jersey garvey / chincotique garvey

Jim, Google Chincoteague Scow. You should come up with Hulls Unlimited. They build some nice Garveys or scows as they're known on the eastern shore. RICH
 
Rich, they ain't sexy, but look at the Carolina Skiffs, cheap, easy to move with low HP, and unsinkable, pretty tough boats actually, we beat the snot out of them commercial fishing, they even hold up to running over steel intercoastal buoys,...don't ask how I know this. lol
A fellow fisherman has an 18' FG Chink, from some guy in VA., I think. Sits like a 2 liter soda bottle, piece of crap. I remember the old 21' wood ones were pretty nice, took a lot more motor though.
 
There is a guy in Exmore here on the Eastern Shore that built a 17ft SCOW, haha, for one of my friends. I cant remember the name of his business. I'll look on the way home. Didnt know if you want to have one made. The one i saw of my buddies was really nice. It held all the old classic lines.

Chincoteague Scow named for the area they were used in on the seaside around Chincoteague Island. Its just north of Assawoman and all the other wierd Indian named towns we have around here. If it end in "teague" its on the Eastern Shore of VA!!!! These boats are very seaworthy, can haul a bunch of weight for their size, but ride a bit rough. I basically grew up in one.

Let me know if you want more info on that boat builder.
 
Doug, was in Exmore last year looking for that guy. Found his old shop down near the water, but he moved to the other side of 13 to a tin building. Some one tole me he sold the molds. Trying to find anyone with info. THANKS.
 
I think my buddies boat was finished over the summer. Not sure if he has the mold, but i will get the name and number for you on the way home and post it. He does clean work.
 
View attachment dog n duck (Small).jpgGarvies? I have 3 in my collection! Can you tell I used to be a Long Island clam digger? The "Dog n Duck" is 20', all glass built by Stillwagon back in the 70's. Came to Florida in the 80's, mold was taken off of a wood 20' Chincoteague my friend had built in the early 60's. This boat has probably earned over a million dollars in its working career. Now in its retirement it's a sport boat and probably the only clam boat that has ever raised sailfish, cobia and groupers. I have 2 more glass Garvies. I'll post them later. Rich
 
View attachment richie 001 (Small).jpg Desert Duck (rarest of all ducks) is my 18' open water hunt boat. It is a foam & glass creation built a few years ago. It's a scaled down version of what was known as a Great River Garvey, which was a Long Island version of a Chincoteague Garvey. This boat has a moderate amount of V to the bottom. Rides pretty nice in a chop. Is extremely dry. We used it alot before conditons changed on Lake Okeechobee. After they dropped the water level a few years ago so much vegetation grew that you can't get around very much without a mud motor. This is where my 3rd Garvey comes in. i will post pictures of "Cold Duck" later.
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View attachment 014 (Small).JPGThis is John Van Houten and myself during our early teal season. The boat is "Cold Duck" my 17' gator trax look-a-like. It is the current love of my life. Like "Desert Duck" I built this boat out of corecell, epoxy, kevlar and glass. Without motor and rigging the hull weighs 260-275 lbs. It's incredibly strong and solid. Runs 17.5 mph with 3 guys and gear using a stock 24hp longtail. I can run 19 and change with just me and my dog. Next to an airboat this boat is the ultimate offroad boat, If it floats, it will go thru it! There was a story on it in United Waterfowlers of FL website that eventually landed on duckboats.net. This boat is everything I hoped for. I love the looks of the gator trax boats. Just this one weighs one third of what a gator trax does. It pushes easily, is very economical to run and pushes out of a tight spot very easily. My 3 boats are all Garveys, just modified to fit specific needs. Note the bows, all normal Garvey bows - no flat fronts. I take issue with alot of boats on this site, they look like they have a transom on both ends. A conventional Garvey bow is much more seaworthy. No matter where you use your boat it will eventually face its "Perfect Storm" (read the latest DU magazine) You always want the strongest most seaworthy boat you can get, under your feet. Coventional Garveys whether Chincoteague, Jersey or Long Island versions were developed over decades by men who trusted their lives and livelihoods to this hull form. I know this will stir up a hornets nest with all you Devlin fans, but other than ease of construction those flat fronts serve no positive function. Like Chuck J, I basically grew up in boats like this. Made a living for 15 years working out of them and building them for other baymen. Great little boats provided you know and respect their limitations. Thanks to Chuck J for showing us how to do these posts. Chuck you've created a monster!!!
 
