Mark W
Well-known member
I posted about this a few weeks back. My Dad's best buddy Neal has had this very nice boat stabilizer system on his hunting boat for as long as we have been hunting with him which is a long time. I was always envious of his simple to use, durable stabilizer. I have tried through the years to recreate this system without much luck. I've tried everything imaginable that I could think of right down to drum rack mounts and so on. Even welded up something that I thought would work but it wasn't nearly as eloquent. Even paid a draftsman to draw up the system and I brought it around to various folks and got bids on producing and selling these things. To rich for me to manufacture at that time, maybe now is better or maybe I keep these as unique and to myself.
As of late last week, Neal's stabilizer system is not a part of my hunting gear. Neal has decided that he is no longer going to hunt by himself which is a sad point in someone's life I would guess. He had a hunting accident last year with my Dad (backed down the ramp and hit the accelerator instead of the brake) and launched the boat and his vehicle into the drink. his vehicle turned over on its side and he was trapped in the water in his seat belt. Luckily my Dad was around to get him out of the situation he found himself in.
That boat was totalled and he traded it in on a new boat. I was helping my Dad move a couple of things a few weeks back and asked him if Neal kept the stabilizers that were on his old duck boat. He didn't know. This prompted a quick call down to Neal who confirmed he had not taken them off the old boat. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I asked if I could call the place where he traded in the boat and get them back for him (Neal's Dad had given these to Neal when he stopped hunting so they had sentimental value to him). He said he would call and see if the boat was still around. Not even 5 minutes later he called and said the dealer still had the boat and was going to remove the stabilizers and save them for Neal next time he was in town. Neal them offered them to me. I was overwhelmed.
Last Friday Neal and my Dad went up to their old college and Neal delivered the stabilizers. As they were very old, they had been pretty beat up and painted over many times. I did some minor repair work, stripped the old paint and painted anew. Not the best paint job but it will work for this year.
So here they are.
[inline stab1.jpg] [inline stab2.jpg]
The pieces on the ends are what goes on the closet rods. These parts are made of tempered steel so they have spring to them. To adjust for various depths, you squeeze the ends together and this piece is able to slide up and down the closet rod.
The two pieces in the middle attach to the boat. The pin on the piece on the closet rod slides into the hole you can see on the boat piece. The hole on the boat piece rotates so if the stabilizing pole is not in the ground perfectly level, this part can compensate. The arm on the outside of the pieces on the boat twists. When twisting it moves a pin inside the round part with the hole in it inward thereby locking the part on the closet rod in place. When you shoot a duck, you twist the pin, the boat unlatches from the stabilizing poles and you are free to take the boat to retrieve the duck. Get back to you hunting spot, drive the boat between the two stabilizing poles, put the pin into the hole, twist the lever arm and you are once again locked into the stabilizing poles.
After opener, this is going on the big boat to be tried out before the following weekend. I am still pinching myself. I wish I knew more about these. I believe they were basically made by a guy in his garage and he didn't make thousands. I was also told they may have been made down Rick Kytes way near Lacresent MN or thereabouts. Wish I knew more. Just a great piece of hunting history and a great piece of hunting gear.
Mark W
View attachment stab1.JPG
View attachment stab2.JPG
As of late last week, Neal's stabilizer system is not a part of my hunting gear. Neal has decided that he is no longer going to hunt by himself which is a sad point in someone's life I would guess. He had a hunting accident last year with my Dad (backed down the ramp and hit the accelerator instead of the brake) and launched the boat and his vehicle into the drink. his vehicle turned over on its side and he was trapped in the water in his seat belt. Luckily my Dad was around to get him out of the situation he found himself in.
That boat was totalled and he traded it in on a new boat. I was helping my Dad move a couple of things a few weeks back and asked him if Neal kept the stabilizers that were on his old duck boat. He didn't know. This prompted a quick call down to Neal who confirmed he had not taken them off the old boat. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I asked if I could call the place where he traded in the boat and get them back for him (Neal's Dad had given these to Neal when he stopped hunting so they had sentimental value to him). He said he would call and see if the boat was still around. Not even 5 minutes later he called and said the dealer still had the boat and was going to remove the stabilizers and save them for Neal next time he was in town. Neal them offered them to me. I was overwhelmed.
Last Friday Neal and my Dad went up to their old college and Neal delivered the stabilizers. As they were very old, they had been pretty beat up and painted over many times. I did some minor repair work, stripped the old paint and painted anew. Not the best paint job but it will work for this year.
So here they are.
[inline stab1.jpg] [inline stab2.jpg]
The pieces on the ends are what goes on the closet rods. These parts are made of tempered steel so they have spring to them. To adjust for various depths, you squeeze the ends together and this piece is able to slide up and down the closet rod.
The two pieces in the middle attach to the boat. The pin on the piece on the closet rod slides into the hole you can see on the boat piece. The hole on the boat piece rotates so if the stabilizing pole is not in the ground perfectly level, this part can compensate. The arm on the outside of the pieces on the boat twists. When twisting it moves a pin inside the round part with the hole in it inward thereby locking the part on the closet rod in place. When you shoot a duck, you twist the pin, the boat unlatches from the stabilizing poles and you are free to take the boat to retrieve the duck. Get back to you hunting spot, drive the boat between the two stabilizing poles, put the pin into the hole, twist the lever arm and you are once again locked into the stabilizing poles.
After opener, this is going on the big boat to be tried out before the following weekend. I am still pinching myself. I wish I knew more about these. I believe they were basically made by a guy in his garage and he didn't make thousands. I was also told they may have been made down Rick Kytes way near Lacresent MN or thereabouts. Wish I knew more. Just a great piece of hunting history and a great piece of hunting gear.
Mark W
View attachment stab1.JPG
View attachment stab2.JPG
