Smallest Tender Boat

L

Luke Musco

Member
Hi guys,what do you think the smallest tender boat worth using is? I have a 14ft deep v with a 68",15hp motor,and trolling motor.Id like to get a layout boat and tow it to where I hunt and set decoys and pick up birds with the tender boat. Heres a picture for reference. I would take the blind off also. and that is only one side up with only one sheet of die cut camo. I have 2 on both sides now.

View attachment Boat.jpg
 
We'd need to know the type of water and distances traveled, but 14' sounds small to me. I don't like a layout rig with less than 3 men, 1 as the gunner, one as the spotter and 1 operating the tender. Add decoys and I would think 18' would be the smallest I'd like to go. I run a 24' boat as a tender, but we run 6 miles offshore.
 
A mile at the most, not really rough water maybe 2-3 footers at the most. The lake is 1000 yds wide and is about 10 miles long and is pretty much a lake that is one straight line. About 5 miles of it is heavy swamp though.
 
I have used a 16' Crestliner... deep V.. but I always felt it was too small.. just me... you make due with what you have and use some common sense....
 
A mile at the most, not really rough water maybe 2-3 footers at the most. The lake is 1000 yds wide and is about 10 miles long and is pretty much a lake that is one straight line. About 5 miles of it is heavy swamp though.
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Hmmmm, 2-3 footers in a 14 foot boat...you could rename the boat "deathtrap 14". But, that's just MHO.
Wouldn't catch me alive layout hunting in a 14 footer. We had 2 hunters die just a short distance off shore in a 14 footer about 10 years ago...and, supposedly, they were experienced hunters.
Lou
 
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Yea,Im probably going to try to get and 18 or 20' deep v for next season.
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GOOD IDEA.......14ft boat is too small. Remember, the tender boat needs to be the rescue crew for your man in the layout. Imagine trying to get back to the layout quickly and safely in the 14ft boat if the 2 footers turn into 4 footers!!! The bigger the better but AT LEAST 18 ft IMHO...
 
Most guys around here use deep 16' aluminum boats. If you get much larger
it limits where you can put in when the hunting gets good.
Just a thought, John
 
I Have a 16' alumacraft and it is tight, right conditions, location etc it is doable, but...My 19' Nordik Crestliner works much better.....
 
I agree eric... my Honker is a much better tender...

I have a 1961 Crestliner... 16'..... If you want it.. .it is yours... ...just come pick it up!
 
I use my 16' Smokercraft as a tender. I wouldn’t want to go any smaller. Keep in mind that the tender has got to be able to transport the layout boat, either by carrying it or by towing. I think an 18' would be nice. However John Aug does have a point, if you deal with snowy, icy, shallow, or otherwise crummy ramps during the duck season then a larger boat will be more of a challenge to get into and out of the water.
 
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