People always ask me;"What's a Pokeboat?"

[Ed Gilmore]

Greetings from Eddie G;
I'm posting this because I am one of many Naturalists who enjoy trekking in the shallowest waters in Kentucky in my 28 yr old Maxi Poke Boat.
It's draft is 2 1/2" inches of water. It us made of Kevlar, weight is 23lbs, length 11ft. Both ends pointed and covered with a center location cockpit.
Made by Phoenix Boat Co if Berea,Ky.
Business is closed, but many of us are still plying shallow waters others must walk to, because their craft has grounded and cannot navigate the depths I can traverse.
My best example of this is a journey I undertook launching my maxi Pokeboat at the junction on the southern shore of the Ohio River, paddling further south 14 miles on Beargrass Creek all the way to Big Rock in Cherokee Park in Eastern Louisville, Ky just west of Seneca Park along the eastern edge of Bowman Field Airport in Louisville,Ky.
This adventure happened in 1997 during a severe drought around the 4th of July, when the Fossil Beds of Southern Indiana towered 8' above the water level which normally was up to the edge of the top of the fossil beds.
It took most of the day an I needed 14 portages of a few feet each time because the shallows exceeded 2 1/2"s.
I have also traveled from Eva Bandman up into Harrods' Creek into the U S 42 bridge over the creek.
One of my favorite hiking areas is The Devil's Backbone adjacent to the old Army ammunition factory at 14 mile Creek on the Indiana side.
I hope any of you enjoy my adventures.

 

[Eric Patterson]

Ed

Welcome. How did you find us? There are many fans of Poke Boats here including me. I also have a Maxi-Poke but have never gone on treks like you. I mostly use it to float my gear to and from hunting spots while keeping me stable and preventing me from falling over stumps into frigid water. Clearly, I've underutilized its capability.

 

[Mark W]

Just hunted out of mine the past couple of days. Gets me into spots that bigger boats can't get to. I can load about 18 decoys, a chair of some kind, gun, and gear bag. Decoys sit on the bow and stern and held in place with bungees.

Love this boat. Another one is Wilderness Systems Chesapeake. Exactly the same as the poke but with a better build quality.