Good Sneak boat?

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PeteRenzi

Member
I am looking for a good boat for just me and the dog? Sneak boat. What is a good boat? Classic Barnegat? David E Clark Boat? Zack Taylor ? I would be hunting in tidal water with some occasional open water? I have no patience or skills to make a boat like many people have on this site. Just want something that doesn't scare you. I had a Carstens Sneak boat but it was not that good for open water.

any suggestions?
 
Pete, there are many good sneakboat builders out there but I will give my props to David Clark. I have one of his Estuaries and It is awesome for open water or small creeks. This is a very, very safe boat. I love it...............Kevin
 
What size motor do you have on it? I saw one of these boats 3 years ago at the waterfowl festival in easton md. It seemed solid. Also can it go in shallow water?

thanks for the info
 
Pete,

You hit the nail on the head with what you have listed...Now it just depends on what you are willing to pay and how often you plan to be on the open water...If I had to pick and this is no disregard to the other boats you listed because they are all fine pieces of hunting equipment...My choice would be a the Estuary by Clark...I sat in one of those at West Lake a few year back and fell in love...I'm a small man in stature at only 5'6" but the boat has enough room for Shaquil O'Neal to hunt comfortably...I am currently hunting out of Bud Miles BBSB...If I didn't have that boat I would sell the farm for the Estuary...A Harley's a Hog an Estuary is a Beast!..It would be tough to beat the Estuary on the open water...


Regards,

Kristan
 
Pete, I run a 9.9hp but you can go up to a 15hp. As far as shallow water, it can't go where a traditional BBSB or some of the other sneaks can but I routinely gun in shallow bays during low tide without any problems. Dave could tell you the exact draft though. Trust me, this boat is it. Your pocket book may determain what you end up with............Kevin
 
I too vote for the Estuary by Dave Clark. When Kevin starts bring out decoys you would swear he has a basement in that boat.
Second choice would be a MLB Chuick Huff.I have one and really like it. Plenty of room for me and the pup plus decoys. Large cockpit and you don't need a motor handle extension. I run a 15 Johnrude 2 stroke. Twenty plus mph no problem. Plus it planes level, niot with the nose up in the air like some do.
 
Looks like you listed some real good ones. I might chose the Classic, because it is a bit smaller and easier for me to hide and move around, for the hunting I do. Anyway you go, you'll have a winner.
 
I've got a MLB Zack box and a Devlin BB2. I wouldn't want to be on big water in the Zack unless I was using it as a layout with a tender...oh, it will handle pucker factor water but I prefer my BB2 for that. I use the zack less now that the grandson is almost 5' tall and shooting but it was plenty last year when he was just pointing at the birds and yelling "DUCKS!" The Estuary is one fine boat and maybe Dave could open the cockpit up a bit more so the dog doesn't "bag" ya when he takes off.
 
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The Estuary is one fine boat and maybe Dave could open the cockpit up a bit more so the dog doesn't "bag" ya when he takes off.
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Lee,

You could always dig out the old "cup" from high school football.
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Hello Pete
I have had many duck boats over the years such as War Eagle, Lowe,TDB,Creastliner, ect. I now have a 16 ft. wide body Alaskan Lund that I use for sea duck hunting and also for hauling my layout boat. But in tow I would prefer my Estuary. River my dog and I our at peace no matter where we go with the Estuary. David is a great guy and would highly recommend one of his boats. I am crazy about Decoys and can haul at least 80 corks in my Estuary. More if I want to be a little unconfortable. River and I have spent numerous overnight hunts in it and has plenty of room for me at 6 ft. and 211 lbs. They have came to be my most memorable hunts. Enclosed are a few pics of some of our latest hunts. Also it is a very safe hunt. I live about 3000 miles from David and had to have one.

Hope this helps

Gary March
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Pete-you have a lot of good choices due to your geography. both the boats mentioned above are very good. But you also have several sneak box builders in New Jersey that make the real McCoy. Here's a couple-Bob Fricke and Gus Heinrichs, you can't go wrong with either one. There is another Jersey guy-Roy Schellinger-that makes a nice glass duck boat-these are a deep vee planing hull, different than a sneak box but very popular in the Delaware Bay marshes-just on the other side of the pond from you.
 
Gary,

I always love it when you post pictures. The area's you hunt are beautiful. I do have a couple of questions. 1) Most pictures you post, there are so many decoys stacked at the stern. How the heck do you get to the tiller and the have the range of motion necessary to steer? 2) What is that mounted on the starboard side deck just between the cockpit and stern? Almost looks like a GPS receiver.

Thanks and Happy Holidays.
 
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Ryan as David said I always run with the dog inside the dodger and standing up so the tiller handle is pointed above the decoys. Also the piece of equipment you see is a GPS antanna. Here in the Northwest we deal with lots of fog and I always for some reason love getting to my position very early. This year I have still not seen a rig at the boat ramp before me.HeHe. I believe things start going wrong when you are in a hurry, and I almost always hunt alone. Thanks guys for the compliments on the pics. I have thousands and hope I didn't hijack the post. I especially love my Estuary.

Gary March
 
Gary
Thanks for the info.. also love your article about River in Waterfowl Magazine. Your definitely living the dream doing all that waterfowl hunting and writing about it. Someday!
Thanks
Pete
 
..... The Estuary is one fine boat and maybe Dave could open the cockpit up a bit more so the dog doesn't "bag" ya when he takes off.
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I'm sorry Dave. I think you make an awesome boat, but that has to be one of the funniest one-liners of constructive criticism I've ever seen. ROFLOL
 
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