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Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
As some of you have seen or heard I picked up a duck boat this winter. After doing some research on other duck hunting boards, boat manufacturer’s websites and chatting with Ian F. I narrowed it down to this boat. It's a Momarsh Fatboy Dual Purpose or FatboyDP.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/..._the_beach.JPG
It's made out of fiberglass and weights around 90 lbs. It's 13 feet long and 4 feet wide in spots. It has a channel design bottom and is an extremely shallow drafting boat( 4 inches of draft with a full load of 550 lbs or 2 inches empty) that can be used in a shallow marsh or on the open water for divers.
I wanted something I could use in the estuaries where the ducks wanted to be with scarce cover that the ducks felt secure and little to no pressure from other hunters in the area. I also wanted something I could use in the open water of sheltered bays for hunting blue bills, golden eyes and pretty much what ever came into the decoys.
Most places I hunt gets lots of pressure along the shore line where there is lots of cover, now I can set up where the ducks want to be when the pressure gets hot.
Here is my FatboyDP that I loaded up into my Ford Ranger by myself with little effort.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/...the_ranger.JPG
As you can see in the last two pictures a small outboard,electric or mud motor can be hooked up to this low profile boat. All it takes to put on or remove the removable transom is 3 wing nuts. The transom is small enough that it can be removed and hidden inside the boat along with the motor to give a low profile in the marsh or you can remove it and stash it on dry land somewhere near your set up and pick it up at then end of the hunt.
Even with a 70 lb dog standing on the back of the boat the motor is less then a foot underwater making it great for shallow marshes, lakes, or estuaries. I plan on painting the motor and transom a color similar to the boat if I can find it or drab green.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/...rn_of_boat.jpg
I have the dog door blind kit and the Invisagrass but haven't put it on yet. Ira from Momarsh is sending a Max 4 Camo deck cover for the boat that allows you to secure grass and brush to bungee cord all over the deck cover. When it's all said and done it's a layout blind on the water or marsh edge with a spot for the dog directly behind the shooter. I'll update this thread as things come together.
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
Please lots of pictures mark i'm very interested in one of these as well.And of course how you got it up here.
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
Yeah Marc,I've been thinking about one of those for years!I use the layout blinds for field shooting,and I thought the Fatboy would be great in the marsh and the river edges I shoot up here.How DID you get it up here,and what kind of money did it take?I keep reminding myself that I need to win the 6/49 NOW!!!:biggrin: Gunner
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
With the Canadian dollar where it is the only painful part was the shipping. I think without looking for the receipt it was around $375.00 in shipping. Plus a $60 crating fee. It came fairly quickly like within a week of when it was fabricated and being the off season it only took two weeks to get it made. I ended picking it up at Van-Kam Freightways after making a visit to customs to pay some taxes.
Here is their price list. I seem to recall them telling me that there boat prices where going up by 10% after March because of increase in cost of fiber glass.
http://momarsh.com/pricing.html
I compared them to the other duck boats out there and the FatboyDP seemed to be better priced and had a better layout setup for a man and dog team. One of the competitions boats without shipping was the same price just for the boat as it was for me to ship the boat and everything else to my place.
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
The dog loves it so far but he makes me nervous as he gets up and moves around on the front while we're underway of the motor. He's still growing into his legs and is pretty clumsy. I'll be posting pictures from the garage to the marsh as things go together.
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
That's very interesting.....maybe a guy should figure out how to make a mold?
Maybe stick on some weatherproof carpet so the dog has better adhesion?
I think this would be more stable than a canoe for those fishing trips to little isolated mountain lakes too! Love that little Suzi!!!
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
Great looking boat Marc. Looking forward to pics of it in action.:wink:
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
I was luckily enough to see Marshal's boat shortly after Marc picked it up and the first thing that I noticed was the fit and finish, second to none. The two halves are very well bonded together making a strong ridgid seam, without the vinyl cover up that most use.
Seeing one in person was long awaited for me as I've been oogling momarsh boats for years! The DP is in a class of it's own, really not comparable to my Aquapod, except for style and method of hunting.
I'm looking forward to the fuller report, and especially some update reports as the season opens and you get some time in her. Now we just need someone to get the original fatboy too!
