Ok, so I can now disclose my duck boat project in a forum that perhaps swmbo (aka Justin Beiber Fan Club's mum) may stumble across it. Funny things about boats. When you need one, you never have one, when you have one there's usually something wrong with it, or a component of it, and owning one means that you're ready to sell one. I have some vivid memories of our duck boat hunts from when I was a kid. The thing I most remember were the huge bags that dad and grandpop used to get. They had it sussed. The boat was flat bottomed, enclosed, a bit of a barge, camo'd, could carry up to 4 guns, had a well stacked and stored complement of HUGE decoys (easy to see on the sea - you see?). A good single task machine, but you'd not want to fish out of it. Ok so, stuff that was important to me:
1. Sea worthiness. Some of the weather I envisage being out in, is what the met guys call "inclement". It needs to be able to take on water and not sink. Pontoon boat answers that one.
2. Stability. Standing to shoot means you want a platform that's not going to tilt sharply. Pontoon boat answers that one.
3. Horsepower. I want to be able to get up and go in rough water. So at least 30 horses are required.
4. I want to add a boat blind at some stage. High flat sides on the boat are needed.
5. I want to fish out of it in summer/winter.
6. I want to be able to single handed beach launch. Ak ramps are full of stupid people with no idea.
So I've ended up settling on a pontoon boat, with a few mods. The hull will be professionally painted in green and I've got the floor marine carpeted for noise and slip reduction. I think I'm barking up the right tree;
http://www.frewzaboats.co.nz/aluminium-dinghy-4-1m-high-sided/
I'll update as I go.
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