# Layout Boat



## DuckGodLiaison (Jul 20, 2010)

Anyone recommend a descent layout boat that's not too expensive?  I've thought about building one, but i dont think i have the time before season starts.  There's gonna be alot of flooded rice where i'm going this year and a layout will be deadly.  I'd like to buy a used one, but without the Swap-n-Sell its kinda hard to find one!


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## Gaducker (Jul 20, 2010)

DuckGodLiaison said:


> Anyone recommend a descent layout boat that's not too expensive?  I've thought about building one, but i dont think i have the time before season starts.  There's gonna be alot of flooded rice where i'm going this year and a layout will be deadly.  I'd like to buy a used one, but without the Swap-n-Sell its kinda hard to find one!



You can build one in three afternoons.  One to frame it one to skin it and one to paint it.


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## cmk07c (Jul 20, 2010)

DuckGodLiaison said:


> I'd like to buy a used one, but without the Swap-n-Sell its kinda hard to find one!



I hope they can get that up and running again...


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## jerry russell (Jul 21, 2010)

I am looking at building one also. Actually we will be building 4 of them for my group. Still trying to decide on a set of plans. Does anyone have some to share? I am talking a true layout boat with skirt not a sneak boat. We have no idea what we are doing but that has never slowed us down..

DuckGod- have you looked at a neo-tub cover for a regular layout blind? They work fine in very shallow water-less than 5". Cabelas actually has a layout blind that is made for shallow water hunting (they say up to 10") That blind coupled with a neo-tub would most likely keep you dry. This entire setup would run around $350 and be REALLY easy to carry on a tender boat vs. several layout boats.


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## duck-dawg (Jul 21, 2010)

Jerry, it wouldn't be considered a true "layout" boat, but here's a website that you may find helpful:

http://www.hybridduckboat.com/files/

I'm in the finishing stages of the hybrid SN, and so far it looks great and hasn't been difficult at all.


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## Golden BB (Jul 21, 2010)

jerry russell said:


> I am looking at building one also. Actually we will be building 4 of them for my group. Still trying to decide on a set of plans. Does anyone have some to share? I am talking a true layout boat with skirt not a sneak boat. We have no idea what we are doing but that has never slowed us down..
> 
> DuckGod- have you looked at a neo-tub cover for a regular layout blind? They work fine in very shallow water-less than 5". Cabelas actually has a layout blind that is made for shallow water hunting (they say up to 10") That blind coupled with a neo-tub would most likely keep you dry. This entire setup would run around $350 and be REALLY easy to carry on a tender boat vs. several layout boats.


You have no idea what you are doing and you want to build a boat .... sounds safe.


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## DuckGodLiaison (Jul 21, 2010)

Jerry,
I"ve seen the neo-tubs before, but that wont work where we'll be.....It will probably be deeper than that.

GaDucker,

Do you by chance have any plans?  I saw one guy on here somewhere that build a full-size marsh boat out of high density foam and fiberglass......I wonder if the foam approach would be better than plywood (weight) ??   Also, I'm in the middle of getting my regular boat ready before season gets here, so i'm not sure if i'll have the time to build anything.  I live in an apartment right now, so that also hinders the convenience factor of not having a shop easily accessible.  By the time its all said and done, money/time/effort, it might be easier to find a used one.


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## Core Lokt (Jul 21, 2010)

Golden BB said:


> You have no idea what you are doing and you want to build a boat .... sounds safe.



I think the fella may have meant he has never built one before, that doesn't mean he can't, correct? No need to be a smart tail about it.


I've seen some made out of foam on the net but the places I've seen requires you to buy the plans. There are pics so maybe you could go off of that.


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## Gaducker (Jul 21, 2010)

DuckGodLiaison said:


> Jerry,
> I"ve seen the neo-tubs before, but that wont work where we'll be.....It will probably be deeper than that.
> 
> GaDucker,
> ...