Very best,
Ian
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
Had the FatboyDP out again today but this time it was in my Dodge Dakota. You can work it in the back of a ranger but it fits so much better in the mid to full size class. I had the boat pushed a bit to the left in the back of the box so I could lay the motor next to it on the right.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/...the_dakota.JPG
I had Marshall my Chesapeake bay retriever out with me on Quamichan lake this afternoon to get him used to traveling in the boat before fall. The boat plained so much better when he was either standing on the bow or inside the boat with his feat on the bow. You could hear the difference in the motor as well as there was less resistance. If Marshall came back to where I was at the back of the boat it would cause the part of the back deck to dip an inch or so underwater. If he was up forward the deck on the back of the boat was out of the water. I still haven't tried it yet with 2 men and a dog to see how it trucks along. It's rated for 550 lbs so it should handle two guys over 200 and an 85 lb dog.
Had the opportunity to fetch Marshall out of the water and back into the boat today. He was messing around on the bow of the boat and lost his footing and fell in. It was just a matter of grabbing his collar/ scruff of his neck and pulling him in. The boat is sloped pretty good and it's a low profile boat so it didn't take much effort to get him back in and he's over 70 lbs.
I'm hoping to have the deck cover on hand in the next week or so and I'll continue with putting the door blind together so I can practice with the dog in his position so he knows what he's supposed to be doing by next fall.
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
Nice Boat Marc. I use to take my kyak down to Cow. Bay to hunt ducks in the grassy channels in the mud flats and did quite well. But my kyak was not stable enough for my dog Dextor and I so I stopped doing this. I have some camo netting you could have if you want to use it to cover your boat. I hope I have done this Quote thing properly
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Marc
Had the FatboyDP out again today but this time it was in my Dodge Dakota. You can work it in the back of a ranger but it fits so much better in the mid to full size class. I had the boat pushed a bit to the left in the back of the box so I could lay the motor next to it on the right. Nice boat Mark. I have some camo netting you could have to cover your boat. I use to take my kyak to Cow bay and hunt ducks out of it but I can,t take my dog Dextor in it so I stopped going. P.S. I hope I have done this quote thing right.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/...the_dakota.JPG
I had Marshall my Chesapeake bay retriever out with me on Quamichan lake this afternoon to get him used to traveling in the boat before fall. The boat plained so much better when he was either standing on the bow or inside the boat with his feat on the bow. You could hear the difference in the motor as well as there was less resistance. If Marshall came back to where I was at the back of the boat it would cause the part of the back deck to dip an inch or so underwater. If he was up forward the deck on the back of the boat was out of the water. I still haven't tried it yet with 2 men and a dog to see how it trucks along. It's rated for 550 lbs so it should handle two guys over 200 and an 85 lb dog.
Had the opportunity to fetch Marshall out of the water and back into the boat today. He was messing around on the bow of the boat and lost his footing and fell in. It was just a matter of grabbing his collar/ scruff of his neck and pulling him in. The boat is sloped pretty good and it's a low profile boat so it didn't take much effort to get him back in and he's over 70 lbs.
I'm hoping to have the deck cover on hand in the next week or so and I'll continue with putting the door blind together so I can practice with the dog in his position so he knows what he's supposed to be doing by next fall.
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
Quote:
Originally Posted by
switchback
Nice Boat Marc. I use to take my kyak down to Cow. Bay to hunt ducks in the grassy channels in the mud flats and did quite well. But my kyak was not stable enough for my dog Dextor and I so I stopped doing this. I have some camo netting you could have if you want to use it to cover your boat. I hope I have done this Quote thing properly
I've got a deck cover that's max-4 camo that has bungee all over it to attach natural grass to it. The blind doors are made of the same thing.
http://www.advantagecamo.com/pattern...atch_max-4.jpg
Swtichback this is what the boat will look like once it's done up.
http://www.momarsh.com/gallery/get_t...nw=1280&nh=853
http://www.momarsh.com/gallery/get_t...nw=1280&nh=853
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
That's nice boat Marc. I really like how it doesn't sit to far under the surface of the water. That must work perfect in the estuary. Very nice.
Longshot
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
Well the deck cover finally came in, unfortunately I'm heading out of town until after the weekend so I won't get a chance to play with it until after then. I'll post up some progress pictures of the boat being outfitted with the deck cover and blind when I get back.
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Elevated transom
That is such a neat boat!!!!!!!!! it is almost the same as my fathers old duck boat that was used in the chesapeake bay. he cut the back end off and made a little transom for a small motor, (kinda ruining the historic/value) but all the motors legs were to low.
so:
did you purchase that nifty transom??????? or did you make it. I want one, then the old wooden boat would be back in the water having fun.
thank you for sharing your good boat. Cheers.
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Re: Elevated transom
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jsdboy
so:
did you purchase that nifty transom??????? or did you make it. I want one, then the old wooden boat would be back in the water having fun.
thank you for sharing your good boat. Cheers.
jsdboy,
I purchased the transom from Momarsh. You can buy just the transom if that's all you want off of them. I like the way they have it designed that it's only 3 wing nuts holding it on so you can remove it when you want to hide the boat.
