renamed: cheap duck hunting boats made from pink ridgid foam insulation

[jeepster]

http://www.diyduckboat.com/ i saw that the other day on the www... cant get much more basic than that....

3 sheets of pink insulation foam, some some pine boards or plywood, epoxy and glass cloth and a few cans of drab paint...

ive been building boats professionally for a few years now, so this should be rather remedial... i reckon i could get this boat done in half a day, paint it, and go hunting the following day.

now that the sloughs and back waters are all nice and flooded, slogging around in waders is fine and dandy, unless you are trying to sneak up on some ducks... i can picture myself kneeling down on this boat, shotgun on one side, pole on the other and slipping down the waterway like a ninja.

  whattya guys think? should i make a bunch of em over the summer and sell them for cheap in the fall lol?

 would anybody be interested? ive sure noticed a lack of hunting boats that average joe can afford, that are light enough you can carry it with one hand, stick on the roof of a car, or stuff it in the back of an suv.

let me build mine first, then ill have a better idea for a price

wouldnt mind experimenting with other designs/sizes...

just an idea...........

[dirty24d]

Dude thats awesome I'd be willing to but one from you.  how much woukd you want for your labor!!!

Great offer and post by the way.

[dirty24d]

it looks like a cool little boat and the blinds sound really cool too. I could prob do it myself easy but if i could get away with only paying like 75 bucks or something for somebody to kniock one out for me i'd be game.   I might order just for the blind plans alone

[Stilly bay]

I would be down for one, heck I would even help ya build it.

[pjb3]

I built one before a Busik layout boat. It costed me $700 and about 100 hours of labor. I could have bought one for that but I had the experience.

[TheHunt]

I have built two different types and the one in the link is really easy.  Just make sure you talk to the epoxy person so you match your foam with your epoxy so it does not melt as well as the glue to laminate the sheets.  I went to some place in Auburn that specializes in that fiberglass.  Also the cement you use to glue the three sheets is also important so they do not delaminate.  If you are bless to have a big body (height and/or girth) you can make the exact box to support your size.  If you use the entire 4X8 sheet width it is pretty stable. 

But it is a pretty cheap boat.   If you are cleaver you can canter the wood box out 15 degrees and increase  the height size of the boards for any waves that might come in to with shoot the waves back out instead of slapping the side of the board and splashing you. 

You can also put a notch in your board by your feet to hold your shot gun.  And if you want you can use a very course 6 inch wire wheel  and dig out the foam a little for your butt or heals for your boots or shoulders.  But do not go too deep because you can weaken the structure.  This also make a monster mess.  The shavings that you cut off the bottom of the boat will also make a big mess.   I am still finding foam in my garage.  LOL!!!  If I was going to do this again and Jeepster could do it for a little more than me doing it I would most likely have him do it.  Mostly because the stink and mess.  My wife telling me to get that stinky thing you are building out of the garage and the cost of taking her out to dinner. 

The second boat is a little harder and you need some wood working knowledge. I will find the plans and post them. 

[TheHunt]

There is a link on this site for boat plans.  The peregrine is the boat that takes a little more wood working skill. But can be done in a garage.  Yet again stinky...

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,1780.0.html

[gasman]

Looks interesting, but I would like a smaller boat, 8"-10". For me and the dog.

[carpsniperg2]

Intresting, post up some pics of the build if you do it.

[jeepster]

this first boat is going to be an experiment. im going to see the limitations of just foam, wood and paint. redneck duck boat.

ehh i dont care about the mess or smell. thats what a shopvac and a respirator is for. i rent a 40x20 shop for boat storage so i can back my 20 foot glasply right up to my work bench and tool boxes and so it stays warm and dry over the winter. and i got tablesaws, bandsaws, all sorts of equipment/tools....

