Honker's first season

Phil Nowack

Phil Nowack

Well-known member
WIth the first season with my Honker coming to an end... I thought I would share a few of the adventures....
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Wade,

There were some better ones... but the water was flatter...

Your CD is done as well.
 
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Now that there looks like fun! Layout pics really captured the sensation of bobbing in the water like a cork.
How big is that Honker? what size motor are you running on it?
 
THe Honk is 19'3"x 91" I have a 60hp Yamaha on it. It will top out with 2 guys & dog @ 30mph. SHe will run 25+ with 5 guys gear & layout.

MRB- feel free.
 
There is that much room. We actually had 2 MLB's 5 guys, the 4 doz puddle duck decs in the front hold, my 7 doz divers on the the shelves, and 3 doz more divers in bags. I would consider that a full load.

Keep in mind, the cocpit is 4' 6" x 12' 6'. That means that even with the MLB across the most forward section of the cocpit... There is still a 4x8 area that is open.

The Navy Seals have been talking to me about a new depoyment vessel :) ha ha.
 
whats the rated capacity on that boat?

Not what it CAN carry but what does the builder rate it at?

If its the same Honker as the Devlin boat then the capacity is 1,580 lbs and the load that you are talking about is not only in excess of that but also fool hardy on the part of the occupants to participate in...

We always talk about the need for safety and good common sense in our "potentially dangerous" sport. Exceeding a load capacity on a boat isn't an idicator of applicant of that caution....

Something to think about for sure....

Steve
 
Steve- quite honestly I don't know and I really don't care. #1 if you figure 5 guys @ 200 pounds that is 1000 # + 2MLB's = 1200 + motor & fuel is right around 1500. So whatever the gear and decoys weigh.. Now I have added to both the beam and the length. I know that the capacity has increased. Even at 1580, was I really over to the extent of not being safe? I would say not.

I would say that every private duck boat is @ or over capacity. My 1650 Xpress has a capacity of 900 pounds. put 150 in a motor, 50 in gas & battery, a CBR, 2 guys. You are at 700#. not counting blind or gear. A 3 guy and you are way over.

To each their own, In no way would I say that I was unsafe or fool hardy.
 
I fully agree, and not to be argumentative, but do you see an error in my math? Or even my madness? Capacity is not the extent of what the boat can handle.
 
As I recall my alaskan says up to 7 people motor and gear, but I'd hate to have it that loaded. Two guys a dog, gear and a pile of longlines and decoys feels like it is too heavy for my liking.

There's way too much at stake to test it out.... Life is precious.

Charlie
 
I must say... the boat handled no different with that load, than it does with one other guy... other than speed..

Again, please, help me with the math, I am not seeing an error in judgement...


What size Alaskan BTW
 
then you're hunting with some smaller than average guys....

I thnk you're way light on your caluculation.....some things I think you overlook....

I bet you have close to 100 lbs of wt in just anchors and lines.....(2) anchors per layout, (1) for the tender, a spare if your smart and at least a couple of hundred feet of line....if you don't have a 100 lbs there then you're anchoring with way less weight than I'm capable of doing...

I'd bet you've got close to a a case of shells in the boat...I know very few hunters who go on the water without (2) boxes of shells minimum....thats a case...My Macks catalog shows a case of ammo at 30 lbs....add 40 lbs for (5) guns and their cases....add 10 lbs for every mans waders....add another 10 lbs for their coats and clothing and their blind bags with essentials....thats another 100 lbs I did'nt see you mention.

You show 150 lbs for motor and fuel....didn't you say that you run a 60 Yamaha? I don't know what you run for a fuel tank but I'd bet that motor, fuel, oil and controls runs darn close to double what you are showing as only 150...

Long story short I'd bet that you are closer to 2,500 with a (5) mand/(2) layout boat combat load than you are to the 1,500 that you think you are close to....I base that on the stuff that I carry in my boat, the guys that hunt with me, what they carry, whats in the boat all the time, etc. etc.....

And I hear you when you say "capacity" isn't the only consideration......but you have to consider "something" as your "maximum" when you start thinking about how many you'll stuff into a boat..

PERSONALLY I think you are grossly overloaded with (5) persons and (2) layouts....I don't know you, and you may well be the most skilled and talented skipper on the water but I wouldn't be the 5th in that boat. Heck I'd have to give real serious consideration to being the 4th. So you don't take offense I wouldn't be the 5th in my own boat, and it is bigger, in every feature, than yours...

We're not talking summer here where a mistake means someone gets wet....we're talking winter, were talking cold water and we're talking situations were little mistakes mean big problems, and quickly. The very nature of what you do, LAYOUT HUNTING, puts you at a higher risk than just ferrying hunters to blinds and IN MY OPINION I think you have to err on the side of caution and not fool yourself that a boat is more than it is....

Steve
 
I was adding it up earlier and came up pretty much what you did..maybe throw in another 150-200 for misc gear..guns shells coolers...so say 1700lbs. You added a foot in length and some in width and made the freeboard taller and then put tall decks on it. I would say you are more crowded than overloaded.
 
Steve- I was calculating 250# for my Yamaha---150# was for my 40 hp Merc on the Xpress... So I would agree with the closer to 300#......I honestly don't know how much is in weight with other gear. I would say that there was 115# of anchors....100# of decoys...40# of shotguns, 54# of longline anchors... lets say 1100# in people, and 200# in MLB's....I come up with 1809#+ game bags... SO, I would still say under 2000#. That is 200-300# over the base Honker... for what ever that is worth.

I understrand that you are a professional guide and you have professional liabilities that you need to think of. That is great. I just don't believe that this was anywhere near a dangerous situation. I have been with a guide that had a TDB, 3 hunter + him and a MLBin a 17' TDB...

Lee you are right.. it was very crowded... much more than I would like... 3-4 hunters with 1 or even 2 layouts in my preference...
 
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