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
Hey Marc that sure is a nice set up you have there. Was just reading all of the posts on it. Sounds like the platforms for the dog are quite slippery though. Have you though of putting a little rhino hide or dura deck roll on textured rubberized coating on there. Sure would make for better traction for the beast. Had my dog in my small punt one day and she slipped on the bench seat and twisted her hip. Took a long time to get that healed up. Still have to keep an eye on her so that she doesn't re-injure it.
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
Hey Statler, there is a deck cover that goes on it for hunting season. It's made of a type of durable cloth material that will give the dog a bit more traction plus it will be covered in vegetation so the only time he'll be walking on it is to retrieve and get back in. This fall will be the test and we'll go from there. Hoping to have some time in the near future to work on it but the wife just picked up a couple of pool chairs and gave me the look, you know the one I'm talking about, the "When are going to put the pool up?" look.
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
That cover sounds like it should be just the ticket for him. I'm sure that he will be quite the sight with just his head sticking out through the camo waiting for that first retrieve of the year. Bet ya can't wait. As for the look.. well what can a guy say. Its' the one about when you say "you're just like your mother" look that gives me the chills but hey the happier they are the longer your in the marsh.
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
I bet it would be great for hunting bull frogs in Sominose lake.
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Statler
That cover sounds like it should be just the ticket for him. I'm sure that he will be quite the sight with just his head sticking out through the camo waiting for that first retrieve of the year. Bet ya can't wait. As for the look.. well what can a guy say. Its' the one about when you say "you're just like your mother" look that gives me the chills but hey the happier they are the longer your in the marsh.
It should be interesting for sure. I just hope he lays still long enough so I can knock something out of the air.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
switchback
I bet it would be great for hunting bull frogs in Sominose lake.
It's light, shallow drafting, and a fairly stable platform. You'd either have to pole it or use an electric motor in that lake. What method are you using to get the frogs?
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
OK with the Cabelas waterfowl issue coming in the mail and training Marshall for his junior hunters it's put some kindle on the fire so today I went into the garage and shook the dust off the door blind and deck cover and put it together. Here are a couple of pictures I took in the garage and I'll get some better ones once I've got it all grassed up and the dog sitting in it.
In the first picture you can notice a blue bread tray upside down. This is where the dog will lay and the tray is there so that the water will drip off of him and into the bottom of the boat so he's not constantly laying in water.. It's a bit hard to tell by the picture but the bottom has like small pontoons so the water channels into there and out of the center of the boat.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/...doors_open.JPG
I bought a kayak paddle today and I'm going to take it out for a spin tonight in Quamichan lake to see how it rides with the kayak paddle.
In the second picture the blind doors are shut and you can see all the bungee cords on the deck cover so you can add marsh grass or bushes from the same area you're hunting in to blend in with the surroundings.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/...doors_shut.JPG
What I really like about this set up is that the dog is sitting behind you. There is no chance of him sitting up or jumping out in front of you while you're shooting at ducks. Or shocking him with muzzle blast.
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
Looks really neat Marc, it makes my Jon Boat look big and clumsy in comparision. However, I do like to have a bit more room in the boat.
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
This boat is a layout boat it's not supposed to have any more room then what's required. It has enough room for me, my dog, and room enough for more decoys then I ever care to use in it. To me that's more then enough room required to go duck hunting. It looks small but it is actually 4 feet wide and 13 feet long and about 16 inches high in the center. It has a low profile design so that it can blend in with the marsh but still be amazingly stable and rated for 550 lbs. It only drafts 4 inches of water with 550 lbs in the boat. This boat allows for birds in your face action and allows you to hide and go where most other boats can't access or stick out. If it starts raining or blowing you're out of the elements with the blind doors shut and you have a good foot of space on either side of yourself while laid out to store your shells. food, or what ever you want to take with you. I can see myself catching some z's on those calm warm bluebird days :biggrin:
I have a 14 1/2 foot deep V aluminum boat that has a lot more room but a hell of a lot harder to hide, weights 250 lbs+with the motor and needs to be trailered. I also need at least 2 feet of water to use the motor.
What's nice about the FatboyDP is it's light enough that one person can load/unload it from the back of the truck (90lbs), it drags well on grass, so most places I don't need a boat launch to get it to the water. when the boat is empty it only drafts 2 inches of water so it's easy to pull around in the shallows. The transom is designed in such a away that the prop is just below the water line allowing for shallow motoring. I've had the fatboy under power in a foot of water and to my amazement I wasn't hitting bottom.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/FatboyDP.jpg
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
The boat does look a bit small at first but now that you mentioned the dimensions it seems quite roomy. You got me thinking Marc (Never a good idea):-D. Are these boats sold here in Canada too?
