Duck boat build.... Help? Input? Ideas? Sugestions?

[Night goat]

Ok guys, I got an old boat just sitting around... Cant sell it for some reason, seems like nobody wants it, only bought it for 250$, doesnt have papers, doesnt really need papers anyway...

Its a 1958 14 foot run about and it moves just fine with an 8 horse power outboard... Its not fast, but, decent on fuel and under 10hp, doesnt need to be registered.


My idea was to remove the windshield, all the shiny trim parts, camo it up, maybe throw some lights on it put in some bench seats, some spots to attach camo and grass and stuff to break up the profile, I dont think the boat weighs very much, probably comparable to an old aluminum boat of similar size

Id love a bigger outboard but dont have the cash


Anyway, what are your guys ideas with this? How would you do it? Tell me everything wrong with my idea, everything that I should or could do to make this old boat a duck hunting machine

[RJW]

No intention of taking it in the salt correct?

[Night goat]

No intention of taking it in the salt correct?

correct, thinking of a boat for the mouth of the skagit, lakes, its small enough to consider towing to eastern wa...maybe maybe maybe putting it in the swinomish channel and hunting some of the sloughs over by the twin bridges, but no open water. Its only a 14 footer

[Alchase]

Correct me if I am wrong, I thought that you had to register to take a boat on any Navigable waters in WA state?

[Alchase]

Here you go:
Registering your Vessel
Register your boat with the Washington State Department of Licensing. To navigate, operate, employ, or moor your vessel in Washington, you must have a Washington title, registration card, and registration decals, except: 
•If your vessel is a canoe, kayak, or not propelled by a motor or sail.
•If your vessel is less than 16 feet in length and has a motor of 10 horsepower or less and is used on non-federal waters only.
•If your vessel is properly registered by a resident of another state or country who uses Washington waters for 60 days or fewer.

[BD1]

I would not hunt the mouth of the Skagit in a boat with only 8hp...the run to and from the boat launch there can turn into an adventure very quickly.  Looks like a cool project but think I would stick to smaller bodies of water.
Just my 
Have fun with the build...I love converting things in to hunting things 

[Night goat]

I would not hunt the mouth of the Skagit in a boat with only 8hp...the run to and from the boat launch there can turn into an adventure very quickly.  Looks like a cool project but think I would stick to smaller bodies of water.
Just my 
Have fun with the build...I love converting things in to hunting things

Yeah law says under 16 foot with 10hp or less no registrarion lisence or anything needed

I figure 8hp is pretty small, but I wouldnt mind a 15 with 9.9 stickers on it

Maybe not the actual mouth of the river but some of the little sloughs and stuff, figure this would be a boat to go tuck back up into a slough out of the way and stay put for the tide change


Still am considering building it.... I'm broke and its what I got

[Special T]

You need to to check the  definition of navigable waters. its a federal thing and im 99% certain the skagit river falls into the definiton. Im surprised you cant sell that boat, it looks like a vintage old skagit or something.

[Alchase]

I would not hunt the mouth of the Skagit in a boat with only 8hp...the run to and from the boat launch there can turn into an adventure very quickly.  Looks like a cool project but think I would stick to smaller bodies of water.
Just my 
Have fun with the build...I love converting things in to hunting things

Yeah law says under 16 foot with 10hp or less no registrarion lisence or anything needed

I figure 8hp is pretty small, but I wouldnt mind a 15 with 9.9 stickers on it

Maybe not the actual mouth of the river but some of the little sloughs and stuff, figure this would be a boat to go tuck back up into a slough out of the way and stay put for the tide change


Still am considering building it.... I'm broke and its what I got

If your vessel is less than 16 feet in length and has a motor of 10 horsepower or less and is used on non-federal waters only.


The part I bolded, gets people nailed every year at Riffe Lake.

[Alchase]

Hard to find, here is a link

https://www.nws.usace.army.mil/Portals/27/docs/regulatory/permit%20guidebook/Navigable_Waters_of_the_US_in_WA_State.pdf

[Night goat]

Lets not worry about the technicalities of whether or not this boat needs to be registered... I don't have papers for it anyway, so by default I dont really care one way or another, for as much as I'm probably gonna hunt out of it, ill worry about that later. Didnt make this thread to get hung up on whether or not I need to register an old clunker boat

Lets focus on BUILDING it first

[RJW]

Other than the issue being talked about, I don't think it would be hard at all to get this working to hunt out of. If you wanted to put a blind on it, maybe paint it. Should work great.

[BD1]

pop-up blind would be cool and fairly easy...tons of DIY plans out there to build one. I think having some low-profile lights, maybe dimmable (red/green color) ? would be nice for dealing with gear in the dark instead of flashlights pointing all over. Some sort of material or rug to deaden sound. Outlet or converter to run coffee pot or heater. Working bilge pump.

[Night goat]

pop-up blind would be cool and fairly easy...tons of DIY plans out there to build one. I think having some low-profile lights, maybe dimmable (red/green color) ? would be nice for dealing with gear in the dark instead of flashlights pointing all over. Some sort of material or rug to deaden sound. Outlet or converter to run coffee pot or heater. Working bilge pump.

Oh wow, didnt even think of some sort of sound deadening... Thats a great idea! How would a popup blind work? My idea was to have a bench seat going lengthwise along the interior of the boat to essentially shoot broadsides, my vision was to make it kind of like a stationary blind when hunting...

Ive never had the opportunity to hunt from a true  duck boat, so, kinda trial and error

[BD1]

By pop-up I mean that it could fold down while under power. With the type of boat you are using, you might even be able to have something along the lines of a canvas top (maybe not that material). Or one that folds down flat on the back and could be pulled up into position over a bench style seat going across the back. Lots of people use pvc pipe thick or as thin as you want and drape favorite type of cover over it shadow grass/camo netting/whatever. You will have a blast building this boat. I re-camo mine almost every year because it is fun. I rattle can it but it is fairly cheap...just go over whatever is already on there. Spend some time looking at other people's boats and find what you like.
Good Luck!!!!