You obviously didn't look at the specs yourself otherwise you would have understood that the plastic aquapod is the same boat as the glass aquapod - not the Kmart kayaks you are familiar with. A friend and I have been hunting the plastic and fibreglass pods side by side for years and know from experience that the plastic pod is no more then 15lbs heavier - much of that due to the floatation in the plastic boat which is absent in the much older glass pod. As for paintability it is likely the glass boat would take paint easier though modern paints likely mute the difference - though I don't know for certain (nor do I give a damn). Any experienced waterfowler would know that relying on paint for the hide is a fools game. So yes the glass boat would be easier to repair but at 2.5 times the cost I'd simply buy another plastic boat if I somehow managed to significantly damage it and still be money ahead - though in 5 years of abuse including flying out the back of a truck at highway speed with little more the some scratches and broken paddle clip I doubt durability is an issue.
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What kind of boat do you guys use for duck hunting?
- Thread starter lewiss009
- Start date
If they were the same boat they would be the same price would'nt they?
Obviously there is a diffrence between plastic boats and fibreglass/composites or else the market would not bear the price diffrence and clipper would have been out competed by coleman a long time ago. The price they (aquaood) have on thier composite/glass boats is fair the price they have on the plastic boat is whacked.
re paint, odd that so much time is given to the pursuit if it is useless, not saying your wrong but it appears to be important to alot of people. In my experience on over cast days my SEMI GLOSS battle ship grey 2 foot side dory works as a layout with no additional cover everytime, when there is snow my flat white kayak never turns a bird (but I need to repaint after every trip cause it is plastic). Your right for any other conditions local veg is 100 times better.
OP sorry for the distraction from your initial question about a stable cheap boat. You got a year to find something keep your eyes open and I bet you find a good deal on a great boat (meanwhile build an aquapod clone for 100 bucks)
Obviously there is a diffrence between plastic boats and fibreglass/composites or else the market would not bear the price diffrence and clipper would have been out competed by coleman a long time ago. The price they (aquaood) have on thier composite/glass boats is fair the price they have on the plastic boat is whacked.
re paint, odd that so much time is given to the pursuit if it is useless, not saying your wrong but it appears to be important to alot of people. In my experience on over cast days my SEMI GLOSS battle ship grey 2 foot side dory works as a layout with no additional cover everytime, when there is snow my flat white kayak never turns a bird (but I need to repaint after every trip cause it is plastic). Your right for any other conditions local veg is 100 times better.
OP sorry for the distraction from your initial question about a stable cheap boat. You got a year to find something keep your eyes open and I bet you find a good deal on a great boat (meanwhile build an aquapod clone for 100 bucks)
Lewis, "Chines" are the wood pieces that attach the sides to the bottom, they are made from a piece of wood maybe 3/4 x 1 inch (or bigger depending on baot size) and run from the stem to the stern. They are attached to the sides of the boat and give you something to nail,screw,glue the bottom to. 99.9% of modern home boat building is now done "stitch and glue" with this modern method a slurry of epoxy and silica is used to form a fillet at the joint and then it is reinforced with fibreglass. While this makes a strong watertight joint it is expensive, toxic and messy. When building a boat with a "curvy" hull wood chines need to be planned/cut to fit and this requires 3 brain cells and confidence hence the replacement with goop.
(Rant:At the end of the day the reality is the Epoxy industry has done a better job of marketing to hobby boat builders then the construction grade lumber industry. There is no profit for anyone in a wood chine (which uses 30 cents or a buck fifty of wood) but a stitch and glue chine puts signifigant dollars in someone's pocket)
When building a simple plywood boat IMHO there is no good reason to spend more on attaching the sides to the bottom then on the whole boat. The Hybrid boats and the Puddle Duck Racer hull mentioned above both are perfect candidates for wood chines (the free plans for the puddle duck racer show wood chines, but IIRC they are called "frames" and are attached to the sides of the boat.