I dont have any plans but If you want me to I can take pics of the one I built and Try to explain over the phone what I did once you get the pics.  It took 2 4x8 sheets of 1/4 icnh plywood, 2  1 x 12 shelving board 8 ft long and a 3 1x 2  strips 10 ft longand a few tubes of pl glue from home depot . I just sealed it with sanding sealer then put a coat of grey floor paint on it so it would be tough then spray painted it black. I just pull up what evers floatin in the water and cover it up with it.  The corners are cut at a 45 and I had to use some bondo or fiberglass to seal where I cut the top deck so I could comform the plywood to the shape I needed.   With some pics and this post you can figure it out. Its really very simple. I used an air powered brad nailer to speed constuction but the glue is what holds it all together and seals out the water.   Pm me if you want the pics sent to a email or if you want them posted in this post.   Its about 100 lbs I would guess. I could load it on the front of my boat by myself, But would rather have help doin it.
                                                           Chris


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## Gaducker (Jul 21, 2010)

Core Lokt said:


> I think the fella may have meant he has never built one before, that doesn't mean he can't, correct? No need to be a smart tail about it.
> 
> 
> I've seen some made out of foam on the net but the places I've seen requires you to buy the plans. There are pics so maybe you could go off of that.



The ones you build out of foam require  fiberglass encapsulation of the entire boat.  TIME consuming. For what little use they see and the short amount of time it takes to build one out of wood, I just figured if it rots I would build another.  The boat in the avatar was completely glassed, It took 5 or 6 days of working on it in the afternoons.


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## across the river (Jul 21, 2010)

I built one last year and had never built a boat before and it wasn't that hard.  I can send you pictures if you would like some.  I bought the plans, but I might still have them if you are interested in them.


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## Core Lokt (Jul 21, 2010)

Gaducker said:


> The ones you build out of foam require  fiberglass encapsulation of the entire boat.  TIME consuming. For what little use they see and the short amount of time it takes to build one out of wood, I just figured if it rots I would build another.  The boat in the avatar was completely glassed, It took 5 or 6 days of working on it in the afternoons.




You are correct and I agree. He mentioned foam and it's possible but time consuming. I didn't take into consideration that he may have not been aware that it needed to be glassed.


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## jerry russell (Jul 21, 2010)

OK, I think we have found a boat that we will build but with a few small changes.  http://www.jetducks.com/layout.html
I will shallow up the box to decrease the displacement to get it lower in the water. We will tighten up the cockpit size and use a cloth skirt and not the box opening.
This will be dedicated to open water salt duck hunting only. The NEXT boat will be some form of sneak boat like Duck-Dawgs.
This building thing looks pretty straitforward. Most anyone could do this. We ran the numbers and it should run about $300. A lot better than $1,100 to buy and great project for me and my son.


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## DuckGodLiaison (Jul 21, 2010)

I'd love to see pictures/plans if you have them.  I'll PM you with my email.


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## DuckGodLiaison (Jul 21, 2010)

jerry russell said:


> OK, I think we have found a boat that we will build but with a few small changes.  http://www.jetducks.com/layout.html
> I will shallow up the box to decrease the displacement to get it lower in the water. We will tighten up the cockpit size and use a cloth skirt and not the box opening.
> This will be dedicated to open water salt duck hunting only. The NEXT boat will be some form of sneak boat like Duck-Dawgs.
> This building thing looks pretty straitforward. Most anyone could do this. We ran the numbers and it should run about $300. A lot better than $1,100 to buy and great project for me and my son.



That thing is nice.  I wonder how long it took to make?


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## Gaducker (Jul 21, 2010)

Thats how mine is made, only my box is made from 1x12


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## jerry russell (Jul 22, 2010)

Gaducker (and anyone else that has made a layout boat), 
Can you post some pictures of your layout boats? Boat in the water shots if you have them.

Thanks


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## Gaducker (Jul 22, 2010)

jerry russell said:


> Gaducker (and anyone else that has made a layout boat),
> Can you post some pictures of your layout boats? Boat in the water shots if you have them.
> 
> Thanks



I dont have any in the water but I am going to take some pics and post them sunday.