This is John Van Houten and myself during our early teal season. The boat is "Cold Duck" my 17' gator trax look-a-like. It is the current love of my life. Like "Desert Duck" I built this boat out of corecell, epoxy, kevlar and glass. Without motor and rigging the hull weighs 260-275 lbs. It's incredibly strong and solid. Runs 17.5 mph with 3 guys and gear using a stock 24hp longtail. I can run 19 and change with just me and my dog. Next to an airboat this boat is the ultimate offroad boat, If it floats, it will go thru it! There was a story on it in United Waterfowlers of FL website that eventually landed on duckboats.net. This boat is everything I hoped for. I love the looks of the gator trax boats. Just this one weighs one third of what a gator trax does. It pushes easily, is very economical to run and pushes out of a tight spot very easily. My 3 boats are all Garveys, just modified to fit specific needs. Note the bows, all normal Garvey bows - no flat fronts. I take issue with alot of boats on this site, they look like they have a transom on both ends. A conventional Garvey bow is much more seaworthy. No matter where you use your boat it will eventually face its "Perfect Storm" (read the latest DU magazine) You always want the strongest most seaworthy boat you can get, under your feet. Coventional Garveys whether Chincoteague, Jersey or Long Island versions were developed over decades by men who trusted their lives and livelihoods to this hull form. I know this will stir up a hornets nest with all you Devlin fans, but other than ease of construction those flat fronts serve no positive function. Like Chuck J, I basically grew up in boats like this. Made a living for 15 years working out of them and building them for other baymen. Great little boats provided you know and respect their limitations. Thanks to Chuck J for showing us how to do these posts. Chuck you've created a monster!!!


So, a euro style transom is OK on a garvey, but not a bow transom?
 
Rich,
thanks for the pictures. I really like the light hull for the shallow running mud motor.

Boy do I know what you mean about the first boat and it having made a million dollars in its day.

Earl Brockway made a Scow in Saybrooke CT that the Clammers and Oyster guys used. They hauled a pile of shell in the day.

My dad had a garvey he bought off a guy up on the North Shore of Ma back in the 80s. We caught a pile of fish out of that boat. It was awesome with a scallop viewer as well.

Sams boats get a lot of press here, but it dosnt mean that they are the only answer for every guy. Just one more boat in the long list of possible answers to the perfect ride.
 
Tod, If your transom is traveling into 2 t0 3 ft. waves at 10 mph, you got problems! Usually it's the bow that travels into the waves. Seriously, the first time I saw a "hunt deck" I thought it was dumb. Now i couldn't imagine being without one. First, it's my flotation for the aft end (solid foam inside). My chessie, Diesel, has claimed it as his spot while hunting. He can climb onto it unassisted in up to two feet of water, me too! Last but not least, it's a great spot to take a l--k without folding down the blind!
 
Tod, If your transom is traveling into 2 t0 3 ft. waves at 10 mph, you got problems! Usually it's the bow that travels into the waves. Seriously, the first time I saw a "hunt deck" I thought it was dumb. Now i couldn't imagine being without one. First, it's my flotation for the aft end (solid foam inside). My chessie, Diesel, has claimed it as his spot while hunting. He can climb onto it unassisted in up to two feet of water, me too! Last but not least, it's a great spot to take a l--k without folding down the blind!



I didn't question the utility of a eruo style transom on a boat, I questioned where you draw the line on what is acceptable in a garvey. You stated that you don't like the flat bow on the Devlin boats, but your "hunt deck" (which looks like euro style transom to me) is OK. I don't see the differance, one has a modified bow, the other a modified stern.
 
