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Hauled Sneak/Layout Boat to the River

WHAT TO EXPECT

I built my first boat because I needed a small boat to get my disabled hunting buddy to an island blind we wanted to hunt. At 55 pounds this lightweight sneak/layout duck boat is easy to load and unload it into the back of your truck or on your cartop and launch it into the water. My boat is powered by a 55 lb. thrust (weighs 24 lbs) trolling motor with a group 27 deep cycle battery (weighs 50 Lbs) from Costco. Of course, when I launch, the motor and battery are not attached. The local lakes I fish in in the offseason do not allow gas power, thus, I have to go electric. I can get a 2-3 hp gas outboard that weighs less than 30 lbs if the need arises.

With the motor, I can effortlessly get to my X. Though if I didn’t have far to go I could just paddle.

HUNTING

It is perfect for refuge hunting to get to the center of the ponds, where you see the ducks land, far from shooting range.

The platform on the gunwale is used as a seat, when you are ready to set up to hunt it is used as your backrest.  I find in cold water it is best to use a pad under your derriere to insulate from the cold, even with waders and flannel lined britches you will feel that cold come through. I can lash on my decoy bag with 2 dozen dekes on the bow, paddle out and set up, then hide in the tules to wait on the ducks.

STANDARD SNEAK BOAT

Standard length is 7’10”. It fits my 5′ 10″ frame fine and will be good for up to a 6′ 3″ hunter. If you need more room it can be built to any length and up to a 4-foot bottom. Keep in mind though as more length is added, more weight is too!

2 MAN BOAT

I can make most any size boat you need but the 2 man layout boat, well 1 man and a dog is 11′.

Plenty of room for a few dozen dekes, your pup and you. It is around 80 lbs and can handle a 5 horse motor.  It too has 120 pounds of poured 2 lb. foam buoyancy. I launch mine from the back of my pickup.  Contact me if this is of more interest to you.

Watch this site as I will be videoing the new 6.5 hp Swamp Runner Mud Motor soon in the Petaluma River with the 11 foot sneak – layout Duck boat.

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Duck Hunting with a Duck Boat

CAN YOU GET CLOSE IN A LITTLE LAYOUT BOAT LIKE THIS?

Well, yes you can. You are only inches out of the water, grass it with some local grass and you are one with your surroundings. You lay out in her keeping an eye out for those little soon to be morsels for the dinner plate. That is quite an advantage when the ducks are flying and wanting to land in your dekes.

Duck Hunting with a Duck Boat that is stable, light weight and least likely to be affected by wind is the way to go. The Duck Hunt Layout boat also has an extremely shallow draft encouraging a duck hunter to get deep in the skinny duck holding waters.

Stability  is very important as you point and pull the trigger of your shotgun as less stabile layout boats can have the tendency of capsizing if shooting to the port or starboard sides of the sneak boat.