Adding onto a fiberglass canoe?

[SmallSaddleWedgie]

Maybe it's 2am ....
Maybe I need a nap.
But I have a wild hair....

I duck hunt out of my canoe. I love the places I can get into, but I don't sit in the canoe as it's a very unstable shooting platform, and lets face it... I ain't no Annie Oakley as it is. (I've thought about stopping shooting at them, and just telling them my life story... then when they go to sleep, I can just noose em)

I was looking into outriggers. I saw a guy that made a really nice set with carved foam and fiberglass (which I can do both).

But then... this idea crawls into my head, and realizing there's plenty of room up there, it just won't leave.

What if.... I just molded the foam, utilized fiberglass matting, and reshaped the whole canoe to a design with a wider base?

Also, right now, I use a trolling motor. But I'd like to add a little outboard, so I figure I can add flotation pods on the back to help keep the nose down a touch with my ever widening rear end and a small outboard.

What's your thoughts? .... Should I just take my butt to bed and let this idea leak out of my ear onto the pillow?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Or.... Just an idea,.... Buy the jon boat you need for less than the materials you would buy turning your canoe into a jon boat.... And it would be done, ready for accessories, and lighter than your canoe turned into a jon boat

 

[SmallSaddleWedgie]

Or.... Just an idea,.... Buy the jon boat you need for less than the materials you would buy turning your canoe into a jon boat.... And it would be done, ready for accessories, and lighter than your canoe turned into a jon boat

You are absolutley correct.
....
But where's the fun in that???

 

[Scott Danforth]

by the way, rounded bottom like you have shown isnt any more stable than what you are probably starting out. my old canoe looked like that. it was nearly 44" wide and still unstable. if I took the dog and she shifted weight (biting at the bubbles from each stroke) we all went swimming.

 

[Ned L]

Look up “sponson canoe”, they’ve been around for well over 100 years.

 

[Downwindtracker2]

They made a "canoe???" like what you are talking about, it was called Sport Pal.

 

[SmallSaddleWedgie]

by the way, rounded bottom like you have shown isnt any more stable than what you are probably starting out. my old canoe looked like that. it was nearly 44" wide and still unstable. if I took the dog and she shifted weight (biting at the bubbles from each stroke) we all went swimming.

Yeah.... I slept on it lol.
I might revisit the idea at a later date... Just seems like fun.

I'll still take any recommendations ...

 

[Downwindtracker2]

Here take a look at this https://kamloops.craigslist.ca/bod/d/sportspal-14-wide-stern-canoe/6581159301.html

Put your foam at the gunnels,not down low. Otherwise if you look sideways, your shot gun and you will be both swimming. A flat bottom in a canoe will feel stable until suddenly you are swimming.There is no warning. That's what you get for trying to flyfish out of one.

I've hunted out of Clipper Mac Sport, A 18'6" freighter canoe with 2' factory cut off to give a 16'6" V-stern. I used a P-17 rifle. It's had to swim a couple of times. And for an outboard a 4.5 Merc, huge overkill. Scareeeeee!

It's do able.

 

[Scott Danforth]

FWIW....we had 3 people and 2 dogs in a 1448 jon boat with all of us firing at once and never went swimming..... the dogs did but we didnt...

 

[SmallSaddleWedgie]

Here take a look at this https://kamloops.craigslist.ca/bod/d/sportspal-14-wide-stern-canoe/6581159301.html

Put your foam at the gunnels,not down low. Otherwise if you look sideways, your shot gun and you will be both swimming. A flat bottom in a canoe will feel stable until suddenly you are swimming.There is no warning. That's what you get for trying to flyfish out of one.

I've hunted out of Clipper Mac Sport, A 18'6" freighter canoe with 2' factory cut off to give a 16'6" V-stern. I used a P-17 rifle. It's had to swim a couple of times. And for an outboard a 4.5 Merc, huge overkill. Scareeeeee!

It's do able.

Yeah, I know a flatbottom would be best... I've just got a tinker spirit upon me.
I need to invest the tinkering to my Fish/Ski.

I normally use the Canoe to get to the spot, be it bank blind or nestling into a treed area in the water knee deep and hiding.
I"m just getting old and tired of the mud lol.

I guess I could sell the Canoe... (I hunt alone, maybe take my boy with me next year) ... No dog.....
I need a life lol

 

[Downwindtracker2]

A couple of thoughts from someone on the other side of the continent . First off get a dog, your bag will increase by a factor of 2 or 3. Second ,have you thought with your skills of making a plywood/epoxy duck punt? You should with careful thought get a boat that weighs 3/4 the weight of an aluminum . A cedar strip canoe weighs 60# where as an aluminum weighs 80# .

 

[SmallSaddleWedgie]

A couple of thoughts from someone on the other side of the continent . First off get a dog, your bag will increase by a factor of 2 or 3. Second ,have you thought with your skills of making a plywood/epoxy duck punt? You should with careful thought get a boat that weighs 3/4 the weight of an aluminum . A cedar strip canoe weighs 60# where as an aluminum weighs 80# .

My 'eventual' goal is to actually build the FX20 plans from Bateau (sp) I downloaded them, and once we move and I build my shop... it's mine!! .....

But meanwhile, I had this fiberglass canoe that I'm used to... but I think folks are right, just too much hassle ...
I could sell the canoe and buy a flat bottom. .... or I could sell the canoe and buy me some fishing gear and keep my butt in indoors this winter. (But we all know that's not going to happen.).....

You ever rode in one of these punts? As stable as a flatbottom? .. Very interesting looking.... if as stable and drafts less... I could sell the canoe for the materials.... .... hrm... this site is bad for me hahaha

 

[Downwindtracker2]

No, I've never used a punt. I don't waterfowl, or for that matter , upland grouse for the pot, either. My coworkers did, I live on a flyway. Jon boats are the recommended boats for flyfishing , so I guess they must be pretty good. I use a 12' Harbercraft car topper.