Tod, I think you answered your own question with your question. It is a matter of utility, function and seaworthiness, not "tradition" or "what is acceptable." We should modify things to make them better not worse. In "seat of the pants" engineering, form should follow function. Ask any boat builder, captain or fisherman if their boat would be better if you sawed a couple of feet off the bow and glued on a flat front? 99% of their answers would be NO! Why do this from the start when you can build a hull with a more effeicent entry right from the get go? I'm sure when these flat front hulls were first thought up it seemed like a good idea. We've come a long way since then. Omie Tillet, a famous captain & boat builder from North Carolina, once said.."If someone didn't have a better idea, we would still be paddling around in dugout canoes." Flat front Garveys or scows, not a better idea! Rich
 
living around garveys n scows all my life I can say for one its a matter of grace... a boat moves forward thru the water...kinda like a plane thru the air... a jersey or Va. style boats look like its slicing right thru the water and usefulness.. pull a garvey up to the bank at a lower tide and that bow is over the marsh and you can usally walk right off the bow onto the marsh. I built a pond box with a tradtional jersey style bow... at low tide it slides right up the bank outta the water and on the meadow nice n easy I have never been in a blunt bowed one but I know in rough water or wake that angled bow pushes any water out an away from the boat.. guess its a vanilla or chocolate thing

the pic is of my 20 footer

View attachment Maggie MAy 2.jp2
 
Tod, I think you answered your own question with your question. It is a matter of utility, function and seaworthiness, not "tradition" or "what is acceptable." We should modify things to make them better not worse. In "seat of the pants" engineering, form should follow function. Ask any boat builder, captain or fisherman if their boat would be better if you sawed a couple of feet off the bow and glued on a flat front? 99% of their answers would be NO! Why do this from the start when you can build a hull with a more effeicent entry right from the get go? I'm sure when these flat front hulls were first thought up it seemed like a good idea. We've come a long way since then. Omie Tillet, a famous captain & boat builder from North Carolina, once said.."If someone didn't have a better idea, we would still be paddling around in dugout canoes." Flat front Garveys or scows, not a better idea! Rich


OK, I have got it now, we are talking performance. I'm sure you can see why I was confused given that your first statement about the Devlin boats was... " take issue with alot of boats on this site, they look like they have a transom on both ends. " I was hung up on what you called the "look", now we are on performance.

Moving on... I’d encourage you to take a look at the bow transom (at Sam calls them) of his garvey-inspired boats – cackler, honker snowgoose.. It isn’t plumb and offers lift against the sea, just as a conventional bow does. It isn’t tapered out is in most boats, but it certainly isn’t flat in the vertical plane. I’ve run my snowgoose in just about every reasonable sea condition in New England and never stuffed the bow, not once, even doing some stupid things. The attitude of the boat below and through planing speed has the bottom of the bow transom is well above water, 3’ on my boat, so it seldom reaches the water. The bow comes down to varying extents depending on model at high speeds. The bow lift on Devlin’s boats speaks to another design aspect. From what you say and what I’ve heard elsewhere, a garvey is an efficient craft. The Devlin hulls are not super efficient hulls, they take a relative lot of ponies to do their job – this is well known here. This relates to the bow lift and the fact that the Devlin boats have more deadrise than any garvey or scow I’ve seen. Very different crafts for different purposes. Devlin’s boats are not designed for the skinny water bays and efficient movement that the garvey evolved in. Someone who wanted a garvey for the reasons they were designed would surely be unhappy with my boat. However, for myself, it does what I want better than a garvey would. The designer surely knows the difference between his boats and what would be called a garvey by most.

T
 
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I notice the applause for a hunt deck. I have to say the hunt deck is a cool "shallow - calm water" application. But an application that can have some concerning liability/limitations in backing and rough water. I say this because backing with a hunt deck increases (someone made a reference for backing at 10 mph) the ability for the transom to "spoon under" , putting the boat in a position favorable to capsizing. The potential problem is with the wide surface of the deck combined with a low waterline. Backing into a following sea could be quite a wild ride. There is a reason off-shore brackets (a similar application to the hunt deck) are typically limited to only surface the motor and possess some engineering to allow for better backing and increase the possibility of swamping.
Just a bit of food for thought.
 
Derek, I am pretty traditional in my tastes but almost all the modern outboard powered boats have transom configurations similar to the hunt deck. I think they are great for diving or swimming not great for fishing (backing down on a billfish). the hunt deck on a marsh boat is a big positive, plus mud motors don't have reverse! Rich
 
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