Richard Lathrop
Active member
Looking at photos from the 1950's and earlier I noticed that duck boats were not grassed. When did this become common?
Rick Lathrop
Rick Lathrop
When did grassing boats become common?
- Thread starter Richard Lathrop
- Start date
Steve Sanford
Well-known member
Good morning, Richard~
Interesting topic - about which I have pondered over the years.
I would need to re-read some of my older references, but here are my main thoughts:
1) Grassing/thatching has been around a long time. I have understood that Barnegat Bay Sneakboxes, for example, were no grassed up per se - i.e., no thatch rails to secure thatch (Salt Hay) for the season. Rather, the gunners simply grabbed whatever was handy at the gunning site on a daily basis - I imagine from the wrack line. Many of the Sneakboxes had toe rails along the gunnels. I always presumed they were to hold either grass/seaweed/wrack or ice whilst gunning. BTW: Even though I grass my boats to a fare-thee-well, I usually tossed some wrack over the decks once I arrived at my spot - mostly to break up the symmetry, and to blend in.
2) I believe thatch rails may have been "invented" on Long Island. Again, I am not sure of the era. This photo is from the Pattersquash Club on Bellport Bay circa 1923:
Many Benjamin Hallock Scooters - finished as "grassboats" with thatch rails - date back to the 1920s and 30s.
This Ralph Cranford - of Babylon - gunning skiff (grassboat) used a combination of bronze wires on the decks and thatch rails around the cockpit, on the stool rack and even on the folding oarlock stanchions to secure Salt Hay. The vessel may be as early as 1910.
From what have gathered, older gunning boats north and south of Long Island used grass or wrack for day-by-day camouflage, but did not use thatch rails until more recent (post WW II) decades.
I can certainly believe gunning vessels were grassed up earlier than the 20th century. And, the practice may have arisen in locations other than - or in addition to - Great South Bay. One reason I try to do what I do is to document information relative to our grand passion wherever/whenever I can. Sometimes, though, we are left to speculate.
All the best,
SJS
Interesting topic - about which I have pondered over the years.
I would need to re-read some of my older references, but here are my main thoughts:
1) Grassing/thatching has been around a long time. I have understood that Barnegat Bay Sneakboxes, for example, were no grassed up per se - i.e., no thatch rails to secure thatch (Salt Hay) for the season. Rather, the gunners simply grabbed whatever was handy at the gunning site on a daily basis - I imagine from the wrack line. Many of the Sneakboxes had toe rails along the gunnels. I always presumed they were to hold either grass/seaweed/wrack or ice whilst gunning. BTW: Even though I grass my boats to a fare-thee-well, I usually tossed some wrack over the decks once I arrived at my spot - mostly to break up the symmetry, and to blend in.
2) I believe thatch rails may have been "invented" on Long Island. Again, I am not sure of the era. This photo is from the Pattersquash Club on Bellport Bay circa 1923:
Many Benjamin Hallock Scooters - finished as "grassboats" with thatch rails - date back to the 1920s and 30s.
This Ralph Cranford - of Babylon - gunning skiff (grassboat) used a combination of bronze wires on the decks and thatch rails around the cockpit, on the stool rack and even on the folding oarlock stanchions to secure Salt Hay. The vessel may be as early as 1910.
From what have gathered, older gunning boats north and south of Long Island used grass or wrack for day-by-day camouflage, but did not use thatch rails until more recent (post WW II) decades.
I can certainly believe gunning vessels were grassed up earlier than the 20th century. And, the practice may have arisen in locations other than - or in addition to - Great South Bay. One reason I try to do what I do is to document information relative to our grand passion wherever/whenever I can. Sometimes, though, we are left to speculate.
All the best,
SJS
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Vince Pagliaroli
Well-known member
Considering that the first decoys discovered are Native American Decoys, and many hundreds of years old. Depending on how far back ya wanna go it makes sense that the "grassing of boats" took place a long time ago before the modern age.
Richard Lathrop
Active member
Thanks, photos like this had me wondering.
www.alamy.com
and this one.
www.alamy.com
but then you have this photo from same set.
www.alamy.com
1950s MAN DUCK HUNTER ROWING DUCK BOAT DECOYS ON REAR DECK AND KILLED DUCKS ON FRONT BARNEGAT BAY NJ USA Stock Photo - Alamy
Download this stock image: 1950s MAN DUCK HUNTER ROWING DUCK BOAT DECOYS ON REAR DECK AND KILLED DUCKS ON FRONT BARNEGAT BAY NJ USA - G6A5CC from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors.
www.alamy.com
and this one.
1920s 1930s SENIOR MAN DUCK HUNTER STANDING IN SNEAK-BOX BOAT ABOUT TO DEPLOY DECOYS IN BARNEGAT BAY WETLANDS MARSH NEW JERSEY Stock Photo - Alamy
Download this stock image: 1920s 1930s SENIOR MAN DUCK HUNTER STANDING IN SNEAK-BOX BOAT ABOUT TO DEPLOY DECOYS IN BARNEGAT BAY WETLANDS MARSH NEW JERSEY - AAKWTR from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors.
www.alamy.com
but then you have this photo from same set.
1920s MAN DUCK HUNTING STANDING IN SNEAKBOX BOAT IN MARSH AiMING SHOTGUN BARNEGAT BAY NEW JERSEY USA Stock Photo - Alamy
Download this stock image: 1920s MAN DUCK HUNTING STANDING IN SNEAKBOX BOAT IN MARSH AiMING SHOTGUN BARNEGAT BAY NEW JERSEY USA - FPW1GJ from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors.
www.alamy.com
Last edited:
Wyatt Russo
New member
We’ve always grassed our grass boats on Long Island where I hunt the salt marshes on the south shore. I learned from my dad and his friends who have been hunting the bays for over 40 years. Even what grass to use was always a topic for discussion but thatch was always the best over salt hay.
Steve Sanford
Well-known member
Richard~Thanks, photos like this had me wondering.
1950s MAN DUCK HUNTER ROWING DUCK BOAT DECOYS ON REAR DECK AND KILLED DUCKS ON FRONT BARNEGAT BAY NJ USA Stock Photo - Alamy
Download this stock image: 1950s MAN DUCK HUNTER ROWING DUCK BOAT DECOYS ON REAR DECK AND KILLED DUCKS ON FRONT BARNEGAT BAY NJ USA - G6A5CC from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors.
and this one.
1920s 1930s SENIOR MAN DUCK HUNTER STANDING IN SNEAK-BOX BOAT ABOUT TO DEPLOY DECOYS IN BARNEGAT BAY WETLANDS MARSH NEW JERSEY Stock Photo - Alamy
Download this stock image: 1920s 1930s SENIOR MAN DUCK HUNTER STANDING IN SNEAK-BOX BOAT ABOUT TO DEPLOY DECOYS IN BARNEGAT BAY WETLANDS MARSH NEW JERSEY - AAKWTR from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors.
but then you have this photo from same set.
1920s MAN DUCK HUNTING STANDING IN SNEAKBOX BOAT IN MARSH AiMING SHOTGUN BARNEGAT BAY NEW JERSEY USA Stock Photo - Alamy
Download this stock image: 1920s MAN DUCK HUNTING STANDING IN SNEAKBOX BOAT IN MARSH AiMING SHOTGUN BARNEGAT BAY NEW JERSEY USA - FPW1GJ from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors.
That last photo illustrates the idea of ad hoc "grassing" - with Eelgrass (Zostera marina) being common in the wrack line - right where the sneakbox would hide.
All the best,
SJS