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Kentucky rollover boat

PostPosted: Sat May 04, 2019 1:35 pm
by Duck Engr
Ran across this on another forum. Thought it was pretty neat.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1hQ9SNR6T ... ture=share

Re: Kentucky rollover boat

PostPosted: Sat May 04, 2019 2:49 pm
by Rick
Did a lot of float hunting from a canoe when I lived upstream of that area, but that style of boat is a new one on me.

Didn't have the patience for the the Ohio's usual lack of current and generally stuck to tributaries with more current - and bends to slip around. But his comments about the lack of attention game along the stream paid struck a familiar sweet note.

Re: Kentucky rollover boat

PostPosted: Sun May 05, 2019 9:32 pm
by DComeaux
Very interesting. With my luck, I'd flip the darn thing.

Re: Kentucky rollover boat

PostPosted: Mon May 06, 2019 4:31 am
by Rick
Has to be some pretty serious counterweight to the keel to have that sort of stability. Having my very own horror story about it, I can attest that The Ohio in winter is not the place for a duck hunter to be wet.

Re: Kentucky rollover boat

PostPosted: Wed Sep 11, 2019 8:42 am
by OGblackcloud
Looks like a calm water boat for sure

Re: Kentucky rollover boat

PostPosted: Thu Oct 17, 2019 8:00 pm
by Olly
That was pretty cool, I really dig how each region in U.S. developed unique ways to hunt ducks.

Re: Kentucky rollover boat

PostPosted: Tue Dec 27, 2022 2:29 pm
by 1oldboldpilot
Bill Bowman (my father) built some of these boats in the 50s and 60s. He worked with a man named “Big”John Huffaker. Fantastic character and bigger than anyone I ever knew. Constantly chewing tobacco he would verbalize lofty aspirations to me and explicate instructions to my dad through a tobacco wade, with a voice that seemed to rattle furniture. A wrestler and lawyer, go figure?

I hunted with these men in these boats from four years old to my mid 20s. Virtually impossible to take on water when you roll it over as the sides are bowed. You would literally sit on the gunnel a few inches from the water, to paddle. Have been in 2 to 4 foot seas, the boat is totally stable. It will rock yeah, but never roll to the point where it takes on water. If the boat has a drawback it would be paddling in a strong crosswind. Kinda tough but not impossible.

The guy in the video is a very nice fellow out of Rabbit Hash Kentucky, but I don’t think he has a lot of experience in the Kentucky sneak boat? And the real secret to these boats is the hide board. It could be moved to the right or left side depending upon where the ducks were. The guy in front would look through a slot created by the hide board and with his hand direct the guy in back, right or left. You can’t paddle up on ducks poking your head over the gunnel to see where they are. I will try and include a picture, hide board right.

Re: Kentucky rollover boat

PostPosted: Tue Dec 27, 2022 2:38 pm
by 1oldboldpilot
Hunting on the Ohio somewhere around Yellowbank.

Re: Kentucky rollover boat

PostPosted: Tue Dec 27, 2022 3:10 pm
by Anotherone
Cool story and pics. Enjoyed.

Re: Kentucky rollover boat

PostPosted: Tue Dec 27, 2022 4:54 pm
by OGblackcloud
It is :thumbsup:

Re: Kentucky rollover boat

PostPosted: Tue Dec 27, 2022 7:54 pm
by Duck Engr
Wow thanks for the awesome input. I bet you could tell stories for days from that time period hunting with those men.