Dan Voorhees
Member
I have quietly scrolled the posts of this forum for quite some time now with out any contributions of my own. Lots of great information on here and appreciate seeing a lot of real sportsman taking pride in traditional style gunning. I grew up in Tuckerton, New Jersey and still live there. The home of the Barnegat Sneakbox. I was around duck boats and waterfowl hunting my whole childhood, but did not get heavily involved in waterfowl until the past 4 years or so. My father had many sneakboxes over the years and I have many memories of playing in them as a child. He has a local marine canvas shop in town and sneakboxes were always coming and going there. Anywayyyy here comes the build part of my post.
The boat started life as a (1960’s??) 12’ fiberglass runabout, believe the brand to be “Winner”. My father used the boat for years for fishing and such. Until eventually cutting down the sides, decking over the top, and converting it into a hybrid sneakbox. The materials used were crude, not marine, but got the job done. The hull was glassed over again and reinforced. My grandfather had a very similar boat and together they took on the job of making them into hybrid sneakboxes.
The boats were beasts! Heavy or heavier than a wooden boat and even stronger. Planing hulls with rounded sides near the stern help it get on top and crush ice. And stable as a barge. All while being rockets with 25hp outboards on them. My dad has a story he likes to tell of coming back from Hester Sedge with my Pop Pop in a nor’easter. Said the waves were so high in the bay that as my pop pop dipped into the valley of a wave he couldn’t see him until he came to the crest of the next wave. And those boats got them home....somehow.
The boats were used for many years in the late 80’s and early 90’s for trips out to Hester Sedge Gun Club in Tuckerton Bay. Eventually the boats were sold or given away as they got out of the sport. My grandfathers is untraceable. My fathers however was sold to a friend 20+ years ago. It sat on his property and slowly rotted until all was left was the fiberglass.
That’s where I come in. I got into gunning and I plead with my old man to get the boat back and he succeeded. Together we took on the challenge of bringing the boat back together. Quality materials were used this time though, stainless fasteners, marine lumber, quality fiberglass, etc.
My dad just finished the dodger today and we put it on. A couple little details left and I’ll add progress pictures as they are completed.
The boat started life as a (1960’s??) 12’ fiberglass runabout, believe the brand to be “Winner”. My father used the boat for years for fishing and such. Until eventually cutting down the sides, decking over the top, and converting it into a hybrid sneakbox. The materials used were crude, not marine, but got the job done. The hull was glassed over again and reinforced. My grandfather had a very similar boat and together they took on the job of making them into hybrid sneakboxes.
The boats were beasts! Heavy or heavier than a wooden boat and even stronger. Planing hulls with rounded sides near the stern help it get on top and crush ice. And stable as a barge. All while being rockets with 25hp outboards on them. My dad has a story he likes to tell of coming back from Hester Sedge with my Pop Pop in a nor’easter. Said the waves were so high in the bay that as my pop pop dipped into the valley of a wave he couldn’t see him until he came to the crest of the next wave. And those boats got them home....somehow.
The boats were used for many years in the late 80’s and early 90’s for trips out to Hester Sedge Gun Club in Tuckerton Bay. Eventually the boats were sold or given away as they got out of the sport. My grandfathers is untraceable. My fathers however was sold to a friend 20+ years ago. It sat on his property and slowly rotted until all was left was the fiberglass.
That’s where I come in. I got into gunning and I plead with my old man to get the boat back and he succeeded. Together we took on the challenge of bringing the boat back together. Quality materials were used this time though, stainless fasteners, marine lumber, quality fiberglass, etc.
My dad just finished the dodger today and we put it on. A couple little details left and I’ll add progress pictures as they are completed.
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