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## across the river (Jul 24, 2010)

These aren't good pictures at all, but they will at least give you an idea of what it looks like.  I can post some better ones if you want them.  I made this boat and had never built a boat before.  It is wood with a layer of fibergalss and epoxy.


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## DuckGodLiaison (Jul 24, 2010)

Awesome!  I think i might try making one.  Doesnt have to pretty.......as long as it gets the job done!  Do you guys think that boat would be "safe" to use on big water?  or would you only trust it in shallower settings......?


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## georgiaboy88 (Jul 24, 2010)

http://www.marsh-monster.com/boatbuilding.htm


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## georgiaboy88 (Jul 25, 2010)

Ordered these plans and about to start on the boat. It comes with step by step directions and full size templates to cut the wood...http://www.waterfowl-works.com/layout_boat_plans.htm


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## georgiaboy88 (Jul 25, 2010)

this is what it will look like....http://www.waterfowl-works.com/erie_layout_boat.htm.....you can even buy spray skirts from them ready to mount.


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## miller-black (Jul 26, 2010)

This might not be what you are exactly looking for but it is a pretty cool little boat.

http://www.creekboats.com/greentop_m80.htm

If you look at the bottom on the left hand column there is a guy that has his in some reeds (although I don't think it is this same model.)  Looks like it would work well plus its light weight and most of all the price is right. I am just not so sure about the stability and that worries me.


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## jerry russell (Jul 27, 2010)

Our group has decided on the marsh monster set of layout boat plans ($45) http://www.marsh-monster.com/boatbuilding.htm   The boat looks like the boat built by across the river and I liked the look of that one. We will be building 3 or 4 of these. I will post some construction photos as we go along. If anyone wants to drop by as we do this you are welcome-Stockbridge/McDonough area. Now all I need to do is find some gray hair dye so that my lab will match the boat...


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## Gaducker (Jul 27, 2010)

Found some under construction


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## DuckGodLiaison (Jul 27, 2010)

Very nice!  

Jerry,  Take pics!


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## across the river (Jul 27, 2010)

jerry russell said:


> Our group has decided on the marsh monster set of layout boat plans ($45) http://www.marsh-monster.com/boatbuilding.htm   The boat looks like the boat built by across the river and I liked the look of that one. We will be building 3 or 4 of these. I will post some construction photos as we go along. If anyone wants to drop by as we do this you are welcome-Stockbridge/McDonough area. Now all I need to do is find some gray hair dye so that my lab will match the boat...




I used the marsh monster plans too, so pm me if you have any questions.   If you plan on having you dog sit with you, I would extend the length or it is going to get extremely tight.  I am a couple of hours from you, but if you are ever heading east toward the Augusta area you are welcome to come by here and look at this one.  I can tell you the only thing I don't like about mine is the weight.  I usually don't take it unlesshave someone else going with me to help me get it in and out of the boat.  Also, if you plan to glass it, suck it up and spend the money on the epoxy resin.   The fiberglass resin is a waste of time.


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## jerry russell (Jul 27, 2010)

across the river said:


> I used the marsh monster plans too, so pm me if you have any questions.   If you plan on having you dog sit with you, I would extend the length or it is going to get extremely tight.  I am a couple of hours from you, but if you are ever heading east toward the Augusta area you are welcome to come by here and look at this one.  I can tell you the only thing I don't like about mine is the weight.  I usually don't take it unlesshave someone else going with me to help me get it in and out of the boat.  Also, if you plan to glass it, suck it up and spend the money on the epoxy resin.   The fiberglass resin is a waste of time.



We will most likely call you when we get started to see what changes you would recomend, if any. I think we will build towable hulls on these because even with a very large duck boat we will have 3-4 at a time in service on guided trips. We will need to tow sometimes. 
I am a bit woried about how to figure out box size as it relates to displacement. I weigh 200 and the dog around 75. I want to get the boat at the right level-not to high out of the water...
I am not sure I would go this route but this picture is an interesting dog option...


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