MN Duckhunter build

A

andrew chaffe

Active member


I am looking to start building in the spring once work settles down a little, I have a few questions though- has anyone built the Duckhunter with the stitch and glue method?

- I am looking at reducing the size a little, I mostly hunt by myself on small lakes and the backwaters of the Miss, and MN rivers.

- size reduction is also to allow me to use my homemade supped up 6hp short tail motor (briggs world formula motor, puts out 15hp on pump gas), this motor pushes my Herters Goose and Duck Boat around 20mph loaded with deeks and myself, and around 16 with an extra person.

-Reducing the size been I am planning to run a surface drive motor, should I keep the width the same and just reduce length? or reduce everything?

- with a reduced size, has anyone used 3/8" ply for the bottom of the hull? pros cons?

Thanks
 
I don't know anything about the duckhunter. I did see one a local guy build and then put a pipe though the bottom runnig the Mississippi river.

I'd sure would like to see some pictures of your home build short tail though....;-)
 
Can't help you on the boat question but if you don't mind - where in MN do you live? I'm in Woodbury. Would sure love to see the homebuilt long tail? You going to build your own short tail as well? I've got plans for a short tail that look pretty doable and cool. Happy to share them.

Mark W
 
How big is the motor? I've built several long tails using small 2 cycle and 4 cycle motors. By small I mean under 2 hp. They weigh in from 10 lbs to 20 lbs. I use them to hunt small streams and rivers and it has served me well.

Where you hunt on the Mississippi if you don't mind me asking. I've hunted it from Park Cottage Grove all the way down to Weaver Mn. Mostly hunted off the Diamond Bluff WI landing, Cottage Grove, and Indian slough area near Wabasha. Sort of switched to hunting smaller water with my smaller boats.

I've also been trying to figure out a good way to get back into Gatenbein Found a couple of ways but both are difficult.

Mark
 
I have looked at that closely, I don't think I need to reduce the size quite that much though. There is a couple of pictures on the Gator boat forum of a build that just shortened the boat in the rear to remove some or all of the rocker, with a 15hp outboard on it.

Taking the rocker out and making it more of a planing hull should help quite a bit but I am looking for input before I start my build to minimize mistakes and hopefully end up with a sweet boat that meets my needs.
 
Andrew, I used 3/8 and stitch n glue on the Dread Pirate Roberts, but that is a V hull. I also used 20 oz cloth for the center and side seams on the inside with 2 layers of 6 oz on top of that.

If you make it any shorter you will reduce the the capacity without really gaining anything to speak of because that design, with the rocker fore and aft, is extreamly agile.

I know that a lot of people use 25hp's on the DHII, I did too. that said, the boat is actually rated for just a 15 and the realistic capacity is closer to 600 that the 1100 you find on the site.

As long as your not spending very much time on big water I think your 6hp will work just dandy if it is really putting out 15hp.
 
Andrew,

What make/model is the boat you have your surface drive on. I like the pods. Did you build those as well?
 
Andrew, We need to talk. I've been thinking about a home brewed short tail and would love to see yours. Maybe we could even let Mark see it too. ;-) P.M. me.
 
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Andrew, We need to talk. I've been thinking about a home brewed short tail and would love to see yours. Maybe we could even let Mark see it too. ;-) P.M. me.
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Mark Will buy the beer and provide the place to look it all over. Unless we meet at Tom's place of employment where there happens to be a full machine shop. We have how many days Tom before we can't use your facilities? Not that you are counting.

Andrew - lot's of interest in your short tail.

Mark
 

Tom Scholberg, always been curious, what kind of boat is that in your profile pic.

Sorry for going off topic.
 
Charles, That is a Devlin Poleboat with a transom bracket added. It has become my favorite one for small water. I am happy to answer any questions about it. I am a big fan of Devlin's boats and will build another model soon. I have many build pics if you are interested. Pete McMiller built one also and shaved quite a bit of weight off by using I think 4 mm plywood instead of 6 mm. Mine is about 85# but I think Pete's came in closer to 65#. Feel free to ask any questions, I love to show off this one
 
WOW!

I was not expecting this sort of response (my surface drive that is!)

I built this with basic tools and doing a lot of reading up on different forums of builds other people had done,the rest was trial and error, in my case not to much error but there is still room for improvement (it was was first attempt). I had to have a friend weld the drive tube section for me and a different friend thread the drive shaft. It helps that I have been a hands on kind of guy form a young age.

I really need to figure out if I need to build a larger motor for a Duckhunter boat or if I should just reduce the size a little to suit my current motor though!

Guys in MPLS I have the boat in storage right now but I can when I get time in the spring soon try to hook up with you guys.

The boat is a Herter's Goose Boat, and yes I built the pods on the back myself, kind of quick and dirty but they did help a lot.

Thanks for the complements guys

Andrew
 

Thanks Tom, I was just curious as it looks like a really handy boat for hunting small waters and marshes. That picture with the lab on the deck, the Mallard, pulled up in the reeds just speaks volumes of what duck hunting is to so many hunters.

I built a Devlin Cackler about 3 years ago so I am familiar with his designs, I never considered the pole boat as I wanted something for 2 hunters and a dog.
 
WOW!

I was not expecting this sort of response (my surface drive that is!)

I built this with basic tools and doing a lot of reading up on different forums of builds other people had done,the rest was trial and error, in my case not to much error but there is still room for improvement (it was was first attempt). I had to have a friend weld the drive tube section for me and a different friend thread the drive shaft. It helps that I have been a hands on kind of guy form a young age.
The boat is a Herter's Goose Boat, and yes I built the pods on the back myself, kind of quick and dirty but they did help a lot.
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Hey Andrew - You want to see a response, start a new thread with the subject of "Homebuilt Short Tail pics" and watch the response. These pics and discussion got buried in your original post. I'm happy to post more pics for you if you have any desire. And, I'm going to take you up on seeing this motor first hand. I'll have my long tails and we could make an afternoon out of it. I know Tom would show up and would even bring his pole boat which might be a boat of interest for you to do what you are looking to do. Mark W
 
Tom,

Me too. I think a 3.5hp surface drive on my Fatboy would be a hoot!

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There's a good thread on Duckhunter Chat.

http://www.duckhuntingchat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=72&t=136707
 
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