 3 sheets of foam, 1 pineboard, a sheet of doorskin and some paint... c'mon...i mean...i might just go to homedepot now, the seahawks game is unwatchable.............

im going to see if i can get away without fiberglassing, its too humid/cold for the resin i have to kick. hopefully its closed cell foam, and i can find a primer that will seal it up. thats the only reason why this thing gets glassed is to seal up the foam for paint to be used that would otherwise eat the foam... not all paints will destroy the foam however....one little layer of glass cloth definatley isnt structural.

im fully capable of making a top of the line high quality boat made to professional standards, but this is kind of a different project... i want to hunt and i want to build this boat as fast, and as cheap as possible with minimal materials, see what works and what doesnt.
 i know that i will probably screw up the entire project, but if i can spend 50$ or so and hunt for a few days... its towards the end of the season anyhow.... so i say f*** it. haha

im gonna build the s.s. el cheapo-depot-especial, then over the summer, build some quality boats.

[Special T]

http://www.hybridduckboat.com/files/
I'm probably gona build a Hybrid NL If you wana go in on plans and whack a couple out together let me know. I think this boat is what i'm looking for... could be paddled or a small motor... there is a you tube video of a 15 horse on the back of one.. 

[jeepster]

well, i went to home depot, they didnt have 48 inch wide foam... they had 24 inch foam. so i got 4 sheets (about 70$ total). the diy duck boat website says that thier boat is 4 feet wide by 12 feet long.im debating making mine ling and skinny around 3 feet wide by 10 feet long, double ender style, basically a mini kara hummer so it slips down the slough. its going to take more time for me to come up with a design than it will to acctually shape the boat....

the project is under way. hopefully i can get this boat done in the next few days. its just gotta last till the seasons over

this is the boat im going to build this summer:

http://www.gatorboats.com/Duckhunter-Boat-Plans.htm perfect design for lake fishing, and zippin around the river, would be perfect with a merc 25 jet...

[gasman]

http://www.hybridduckboat.com/files/

I like the web site and there boats 

Gonna seriously look in to building one.

[jeepster]

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2106204100101117243QnglAD there is a photo album of somebody else building this pink boat.

so simple, the construction photos make it so you dont really need plans

[gasman]

Just ordered the plans for the Hybrid NL. Gonna probably make a 9 footer.

http://www.hybridduckboat.com/files/index.php?id=12

[ribka]

Just ordered the plans for the Hybrid NL. Gonna probably make a 9 footer.

http://www.hybridduckboat.com/files/index.php?id=12

Barbie boat?

[gasman]

Just ordered the plans for the Hybrid NL. Gonna probably make a 9 footer.

http://www.hybridduckboat.com/files/index.php?id=12

Barbie boat?

Thanks Tom...
 

[Special T]

Did you order the templates as well? I'm really interested in how you do cause there is a high likely hood that i'm gona do the same thing....

[windygorge]

well, i went to home depot, they didnt have 48 inch wide foam... they had 24 inch foam. so i got 4 sheets (about 70$ total). the diy duck boat website says that thier boat is 4 feet wide by 12 feet long.im debating making mine ling and skinny around 3 feet wide by 10 feet long, double ender style, basically a mini kara hummer so it slips down the slough. its going to take more time for me to come up with a design than it will to acctually shape the boat....

the project is under way. hopefully i can get this boat done in the next few days. its just gotta last till the seasons over

this is the boat im going to build this summer:

http://www.gatorboats.com/Duckhunter-Boat-Plans.htm perfect design for lake fishing, and zippin around the river, would be perfect with a merc 25 jet...

did you ever build the gator duckhunter.  i just bought the plans for it.  looks pretty simple.  i was also going to make a briggs mud motor for it.  can't wait.  and i will document everything with pics and vids.

[NW-GSP]

Do these boats have to get coast guard approved

[Special T]

I think this is a grey area... If they are used on state waters then NO if however they are use in Coastgaurd controlled waters like the pudget sound, then yes.  Something about navagatable waters. I beliver you also have to get numbers even if the HP rating is below 9.9hp There is a list of "Navagatable waters" on the coast gaurd website. Mostly they are the columbia river, snake, pudget sound... For use in march areas like the skagit or other river delta it think it is a gray area. 

[windygorge]

if your talking about the gator duckhunter, i think it depends on where you are taking it. 