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
Quote:
Originally Posted by
huntwriter
Are these boats sold here in Canada too?
Unfortunately they don't sell them here in Canada and you have to order them from the states at www.Momarsh.com. It was a little costly getting it here but there is nothing like it out there on the market in Canada. It was just one of those I have to have one sort of things.
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
Marc,
Can't wait to you tell us about shooting birds literally in your face and never knowing you where there till you flip the doors! Get some live bird and cripple training on marshall to get his steady down and you are going to have some fun this fall!
Ian
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
I had Marshall out in the Fatboy this afternoon to try and get him used to the new boat cover and blind setup. Again he spent the majority of the time with his head over the side trying to retrieve ever leaf or feather we passed on the lake while on the way. :mrgreen: I have to say since he started swimming that dog loves the water. Soon we start laying out in the back yard and get him to learn his position and job in the boat. When the ducks are in your face is not the time to try and teach your dog to stay still. :lol:
I hooked up with HuntnHooksports out on the lake and took him for a spin in the FatboyDP to see how it would handle two people and a dog. That little two hp was more then enough to push us along and the boat was amazingly stable. this little boat is going to keep us into the ducks and keep young Marshall busy this fall I think.
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
nice ride,had dreams about that boat last night
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
I have the motor painted up and getting ready to go grass it up for tomorrow morning. Hoping to have some pictures of it set up in place on the marsh tomorrow with some dead ducks on the top if they cooperate :)
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/...camo_motor.JPG
Check out the draft on the motor.This sucker can go in a foot of water! I picked up a Kayak carrier as well for those areas that don't have a boat launch. With the motor on the back I'd be surprised if there is 10 lbs of weight when I pick up the handle on the bow. The Kayak carrier folds up and the tires come off so it's about 2 inches hight by 2 feet by maybe 10 inches stored away.
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
I forgot to load up this picture. Here is the MomarshDP all grassed up and ready to go opening morning.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/...grassed_up.JPG
Did it work?
lets get Marshall to ask these guys......
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/...ening_day_.JPG
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/...ober_ducks.jpg
yup it works.:mrgreen:
.
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
can your boat go to the sea?
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
What do you mean by the sea? Can it be used in sheltered salt water? Sure can. Would I take it out into open water in rough conditions? Likely not. I plan on using it this fall over a bluebill spread in a sheltered bay but that's about as open I'll go with it.
A few more pics of the boat this season.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/...I_side_on_.jpg
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/...e_FatboyDP.jpg
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/...h_16Nov_08.jpg
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
We've been having such great success this fall hunting the fields I only managed to get the MomarshDP out twice this season. I was a bit concerned that the dog may have outgrown his cockpit but there is still sufficient room for him to lay down comfortably.
This is definitely a great little boat to hunker down where there is scarce cover in a marsh, estuary, flooded field, or swamp. I had planned on setting up for Bluebills this fall with it but work got in the way. Hopefully next year.
http://i683.photobucket.com/albums/v...ygrassedup.jpg
http://i683.photobucket.com/albums/v...onthefront.jpg
In the next picture you can make out my ball cap, the following picture is a blow up section of the same picture showing the dog hunkered down behind me. The MomarshDP with it's low profile pretty much disappears with a bit of matching the cover with it's surroundings.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/...ered_down_.jpg
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/...h_hideaway.jpg
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/...man_limit_.jpg
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
Great boat and hide there Marc, we're picking up two original fatboys in a couple weeks. Already took out the american money when the dollar was real strong.
It was either them or four rivers but I think all said and done it'll be cheaper to go with these.
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
Here they are. Alot bigger then we thought they'd be. Which is a big plus, room for motor/decoys/dog everything.
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f5...er/fatboys.jpg
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
Hoowa--looks like a detachment of U.S. Navy stealth squadron river boats
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
Nice lookin punts, ya better hope it don't get too ugly or yer gonna get the pucker effect. Go to bed Bob! K
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Re: Momarsh FatboyDP duck boat review
Quote:
Originally Posted by
f350ps
Nice lookin punts, ya better hope it don't get too ugly or yer gonna get the pucker effect. Go to bed Bob! K
The Mrs. just had knee replacement surgery last week Kelly so I'm keeping odd hours playing Mr. step-and-fetch-it (last night it was peanut butter and toast and a glass of milk)----besides, it's good practice for brant season, assuming that is, that she recovers soon enough for me to be able to get out of here at all.