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Thread: Project : Layout Boat/w dog

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
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    4,368

    Project : Layout Boat/w dog

    Good Day all,

    I picked up a foam "Sea Snark" sailboat hull for $25 a little over a year ago. My intention is to make a very low profile floating rig that I can throw my layout blind in, brush in and hunt the tidal estuaries when the water is just too deep for a layout on its own.

    Probably cost me a few hundred in materials, and I'll glass over the entire thing to add a bit of toughness to it.

    I do want to make sure its stable so I'll plan to include a small spud on each side that I can drive into the mud and allow it to raise and lower with the tide, while giving it some side to side stability.

    I don't have any experience hunting with my own dog in a layout and am not sure of the best place to make a position for my dog. Up front would be best as she would be able to see better, but I am thinking being behind me is safer?

    Anyone have any experience/advice to share about dog position in very small boats?

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Posts
    955

    Re: Project : Layout Boat/w dog

    I like this guy’s build and attention to detail. Might be useful to you as you work. I think later on in the series he addresses the dog thing.

    https://www.lumberjocks.com/DustyMark/blog/57250

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Posts
    874

    Re: Project : Layout Boat/w dog

    Ron, Be aware that shotgun muzzle blast will deafen a dog fairly quickly when your planning a place for him. Good luck.
    "Guns kill people like spoons made Rosie O'Donel fat"

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
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    955

    Re: Project : Layout Boat/w dog

    Wondering too about the wisdom of driving a “spud” in to the mud to give side to side stability. Maybe I am misunderstanding what you mean, but if you are in any kind of tide in the Fraser estuary, you won’t want to be fixed in one place with it pushing against you.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
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    4,368

    Re: Project : Layout Boat/w dog

    Quote Originally Posted by Beachcomber View Post
    Wondering too about the wisdom of driving a “spud” in to the mud to give side to side stability. Maybe I am misunderstanding what you mean, but if you are in any kind of tide in the Fraser estuary, you won’t want to be fixed in one place with it pushing against you.
    Beachcomber,

    Not concerned about that in the area I hunt. The spot I have in mind is a bitch to hunt. Too little water, can't get near the birds, too much and can't layout. With my layout, I can hunt about 10" of water max and most days on the perfect tide can only get about 40 minutes before I am high and dry or flooding out. A canoe or even my john boat just has too high a profile "tried both" and spook birds. On a high tide, there is enough grass still above water that I can hide a very low profile boat and still hunt the pockets the birds seem to want to be in. There is barely more than 2' of water on a good flood.

    Labguy,

    thanks, that was one of my concerns about safety. I had seen another rig something like what I have in mind where the hunter positioned his rig and shot to the side, not over the dog.

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Posts
    4,368

    Re: Project : Layout Boat/w dog

    so now my pup is nearly full grown, time get this project going. Had this 12' foam boat hull in the local lake today for a stability test. Was actually not bad at all.

    Started today by modifying an old layout blind to fit in the boat. I had to make a new frame for the blind as the original one was far too wide to fit. And I can see now I've got lots of room to work with to give Jessie a comfy spot to work from.

    Next Step now that I know how much room I have to work with is to figure out how best to hide the pup. I'm thinking I may glass in some light wood rails, attach some hardware for a removable camo cover that can be set up behind the dog.




  8. #7
    guest Guest

    Re: Project : Layout Boat/w dog

    Thats going to be a great set up Ron. Very nice.
    In your stability test did Jessie bail out and back in a few times?
    Did it leave you much free board .

    Thanks for sharing your project.
    Last edited by guest; 07-06-2019 at 05:02 PM.

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
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    4,368

    Re: Project : Layout Boat/w dog

    Quote Originally Posted by curly top View Post
    Thats going to be a great set up Ron. Very nice.
    In your stability test did Jessie bail out and back in a few times?
    Did it leave you much free board .

    Thanks for sharing your project.
    Jess was pretty good. She jumped right in and sat when I told her, but she was pretty jacked up. Once its done, I'll take it to the marsh and do a few training and work out the bugs before we ever hunt with it.

    This rig will let me hunt a local spot on high tide that has gave me fits for the past few years. h

  10. #9
    guest Guest

    Re: Project : Layout Boat/w dog

    Sounds perfect

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Posts
    955

    Re: Project : Layout Boat/w dog

    Nice work - You dog certainly looks pleased! I like the layout blind conversion. I have been working on an old punt and want to install doors on it too. The problem I have is the cockpit is curved, not rectangular, so it is hard to fashion hinges so doors fold in/out easily. I've thought about something similar to your version using pvc pipe and mesh to fashion something. Still goofing around with it but not arrived at a conclusion yet. Probably spending too much time thinking about it and not enough just getting it done.

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