sneakboat lap/cockpit cover

roy brewington

roy brewington

Well-known member
Wondering if anyone has made a lap cover/ cockpit cover for their sneakboat useing dowels or fiberglass rods as crossbraceing under cordura or canvas cover. These would be attached in pockets on back side of cover and rest across gunnel while laid out. If anyone has used or made something similar i would like to know if it was easy to gun from, especially when sitting up to shoot.
 
Roy~

I have done just as you describe. I do not have the best photos of it deployed, but, here are some photos of the chocks I use. They are made from 1/2" plywood ans screwed to either side of the coaming. They received a piece of broomstick - about 3/4" diameter - that went through a pocket sewn to the underside of my lap cover.

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The foot of the lap cover was snapped to the outer edge of the aft coaming. The canvas lap cover actually extended 8 or 10 inches forward of the broomstick - and the entire lap cover had thatch lashed to strips of webbing. I located the chocks so there was just a bit of tension on the canvas as I pushed each end into its chock - so it never popped out until I sat up to shoot.

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When I did sit up to shoot, the broomstick just popped right out of the chocks and never got in my way.

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When operating the boat, the lap cover just rolled right up and sat on the rear deck. I usually kept it on all season long.

The broomstick added great function to the lap cover because it did not sag down, gave a great hide, kept the wind off me - and provided a "shelf" to set my binoculars or gloves on at times.


Hope this helps,

SJS
 
Did you gun with shotgun laying across chest on top of cover with cover pulled up to armpits? I built a set of doors similar to layout blind doors attached w/bimini fittings to use on my blackjack last year but i,m thinking the lap cover might be an easier to deploy solution. Kept those doors stored under front deck when not in use but although they give excellant cover i just wasn,t crazy about them. Was planing on rolling up lap cover, as you did, back to back edge of cockpit when under way.
 
Roy -

Yes - the barrel rested on the coaming to my left and the butt was supported by the cover - with my hand on the grip.

I prefer canvas to rigid doors because sometimes I want to ease on up and give myself the option of freezing or slouching back down if the bird(s) does not present as I hope. Throwing open or dropping doors pretty much commits one.....

SJS
 
I use a roll up slatted window blind as a cockpit cover. Not as custom as a canvas cover, but it gets the job done and is rigid enough to support the weight of the gun resting on top.

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Good idea with the window blind. You Jersey and New York fellas sure are lucy to have that long salt hay to work with in your boat grassing. In my area of md. it barley reachs a ft. tall. Much easier to use dyed rafia or fastgrass.
 
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Looks like it's supporting both a gun AND a 4-pound Redleg......
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Mallard X Black hybrid if memory serves...

The Long Island folks definitely have the market cornered on long salt hay. I have to hunt it down across the way here in NJ.
 
I built one last year and it works good. I used fiberglass electric fence posts. I do hunt with my gun laying on top of the cover. It works well for me. My plan is to build a spray dodger that will cover me out over the cockpit cover so I would stay dry in the rain.

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Here it is grassed up
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Gun laying on the cover. Photo taken from sitting in the boat
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The frame for my new dodger
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I,m going to use the fiberglass dowels as well. Picked some up earlier this spring at tractor supply when i thought of this approach. Just got my measurements for cover pattern last night. I,ve already got the cordura for cover so now just got to get it cut out and get wife busy with the sewing machine. Going to also try to incorperate this cockpit cover into a back wall for and upright blind for the places i can shoot with background to break up boat. On stern corners i,ve got cleats and planing on attaching short bungee droppers at corner of cover hooked to cleats to keep things in place when rising to shoot. Dodger frame looks good. I built mine so that dog has room under it sitting behind me hunting.
 
Steve Steffy put grommets on the corners of his at the stern end and uses bungees to help hold in place when gunning and when rolled up when motoring. I am going to do the same for this season. I am hopeing my dog will fit behind me under the dodger. It maybe a tight fit, luckily my dogs are on the smaller side
 
Like that idea of gromets. Do you know if he ever posted anything about it on here? In order for my lab to fit I built a drop in partion bracket That attaches to combing in home made aluminum keepers. Gives about 2' space between front edge of cockpit combing and myself with a momarsh adjustable back rest cushion resting against partition . She has just enough room to sit , usually looking over my shoulder, and great for her marking falls. I,m 6'1' and this gives me just enough room to brace my feet against stern flotation compartments in blackjack, with legs extended. Fairly comfortable even with my ageing back.
 
Roy, no I don't think Steve posted any thing about it. He has regular brass grommets in the corner then uses those bungee loops with the ball on them through the grommets and around his grass rail

Dave, that is exactly what I am hoping for.
 
I am hoping/planning on having my little girl do exactly the same Dave. I have of 1/2 thick camo neoprene I plan on cutting and fitting in the area for her.


Jon
 
I'm thinking of doing something similar this year. I was at Harbor Freight and picked up a couple packages of grommets with the grommet installation tool. I think they were on sale for about $4-$5 per package.

I saw that they had a welding blanket that was like 4'x6' or 6'x8' pretty reasonable. Less than $10 I think with grommets already in place. It would need to be dyed or camouflaged because it was a very light color.

Another source to check is Tractor Supply for actual heavy canvas tarps. I seem to remember they had them in a dark brown color.

Check Rockywoods.Com for Cordura fabrics.

Last but not least is eBay for cordura camouflage fabrics.

Hope this helps someone.......

Fred
 
Been purchaseing this from ebay for blind projects. Works good and 1/2 the price of the more popular camo patterns. Light mist it w/camo paint and it matches marsh perfectly. But your going to grass it anyway, right. http://www.ebay.com/itm/TRUE-TIMBER-FLOODED-TIMBER-600D-CORDURA-60-W-CAMO-OUTDOOR-HUNTING-FABRIC- $6.95 a yard/ 3' x 5' Can be sewed on good home sewing machine.
 
I use a roll up slatted window blind as a cockpit cover. Not as custom as a canvas cover, but it gets the job done and is rigid enough to support the weight of the gun resting on top.
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Craig--neat, simple idea. Do you attach it to the gunwales/deck somehow, or just drape it over the edges of the cockpit?
 
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Craig--neat, simple idea. Do you attach it to the gunwales/deck somehow, or just drape it over the edges of the cockpit?
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I just drape it over the cockpit, it rests on the combing and stays pretty well. I zip tie some salt hay to it but usually just put cut spartina grass on top. Being a set of blinds it rolls up really nicely.

I can't take credit for the idea, local NJ sneakbox gunners have been doing it since before I was born I'd wager.

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