Increasing FOOT ROOM in a Bankes Layout ?

Steve Sanford

Steve Sanford

Well-known member
All~

A friend has a Bankes Layout and finds that he must splay his feet outward because of the limited height between the floor and the afterdeck. In order to be able to hunt with his toes pointing skyward, he is thinking of cutting a hole (toe port?) through the deck and then covering it with neoprene - painted to match the boat.

Bankes%20Layout%20-%20Matzinger%20CROPPED_zps9ji0zjbj.jpg


Were it mine, I might cover the same hole with a molded 'glass bump. On the one Great Lakes-style layout I have built, the "well" got deeper as it went aft to accommodate the 13 inches needed for most boots.

Have others solved this problem? All ideas welcome.

All the best,

SJS
 
The pic, is of a Busick boat, and He made a drop down for feet. I guess Tony H has the planes.
Phil
 
Yes the boat shown is a Busick design, Paul offered a drop down for the feet area but it played badly with how the boat floats and made it somewhat tipsy because it changed the profile of the boat.

The easiest way is to cut the deck area and add room on the top NOT the bottom of layouts. You want them to float properly and level by messing with the bottom you screw with how it floats.

Yes we own the Busick molds and plans now they are the Erie layout boat now. same molds same plans different name.
 
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I do not understand why you would use neoprene vs and it poxy fibreglass hump on top if that was the method you were going.
 
As the resident sasquatch--size 16 4E--let me say that 13 inches for foot room as "standard" is nuts. With waders and wading boots, what is that, maybe size 10 or 11? In waders and wading boots, I'm around 16. (It would be 17 if anyone made the wading boots big enough to accommodate what I really want on my feet in January,

And don't even get me talking about the back seats of compact cars, stadium seating, or shoe stores . . . .
 
Instead of wearing boot foot waders in a layout - buy a pair of stocking foot neoprenes. Why do you need boots in a layout boat? Get an old pair of Sorels or even rubber overshoes to use when you need boots to load/unload the boat.

Stocking foot waders are way more comfortable in this application.

BTW: This isn't my original idea, it came from Joe & Clint Behrman.
 
Don't know how smart or "unsmart" it may have been, but back when I did. LOT of layout gunning out of my homemade Busick Layout Boat, plans bought from Paul himself, we used to have an old military down sleeping bag stuffed into the foot area. Then we would take off our boots and get into it "stocking footed". A few minutes lying on your back, rocking gently and quietly in the waves with comfortable, cozy toes is all it took before tranquility arrived.

Jon
 
Then we would take off our boots and get into it "stocking footed". A few minutes lying on your back, rocking gently and quietly in the waves with comfortable, cozy toes is all it took before tranquility arrived.
Click to expand...



No wonder why everyone wanted in the layout on "slow" days when their nap would not be disturbed.
 
I wore stocking foot waders in mine and made a gadget to put my feet against to rest them comfortably and push against. Simple little thingy out of plywood.

I loved my bankes one man and am considering getting one again.

However, they are NOT for anyone large of stature.
 
Mike~

Great idea! A pair of Broadbill Sleepers would be just the ticket. (and oversizde for Jeff Reardon.....)

All the best,

SJS
 
On our two Busicks we cut the bottom and fiberglassed in for the heels and lower leg to drop down. Legs are at a more comfortable angle and still 50% of legs above water line. No "lovely lady bumps" to look or shoot over.
But we carry the boats, don't tow behind.
 
No ballast as it is just a small alteration. It will change the towing performance but Busicks aren't the best to tow any way. We've been very happy with the modification. Agreed working on the top is easier and to each his own. We preferred going on the bottom for our needs.
 
steve, I have built a boat like that few years back. being 6 ft. and size 11 boot it was tight. my thoughts were to open cockpit to length needed and extend spray curtain to edge of new opening but then would have to big of an opening for birds to see that boat hide real good on the bay way it was. I was thinking of pulling mold off a 16 or 24 inch pvc sewer pipe. I was going to raise curtain an measure inch or two below top curtain rail find number and see how that worked with foot room. the half tube could be cut to height and scribed to boat lines keeping top of tube in line with water line. at the end of half tube from say bull ring up a 45 degree cut fill with ply woodplug glassed in. iwas then cutting out where feet come up through deck but leaving deck between cockpit hole and new foot hole for shelf then cut curtain around half tube and fasten to it I think this would give the boat good lines and shield gunner from view and water spray. I didn't get to do this got hurt and sold boat. just a idea I had mite work. rick
 
Layout boats are meant to be low profile. If you need more than 13" of foot room the height profile of the boat will make it tough when hunting stale birds because you start dropping deeper into the water and you not only make the boats ride higher but you also risk becoming illegal but having your body below the water which turns your layout into a sink box. Over the last 5 years there has been a noticeable change in the effectiveness of layout hunting even with a stealthy boat unless targeting sea ducks. Fresh birds no problem. Stale hung up birds get decoy rig shy rather quickly and will flair pretty easily. There is a very fine line within the design of a true layout to be able to keep the profile low and having room in them for comfort. The UFO Towable has more foot room than any layout and rides the lowest as long as the boat is occupied with 250+ lbs. 3 years designing it to get it to this state and it has just a hair over 13 full inches of clearance in the foot area. and ample room for the largest hunter with a capacity of 450lbs. We continue to strive with designs for more however so many things are lost in order to get there that you end up with other problems coming into play. Cutting the holes in the deck and making humps in them is about the only true way to do it and stay legal by regulation.
 
The federal regulation stated that when your body is concealed below the waterline its illegal.


I have had this discussion many times at shows with officers and the general census is that if your body is laying and below the water line or can be positioned to where you are below the water like its illegal. They have even looked inside our layout boats to see how deep they were in the area that is below thew water line.

A fine line but one not worthy of spending all your hard earned money on an attorney to fight in court if you were ever cited and your craft can allow for you to lay below the surface of the water for concealment due to the fact that there is not much clarity on the rule and the final decission would be based on a judge, or jury or the supreme court mostlikely if you have enough funds to fight it that long. LOL
 
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