Gatorboats still selling plans?

W

Wade

New member
I've gotten the boat building bug and looking into my Options. I likes the devlin sleds like the cackler and snow goose but honestly the stitch and glue sounds difficult. The duck hunter by gator boats seems like an easier and less expensive build but the flat bottom Jon boat type turns me off some though. I won't be hunting any huge waters though but do want something that will be fairly fast and also somewhat multipurpose.

Ok so what do y'all think on the devlin sleds vs Gatorboats duck hunter? Cost? Difficulty? Final product?

Also is gator boats still selling their plans through Gatorboats.com?
 
I'll give my two cents and say that in the long run you'll be happier with a stitch and glue boat. It's really not any more difficult than a traditional build, just a slightly different method. The things I like about Devlin's boats are that they are really solid and functional hunting boats as well as being really well designed and very sturdy. Again just my opinion.
 
I've gotten the boat building bug and looking into my Options. I likes the devlin sleds like the cackler and snow goose but honestly the stitch and glue sounds difficult. The duck hunter by gator boats seems like an easier and less expensive build but the flat bottom Jon boat type turns me off some though. I won't be hunting any huge waters though but do want something that will be fairly fast and also somewhat multipurpose.

Ok so what do y'all think on the devlin sleds vs Gatorboats duck hunter? Cost? Difficulty? Final product?

Also is gator boats still selling their plans through Gatorboats.com?
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As far as cost, it seems like many of the Gators are built with less expensive materials - a lot of construction grade stuff - not marine for sure. The Devlins require top quality marine grade materials. I don't know what the gator plans call for, but that is what I've seen.

I like the Devlins and would not personally build a plywood boat on frames because I like the stitch and glue so much.
 
You're leaving out a few important details; how much HP do you plan to run? where and how do you plan to use the boat and how much weight (people, gear, coolers, dogs, etc.) do you think you'll carry?

"Stitch-and-glue" is probably the easiest method of boat building there is. If scribing and beveling are currently outside your experience (which it is for most people), stitch and glue is right up your alley.

Most plans made for stitch and glue provide simple patterns for the parts. Tracing and cutting these out of plywood is not difficult. "Stitching" the panels together with soft wire or zip-ties is the fussiest part. Mixing the epoxy, adding thickener, troweling the mixture into place... is easy and even fun.

The next fussy part is glassing the seams. Fit the glass, mix epoxy, wet out the glass. There is a great deal of info out there on how this is done. Glen-L has a lot of info and Youtube has stuff, too.

Bear in mind, boats are like cars... no one boat can be expected do it all perfectly, but many can be made to make do. A flat bottom will pound some in a chop. So? If it's easy to build, reasonably roomy, can carry a load and will run well in shallow water, it will take you duck hunting. A v-bottom will not be as stable, will not run as shallow, will not carry as much and is harder to build.

Something like this (http://www.bateau.com/proddetail.php?prod=GF14) will be easy to build and do all of the above, but only you can decide what your needs really are.
 
A good book which illustrates the techniques of stitch and glue building is Harold Payson's, Build The New Instant Boats. Karl Stambaugh's Boatbuilding with Plywood and Epoxy is also good.
 
I'm with Tod. Personally I would rather build stich and glue than any other. I've done both, Stich and Glue is easier in the long run.

John
 
I have also built both types.

I can't say which is actully better.

I think, once you get set up and used to it, stitch and glue is easier.

The bad thing about the frame boat is all of the ribs. They are a "catch all" for every stick, twig, leaf and mud not to even mention the water associated with duck hunting.

Whatever you do, good luck and keep us posted!

Jon
 
I have also built both types.

I can't say which is actully better.

I think, once you get set up and used to it, stitch and glue is easier.

The bad thing about the frame boat is all of the ribs. They are a "catch all" for every stick, twig, leaf and mud not to even mention the water associated with duck hunting.

Whatever you do, good luck and keep us posted!

Jon
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Ribs is one reason I really like the stitch and glue designs - the uncluttered, easy to clean and drain bilge is good for longevity.
 
I built a Duckhunter II five years ago. I used construction grade wood, (but no pressure treated stuff). I fiberglassed the whole boat inside and out using epoxy resin and 10 oz cloth plus some other heavy fabric I had laying around at the time. I used 10 gallons of epoxy on this boat. The boat has served me well. I'm actually, right after I finish typing this post, going to finish some pretty major repairs that I had to do. I had to fix a nasty rotten spot and reglass the 1x's on the bottom of the hull. I did not follow the plans very closely. The main change I made was to take the rocker out of the back of the boat. This made it a regular ol' flat bottom. It performs very well with a 25hp outboard on it. It will go as fast as you would ever want to go in this boat. It rides very well. Turns true and is as sea worthy as any 16' boat out there. It is a stable plat form. You can walk all over it with no worries.

I like the boat. But, I'm certain that if I had followed the plans and not used 10 gallons of epoxy it would have fallen apart years ago. I would not recommend building this boat for $160 like the plans say it should cost. In fact if your going to build the duckhunter II you really don't need anything more than a picture and you should be able to figure the rest out. It is super simple.

If you have the money to spend I suspect you would be happier with a nice Ocume stitch and glue devlin. They are much more pleasant to look at and certainly have proven themselves. If you chose to use regular ol' Lowes style wood then you'd better seal it up real tight.

