len hawkins
Member
After years of thinking i needed a sneak boat, and then talking myself out of it every year, i have decided that i really want a bbsb type of sneak boat. I will buy a used boat, and I am in Michigan, so there aren't as many options here as there would be on the East Coast.
I have recently seen for sale an MLB Chuck Huff, and a glass over ply AA Broadbill within driving distance. If push came to shove i would make the drive east. I like the concept of a larger sneak- I'm a bigger guy (6'2 240ish) and will have a dog, so the size of those two look about right.
The areas i intend to use it in are smaller inland lakes, and rivers running through marshy areas. I really don't see myself using it on the great lakes or any of the larger inland lakes of Michigan. Probably the longest run i would make would be a mile and if the weather was rough i can run in the shallows. This would be primarily puddle duck hunting and geese, and will hunt mostly layout style with the dog behind me
What worries me is that a glass over wood will be too heavy for one man to handle (sometimes the best places to get a boat wet aren't launches- more drag and slide into the water). And some of the larger fiberglass sneaks are pretty heavy as well. I looked at the 14' classic barnegat, (170 lbs) and read some reviews that were mixed on the Don Warren version, but those were more negative in regards to big water. Are there other glass options out there that would be a better fit- a shellinger low boat for example, or go in a slightly different direction with a South Bay style of boat? I could probably go a little smaller, as long as the cockpit is adequate for myself and a dog. I will probably run an outboard- most of my travels will be in open water, or down river channels. I'd simply pole into cover to hunt and push back out. As i said earlier- the runs are short, so it doesn't need to be a speed demon.
Any suggestion or warnings would be appreciated.
I have recently seen for sale an MLB Chuck Huff, and a glass over ply AA Broadbill within driving distance. If push came to shove i would make the drive east. I like the concept of a larger sneak- I'm a bigger guy (6'2 240ish) and will have a dog, so the size of those two look about right.
The areas i intend to use it in are smaller inland lakes, and rivers running through marshy areas. I really don't see myself using it on the great lakes or any of the larger inland lakes of Michigan. Probably the longest run i would make would be a mile and if the weather was rough i can run in the shallows. This would be primarily puddle duck hunting and geese, and will hunt mostly layout style with the dog behind me
What worries me is that a glass over wood will be too heavy for one man to handle (sometimes the best places to get a boat wet aren't launches- more drag and slide into the water). And some of the larger fiberglass sneaks are pretty heavy as well. I looked at the 14' classic barnegat, (170 lbs) and read some reviews that were mixed on the Don Warren version, but those were more negative in regards to big water. Are there other glass options out there that would be a better fit- a shellinger low boat for example, or go in a slightly different direction with a South Bay style of boat? I could probably go a little smaller, as long as the cockpit is adequate for myself and a dog. I will probably run an outboard- most of my travels will be in open water, or down river channels. I'd simply pole into cover to hunt and push back out. As i said earlier- the runs are short, so it doesn't need to be a speed demon.
Any suggestion or warnings would be appreciated.