Lewis if you think you are gonna build a cheap hull one thing you will want are some "bronze boat nails"- "Bronze Ring Nails" they are about 20 bucks a pound but worth every penny. They hold like nobodies bussiness, wont ruin a tool if you cut into one and make boat building a joy. Everything else you can buy at the local hardware store but you might need to order some bronze nails. Leevalley sells em but you can also order from the USA for the same price and mix/match sizes/length. The only trouble with them is that if you have extras you wont be able to help yourself and will build something with them LOL. No comaparable fastener exists.
Bill, you sure scored on that Lazer Hull that is the best thing you could hope for, If lewis could find a lazer or sunfish hull like that he would be set. I had a chance at a lazer hull once and I still regret missing the deal.
(Rant:At the end of the day the reality is the Epoxy industry has done a better job of marketing to hobby boat builders then the construction grade lumber industry. There is no profit for anyone in a wood chine (which uses 30 cents or a buck fifty of wood) but a stitch and glue chine puts signifigant dollars in someone's pocket)
When building a simple plywood boat IMHO there is no good reason to spend more on attaching the sides to the bottom then on the whole boat. The Hybrid boats and the Puddle Duck Racer hull mentioned above both are perfect candidates for wood chines (the free plans for the puddle duck racer show wood chines, but IIRC they are called "frames" and are attached to the sides of the boat.
Lewis if you think you are gonna build a cheap hull one thing you will want are some "bronze boat nails"- "Bronze Ring Nails" they are about 20 bucks a pound but worth every penny. They hold like nobodies bussiness, wont ruin a tool if you cut into one and make boat building a joy. Everything else you can buy at the local hardware store but you might need to order some bronze nails. Leevalley sells em but you can also order from the USA for the same price and mix/match sizes/length. The only trouble with them is that if you have extras you wont be able to help yourself and will build something with them LOL. No comaparable fastener exists.
Bill, you sure scored on that Lazer Hull that is the best thing you could hope for, If lewis could find a lazer or sunfish hull like that he would be set. I had a chance at a lazer hull once and I still regret missing the deal.
Interesting, once wood chines are used, there is absolutely no need for fiberglass or epoxy? Also what would the weight restriction for one of these boats be? I'd like to make use of it also as a deer or bear hunting boat to cross lakes to hunt on the opposite side.
A layer of fibreglass on the bottom will give you some wear resistance and will resist plywoods desire to check, it will also stiffen a flat bottom and make a curved 1/4 inch bottom feel like steel. No it is not required it is a personel choice that can be made after you build the boat. There are basically 3 diffrent ways to use fibreglass and epoxy: fillets to replace chines, hull coating to add wear resistance, as a bonding agent. I am not a fan of the fillets to replace chines, wear resistance is good if you have something invested in a hull and use it alot, a bond made with good epoxy is uber strong.
OK your next question tells me it is time for you to start doing your own reserch, from the Puddle Duck Racer web site (first return on google)
What is 'safe' is a matter of the water/wind/temperature and your own sense of self worth. A boat designed to haul a moose across a wind swept lake is not the same boat for puddle duck hunting in shallow water.
A low slung, low draft high initial stability duck boat leaves alot to be desired as a frieghter.
If you want to haul moose in 2 foot swells and shoot ducks while standing out of a wood boat that wieghs less then 150 pounds look at Phil Bolgers Seahawk. Build it as Payson built it and it will cost about 3-4 hundred.
Sounds to me though like you might be in the market for a used aluminum boat in the 14 foot range.
OK your next question tells me it is time for you to start doing your own reserch, from the Puddle Duck Racer web site (first return on google)
Capacity: Hull shape carries 630 lbs (that is when both transoms touch water)
What is 'safe' is a matter of the water/wind/temperature and your own sense of self worth. A boat designed to haul a moose across a wind swept lake is not the same boat for puddle duck hunting in shallow water.
A low slung, low draft high initial stability duck boat leaves alot to be desired as a frieghter.
If you want to haul moose in 2 foot swells and shoot ducks while standing out of a wood boat that wieghs less then 150 pounds look at Phil Bolgers Seahawk. Build it as Payson built it and it will cost about 3-4 hundred.
Sounds to me though like you might be in the market for a used aluminum boat in the 14 foot range.