Some pictures of my Duck Hunter getting fixed

DSC_0360.jpg
duck.jpg
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thanks guys for the replies,

I would like a boat that will hunt up to 3 people max, but this will probably be a rare. Probably more like 2 and a dog and gear so 600 lbs max? Does that sound about right? I will be hunting the rivers and lakes of north carolina, not coastal sounds or with a lot of waves and chop that I am aware of. But I do like hearing "seaworthy" description that I have seen from a couple of the devlin designs. I would like a boat that would at least push 25mph loaded.

I also looked up the bateu boats. Does anyone know anything about the duck hunting skiff 15?
http://www.bateau.com/proddetail.php?prod=DS15&cat=26

Sorry I know I'm jumping around a bit, this build is at least 6 months in the future, if not more.

Also, Do you think one would be happy with meranti 6656 for the build? for devlin, gatorboat or bateu designs?

Thanks
 
Here are some thoughts on that meranti, from the forums at that site: http://forums.bateau2.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4986 (sorry, you have to copy and paste that -- I can't get the hyperlink button to work).

IMHO, while that boat is very cool, judging from the lines drawing it will take twice the time and effort to build than the bigger Jon Boat 16 I linked for you. Due to it's low freeboard, it will also be a bit LESS able in rough water than the john boat, especially if you build wash boards on the Jon 16.

If it's strictly a boat for back bay or river work, that duck skiff should be plenty able. If you're venturing into the open bay or inshore ocean, especially with a load, you want more hull under you. ALSO, the ad for the Duck Skiff 15 is a bit misleading: "The vee hull is deep enough to run smooth in a chop but wide for stability." Again, this is just my opinion, but that hull will absolutely slap in anything resembling a chop. ALSO, that V will make the boat less stable when standing still, than a flat bottom boat would be. That V probably adds 6-8" of draft to the hull and will make it tilt a good bit when you beach it.

If you want a hull that's flexible (bay fishing in the summer, add a blind for fall duck hunting), then a john boat or garvey hull would give you the most bang for the buck and be easier to build than other types.
 
By your description of what you want I'd say look at the Devlin Scaup. Can hunt 3 guys, haul a ton of gear, and is as seaworthy as you will ever need, plus you have a step-by-step building process right on this site!
 
Hi Wade

Keep in mind that you one of the most experienced Duckhunter builders out there within about 35 miles of where you live. Brad Taylor of Toller Boatworks lives and works in Salisbury.

I don't know Brad personally, but I've read many of his postings both here and on the old Gator Boats forumn site. Impresses me as a great guy that would be willing to answer any questions you might have on the DH.

Best of luck which ever way you decide to go.

Tim
 
Yeah, Brad Tolor. Didn't spell that right. But back when I was researching building my DHII I checked out his work on the Gator boats website. Back then there was a ton of info related to that boat in their forum. Brad was the moderator. He actually builds DHII's and sells them. He does a really nice job.

My DHII hunts two people, and about 90 decoys on long lines, fairly comfortably. Everything has to have it's place of course. It will definitely do 25+mph loaded with my 25hp engine on the back. I hunt creeks and rivers around the Pamlico Sound in it. I do have to pick my days when it comes to going out in big water, but if it's not real choppy I won't hesitate to cross the Neuse River (5miles).
 
I finished my DHII build this past spring. I have had it out a few times fishing and I love the boat. Have not had first duck blood yet but soooon.
The hard chine construction did not seem that difficult although I did take additional time to mentally evaluate each step. Thought about the stitch and glue but thought it sounded like a lot of epoxy.
 
Hi Wade

Keep in mind that you one of the most experienced Duckhunter builders out there within about 35 miles of where you live. Brad Taylor of Toller Boatworks lives and works in Salisbury.

I don't know Brad personally, but I've read many of his postings both here and on the old Gator Boats forumn site. Impresses me as a great guy that would be willing to answer any questions you might have on the DH.

Best of luck which ever way you decide to go.

Tim
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Thank you Tim.

I've built about 20 of the Duckhunters to date. The construction of the DH isn't hard. I admit that now after close to a decade of working with epoxy the stitch and glue boats don't look near as imtimdating at them as they did when I started building. The DH is a great one man/dog boat and an adequate 2 man/gear boat. As for my 0.02 on Meranti, I've used it and have no complaints but like the finish and weight of the okoume better. From my understanding though, the meranti is more rot resistant and a little bit stronger than okoume. If you have any particular questions, feel free to ask.

Brad
 
Thanks Brad, I have found your site and the boats you are putting out look 1st class. If I do decide on the DH I may need to take a ride up to take a look at one of yours. I work near concord mills so not too far at all.

As for the actual plans from Gatorboat, are they still selling them? For some reason I can't get their website to load correctly on my comps or phone. Also, If I understand it correctly your DHII is the regular DH x 1.25? I know that you have your own mods and additions but as far as basic dimensions is that about right?
 
Thanks Brad, I have found your site and the boats you are putting out look 1st class. If I do decide on the DH I may need to take a ride up to take a look at one of yours. I work near concord mills so not too far at all.

As for the actual plans from Gatorboat, are they still selling them? For some reason I can't get their website to load correctly on my comps or phone. Also, If I understand it correctly your DHII is the regular DH x 1.25? I know that you have your own mods and additions but as far as basic dimensions is that about right?
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Wade, they are still in business. In all likelihood, its the browser your using. Yes you are correct, with a few variations, the DH2 is 1.25% proportional increase of the DH.

Brad
 
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