ended paddle and feel that it is best for the way I use my poleboat. In fact I almost never take a pole any more unless I know I am heading into very heavy vegetation.

One more thing try rowing, paddleing or poling in both directions - my boat tracks significantly better going stern first.
 
Cody~

The seat is by H. R. Strut.

(It's well built but works better in a boat than in the woods - the root buttresses on big trees always prevent me getting comfortable.)

SJS
 
"(It's well built but works better in a boat than in the woods - the root buttresses on big trees always prevent me getting comfortable.) "


In turkey hunting I've been using a crazy creek chair (available amazon.com crazy creek hex in ash/moss) and found it far exceeds the comfort of any pad or chair. I've always had them for camping, but I bought one in olive for turkey hunting and it is much more comfortable than any thing I've used and because of the configuration lets you sit with your back comfortably on the tree and the base beyond the buttress of the tree (or butt swell as we call it here). My only hesitation would be that it is some work to get in and out of if you are too proud to crawl around on your hands and knees getting out and I don't know how it would work with big guys. They are comfortable, put you in perfect position and are light and easy to carry.
T
 
Thanks for the advice guys. Pete-that's interesting, I wonder why stern first works better. I may just wait to see how she handles under oars before I commit to putting the blocks on. I'm glad you mentioned that the oarlock blocks need to be higher, maybe I can work out some kind of folding block to get the locks up high enough. How does your boat handle when you're poling it? Actually, seeing your photos again reminds me that your original posts on your build was what got me interested in this particular design!

Steve-thanks, I will look into that seat. I've had a plan in mind for a while for a lightweight, folding dog platform that I think I could repurpose to work as a rowing seat too.

Tod-thanks, you should build one, it's not a huge time or materials commitment (I have 44 hours into this build so far, I'm thinking it will be around 55-60 hours total when she's finished.) Only 4 sheets of 6mm and some dimensional stock are needed to finish the basic boat. Simple is good!
 
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My only hesitation would be that it is some work to get in and out of if you are too proud to crawl around on your hands and knees getting out and I don't know how it would work with big guys.
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Tod,
Getting out of any low laid back seat is easy peasy.
Just "spring up into the air", in much the same manner as you see those guys do, when they perform a standing back flip and such. Seems simple enough, although I have to admit that I have not personally tired it.
 
"Tod-thanks, you should build one, it's not a huge time or materials commitment (I have 44 hours into this build so far, I'm thinking it will be around 55-60 hours total when she's finished.) Only 4 sheets of 6mm and some dimensional stock are needed to finish the basic boat. Simple is good! "


Very clean work for 44 hours. Get a finished weight for me would you please!
 
"Tod,
Getting out of any low laid back seat is easy peasy.
Just "spring up into the air", in much the same manner as you see those guys do, when they perform a standing back flip and such. Seems simple enough, although I have to admit that I have not personally tired it. "
If you haven't tried a crazy creek you should. You aren't leaning back so much as you sit in it and cinch it up and you are balanced on the hear hinge and cinched in with knees up. Comfortable and good for waiting for turkies - but hard to get out of if you don't want to look inelegant.
 
Tod,


I know I wasn't real clear but I was referring to the "spring into the air" maneuver for getting out of the chair, when I said I have not personally tried it (the maneuver). :>)
 
Cody~

By coincidence, in my travels on Long Island this past week, Schuyler "Bud" Corwin showed me these stanchions. They were made by his great uncle, Wilbur A. Corwin, who is the man who developed the original Great South Bay Ice Scooter in the late 1800s. He made these in the early 1900s.

CorwinchocksSMALL_zps78282116.jpg


The key feature is that they are removable. The bottom plate is both beveled and tapered. It wedged in between the thatch rail and a beveled chock such that the forces of rowing forced them aft and kept them in place. They could be easily tapped forward and removed when gunning - to hide a bit better.

Earlier this year, I drew up the Scooter Hook for the Pike Pole given me by Bud. He was thrilled to see the drawings and encouraged me to do the same with these stanchions. At age 84, he is still a bundle of energy and industry - his days filled with projects and plans, all surrounding decoys, boats and gunning.

BTW: As a permanent feature, I do like the pipe stanchions - because they hide well AND can serve as a bollard to tie myself to the shore. Like the stanchions on the Brud Skidmore, though, it's important that they not allow water into the hull at any time.

All the best,

SJS
 
Cody, I think I spoke up before but I HATE to row so my weapon of choice is a double bladed paddle with a pole distant second choice. I did add a transom for the long hauls that I hang a 4hp on and steer with a paddle. Also I don't have a seat in mine, I just glued down some sleeping mats on the bottom and kneel on them. I did fashion a floor and decided it was too heavy and left it out. Mine weighs about 85# I think and Pete's I think is more like 65#. I just pulled mine out today and gave the bottom a coat of wax. SEASON'S COMIN'.
 
Steve, that's a really neat idea with the removable stanchions. If I'm picturing the way they work correctly then it's like a bench dog on a woodworking bench-a really simple and practical idea. I'm amazed that they have survived this long, I'd be beyond proud if something I built was functional 100+ years later! I still haven't settled on how to rig the oars yet but you guys are giving me some great ideas.

Tod-I haven't weighed her on a scale but I would make an educated guess that the finished hull will weigh in the 90lb range. I was thinking as I was building that there are many ways that you could make a lighter version of this hull but weight wasn't a primary concern on this particular build. It would be interesting to see if Pete's 70lb version any mine that weighs 20+ pounds more handle differently in any significant way.

Tom-a double paddle is a distinct possibility if I decide that rowing isn't working out. I'm also interested in going the sleeping mat route for the floor, how have yours held up and is there anything about them that you don't like?
 
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Cody, I love the glued in mat floor, no regrets. I did put a drain plug in the rear deck because water does get trapped and I carry mine upside down either on the top of the truck or on my hunting trailer. A bailing sponge is a necessity.
 
Thanks Tom. I found a 6'x24"x5/16" closed cell foam floor mat at Harbor Freight for $8 yesterday so I'm going to give that a try. Harbor Freight generally is crap but they are a good source for chip brushes or small things like that!
 
Cody, Thanks! I am heading to Harbor Freight today, maybe I'll pick up a mat since I am almost out of the stuff and they have a free LED light that works for a closet light in our motorhome. ;-)
 
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