Boat Title, Registration, and Renewal

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 a vessel 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.

http://www.boat-ed.com/wa/handbook/chcklst.htm

http://boat.wa.gov/register.asp

[NW-GSP]

I can't wait to see the process of building one of these boats, I was just looking at the price of these boats online and had decided they are too pricey for me to get anytime soon but I never thought about building one 

[windygorge]

here is the boat that i will be building.  http://www.gatorboats.com/Duckhunter-Boat-Plans.htm.  there are a few nice ones on this site.  Devlin has some nice ones as sell.  "the scaup 18, Honker, and Black brant 3"  the skill to build devlins might be a little more advanced, but still doable. 

[Skagit_Hunter]

Anyone trying to glass in a garage right now. Needs to heat it up to make the resin kick off right. You can use a heat gun... But it won't fully cure even. And making a "hot" batch will weaken the glass. In the cold it is common for the surface to harden up, Leaving the underneath uncured. If you think your going to make one in a weekend...You can but glass continues to gas off for a long time after it is hard to the touch.
I just don't want to hear someone died because their boat came apart. Because glass isn't waterproof

[NW-GSP]

Anyone trying to glass in a garage right now. Needs to heat it up to make the resin kick off right. You can use a heat gun... But it won't fully cure even. And making a "hot" batch will weaken the glass. In the cold it is common for the surface to harden up, Leaving the underneath uncured. If you think your going to make one in a weekend...You can but glass continues to gas off for a long time after it is hard to the touch.
I just don't want to hear someone died because their boat came apart. Because glass isn't waterproof

That is a really good point, I worked at a friends wood finishing shop for a few weeks and that place was always really warm, they had all kinds of paints and chemicals that needed the heat for them to work the way they are intended to

[Skagit_Hunter]

If you want to make the wood last... Resin coat it...... Mix your resin, Then thin it to like water with Acetone. Paint it on and dab the edges well. The edges is where rot starts.
The acetone soaks in the wood drawing the resin with it. The heat that is cause by the resin kicking will evaporate the acetone. ALWAYS! Put your resin bucket outside and put water in it. when done using it. Mixed resin in bulk can and DOES catch fire when it kicks. Most boat shop fires are caused by that.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS USE PROTECTION, TYVEX, GLOVES, RESPIRATOR. STYRENE IS NASTY STUFF. IT GOES TO YOUR LIVER AND DOESN'T LEAVE FOR A LONG TIME. IF YOU CAN TASTE IT YOUR BEING POISONED.   
I built Fiberglass yachts for 15 years. From boat molds to finish.

[windygorge]

thanks skagit,
yea, i have heard that about epoxy.  there are some that have temperature requirements for cure.  make sure you get the appropriate kind.  I have been looking at Tap Plastics marine epoxy, two of which can be applied at 40 degree.  not that i will, but it is good to have that safety net in temperature range.  the other thing to worry about it condensation.  not good to glass in high humidity, such as the wet weather we are having right now.  summer time is the best, or indoor controlled situations.

[windygorge]

skagit, 
thats good to know you have experience.  im sure i will have some questions for you when the process begins.

[NW-GSP]

I wish I had a place to store a boat cause I have access to a wood finishing company that has ventilation and air filtration systems,

Skagit do you think it would work better to spray the resin or brush it by hand?

[Skagit_Hunter]

spray is always better if you have the proper sprayer. But you will still have to work it by hand. (proper flow rate) boat shop sprayers/chop guns mix the resin and catalyst in the gun.
You use a wagner sprayer....It will work once then when it kicks you can toss it in the trash
Also you can't glass 90 degree corners. So you need to bull nose all the wood on the top.
 You can brush glass on but to get the air out you need to use a lam roller.
It isn't to hard to do. But you need to set up everything before you start From cutting the glass to size and to clean up. I use a coffee can with acetone in it to put my rollers in so they dont kick. Chip brushes are cheap. so I just let them kick and toss.

[duckkillerclyde]

anyone ever finish their boat builds?   

[gasman]

anyone ever finish their boat builds?   

Of course.... do some searching and you will my theard along with a few others from last years build.

We are enjoying them