Devlin Snowgoose
- Thread starter Bret
- Start date
T.Bintliff
Member
About the snowgoose I live in nj and purchased one 5 years ago. Builder unknown but it was only 1 year old when I bought it. I have owned 15 duck boats in ten years, all of them combined did not perform as well as my snowgoose. The forward transom and the sraight rear transom make the boat. I am not sure but my boats length is 16.6ft it may have been modified when built. I would not change a thing about this boat if I was to build another. My boat is a tiller so the cockpit is big enough for 3 men and a dog plus gear.
Bob B
Well-known member
Ah, the multi boat family Dave.......
Next it will be a flats skiff to really maximize the stripers on the good days off the beach, then a lobster hull to make the island to fish the late run. And then a tuna boat...........
Ooops I forgot you were married to. It is a tough job selling the purchasing agent on the naval resources required to keep the wild life at bay.
Next it will be a flats skiff to really maximize the stripers on the good days off the beach, then a lobster hull to make the island to fish the late run. And then a tuna boat...........
Ooops I forgot you were married to. It is a tough job selling the purchasing agent on the naval resources required to keep the wild life at bay.
John Bourbon
Well-known member
Hi Brett. Cheech Kehoe and I weren't the first to start a Snow Goose, but we were the first to complete one. Somewhere on this site are pics. My boat, which I named Mergus after the American Merganser, Mergus Merganser, is 16'3" long and 6'3" wide. It has the bow overhang (which is a highly under appreciated feature) and several features that we built in, some after consultation with Sam Devlin, some 'cause they felt right.
I elected to NOT build in the splash well because I grew up working over the transom of various small boats and prefer to pull decoys over the transom. The splash well was in the way. I have not missed it all. We also elected to stiffen the side decks by adding a beam that ran lengthways under the inboard edge of the decks. The plans called for a single plank set on edge on top of the deck. That didn't seem stiff enough for me.
When I built the boat, finances forced me to use my 28hp Evindrude Special from my 14 foot aluminum boat. I ran that motor on there for 8 years, till I could afford to buy an ETEC 40. The 28 wasn't near enough motor, especially in the winter with a boat full of wood decoys and other assorted crap. I knew when I built the boat that eventually I would want a bigger motor and had planned to go with a Honda 40hp 4 stroke. In talking to Sam about that, he suggested I add another layer of 3/4" plywood to the transom to handle the added weight of a 4 stroke. I didn't have any more 3/4" so I used a layer of 1/2" plywood which brought the total thickness of my transom to 2" between the flotation chambers.
When Cheech and I installed the 40hp ETEC, I moved the gas tank to the forward end of the cockpit, and placed it under a special step/handrail combo derived from an idea that fellow forum member Dave Diefenderfer suggested. It makes climbing in from the bow deck to the cockpit much easier. Somewhere on this site, if you do a search are pics of it also.
Others have made mention of how fast their boats are with the various motors they've used, but I will tell you that with the fairly low design weight of the hull, and large prop on the ETEC, my boat accelerates like a drag boat, even with 2 guys and decoys in it.
If you decide to build a Snow Goose, this is the place to go to for advice. The quirks in the plans are all worked out thanks to the discussions Sam and I had. Myself, my good friend Cheech, Andrew and all the other Snow Goose builders out there are more than willing to help with advice in order to help you successfully complete yours.
Good Luck,
John Bourbon Jr
PS, note to Bob, Andrew, Dave M, Eric, and all the other old timers....in case you've been wondering where I've been for the last so many months.....I've been awful busy. I'm still carving, doing barrel work on a few shotguns, took a second job, the usual...I will try to check in more often.
I elected to NOT build in the splash well because I grew up working over the transom of various small boats and prefer to pull decoys over the transom. The splash well was in the way. I have not missed it all. We also elected to stiffen the side decks by adding a beam that ran lengthways under the inboard edge of the decks. The plans called for a single plank set on edge on top of the deck. That didn't seem stiff enough for me.
When I built the boat, finances forced me to use my 28hp Evindrude Special from my 14 foot aluminum boat. I ran that motor on there for 8 years, till I could afford to buy an ETEC 40. The 28 wasn't near enough motor, especially in the winter with a boat full of wood decoys and other assorted crap. I knew when I built the boat that eventually I would want a bigger motor and had planned to go with a Honda 40hp 4 stroke. In talking to Sam about that, he suggested I add another layer of 3/4" plywood to the transom to handle the added weight of a 4 stroke. I didn't have any more 3/4" so I used a layer of 1/2" plywood which brought the total thickness of my transom to 2" between the flotation chambers.
When Cheech and I installed the 40hp ETEC, I moved the gas tank to the forward end of the cockpit, and placed it under a special step/handrail combo derived from an idea that fellow forum member Dave Diefenderfer suggested. It makes climbing in from the bow deck to the cockpit much easier. Somewhere on this site, if you do a search are pics of it also.
Others have made mention of how fast their boats are with the various motors they've used, but I will tell you that with the fairly low design weight of the hull, and large prop on the ETEC, my boat accelerates like a drag boat, even with 2 guys and decoys in it.
If you decide to build a Snow Goose, this is the place to go to for advice. The quirks in the plans are all worked out thanks to the discussions Sam and I had. Myself, my good friend Cheech, Andrew and all the other Snow Goose builders out there are more than willing to help with advice in order to help you successfully complete yours.
Good Luck,
John Bourbon Jr
PS, note to Bob, Andrew, Dave M, Eric, and all the other old timers....in case you've been wondering where I've been for the last so many months.....I've been awful busy. I'm still carving, doing barrel work on a few shotguns, took a second job, the usual...I will try to check in more often.
Dave M
Well-known member
John .
Greta to hear from you !! I was just thinking about you the other day when i was looking at some pics from the 1st Vermont duckboat show , a few of us Bob , Scott Farris and Wendall are huting the traveling decoy in a few weeks but i hope that you can find sometime to get out this season . take care and hunt safe ! Happy thankgiving
Dave M
Greta to hear from you !! I was just thinking about you the other day when i was looking at some pics from the 1st Vermont duckboat show , a few of us Bob , Scott Farris and Wendall are huting the traveling decoy in a few weeks but i hope that you can find sometime to get out this season . take care and hunt safe ! Happy thankgiving
Dave M
John
Glad to see you chimed in. Don't be a stranger around here. The original members are scarce these days.
Eric
Glad to see you chimed in. Don't be a stranger around here. The original members are scarce these days.
Eric
John Bourbon
Well-known member
Bob, Eric, Dave, thank you all for the comments. Considering how much of my life is wrapped around duck hunting, I have been MIA on the board here. I've missed it.
I have been able to get out a bunch of times this year. I won't admit to my wife that its "a bunch", but I've been lucky. I can't say as I've killed all that many birds, BUT I have enjoyed all the BS time in the various boats and blinds that I've shared with old hunting buddies.
Its been fun. I'll check in more often.
John Bourbon Jr
I have been able to get out a bunch of times this year. I won't admit to my wife that its "a bunch", but I've been lucky. I can't say as I've killed all that many birds, BUT I have enjoyed all the BS time in the various boats and blinds that I've shared with old hunting buddies.
Its been fun. I'll check in more often.
John Bourbon Jr