Homemade Boat Blinds

[Yazoo Duckman]

The blind may work, but it is no where near as nice as say a Beavertail, Avery, or Bert Fleming blind. I see in your signature that you have a Phowler boat and a sd mudmotor that you probably have quite a bit of money invested in. Why not spend a little bit more and get a nice blind on it?

I'm not impressed with the Avery blind. It is just to over priced to be so flimsy and it's a pain to put it up and take it down. Homemade blinds are nice because it's custom to what the USER wants and not a universal fit.

[curcio13085]

Thanks Dawg, one day we'll have to kill a limit together with our "stick and strings" when the Greenheads get thick!

curcio.....you got commercial hull on your Phowler, a stage 3 and empty hull.............32mph with 1 man on skinny water?.............

I got commercial hull and stage 3 with 2 people and fishing gear I got 32

[dandy_don]

I built mine from this link: http://www.refugeforums.com/refuge/show ... p?t=650632, although I did not add the netting and other stuff to mine--just one layer of fabric listed down below.

I purcahsed my EMT conduit and fasteners from Lowe's

I purchased my bimini top hardware from here: http://www.discountmarinesupplies.com/C ... dware.html

I purcashed my fabric from Ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... K:MEWNX:IT
Nylon Cordura 1000D Camouflage Fabric 58" x 10 yds; Pattern: Wetland Camo

Then attached the fabric (not quite finished yet) to the conduit and boat by fabric snaps purchased at Hancock Fabrics like these: http://www.hancockfabrics.com/Heavy-Dut ... wprod.htm#
This requires drilling holes in the boat just underneath the gunnel for the srews to go through. A little nerve racking if you have never done this.

A nice video I found on learning to install snaps: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QyUuApLSjg

I hope this helps,
dandy

[tunica]

I'm way happy with Bert's blinds I break it he fixes it....no charge his customer service sells his blind hands down. He makes the blind to fit your boat.

[kb7722]

Wing Supply has some blind material on closeout right now.

wingsupply.com

[Anatidae]

Here's my wife's 14-foot Jon with blind - that's her sitting in the front seat.



Material cost is around $60 plus whatever nets you come-up with - basically 2 sticks of 1/2" conduit (you can borrow a pipe bender), a package of velcro, a 100' package of parachute cord, some eye-hooks and screen latches, misc. bolts & screws, clevis pins, etc., 1 foot of 2" x 1" aluminum plate glass track and a can of flat black spray paint.

The design concept is simple - 2 conduit hoops (front and back) that fold down to the gunwales for travel, and parachute cord around the underside of the gunwale (to hold bottom of nets) - 2 hoops go 'up' - parachute cord holds top of nets and hooks into eyelets on the conduit (i.e. between the hoops) and it stays up. Basically, 2 hoops connected with parachute cord in tension. Thread cord through net. Sets-up in less than 2 minutes and stores easy and secure for travel.

Here's a better shot of the design concept on our big boat........



Tha rear hoop has its own net that goes over the motor and covers the back of the boat. Just roll the net up on the hoop and secure with velcro strips. The rear hoop actually pivots backwards and rest against the motor during motoring and transport. Does not interfere with operation and steering. The front hoop folds flat on the front deck - no need to secure its net in the 'down' position.

No, I don't have a drawing - it's a concept I've modified over the last 4 boats and can be applied to just about any layout......once you understand the concept, you just have to be industrious enough to come-up with brackets and locate everything in its optimum position. It's really simple and I've done a couple of boats for friends. Every boat is slightly different but the concept is the same.

When I retire, I'll fix-up boats in the Starkville area for interested waterfowlers .......for a fee, of course.

[mudsucker]

I cant make it any bigger right now, I will enlarge it later.

THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!

[hntrpat1]

I know where that spot is........

Here's my wife's 14-foot Jon with blind - that's her sitting in the front seat.



Material cost is around $60 plus whatever nets you come-up with - basically 2 sticks of 1/2" conduit (you can borrow a pipe bender), a package of velcro, a 100' package of parachute cord, some eye-hooks and screen latches, misc. bolts & screws, clevis pins, etc., 1 foot of 2" x 1" aluminum plate glass track and a can of flat black spray paint.

The design concept is simple - 2 conduit hoops (front and back) that fold down to the gunwales for travel, and parachute cord around the underside of the gunwale (to hold bottom of nets) - 2 hoops go 'up' - parachute cord holds top of nets and hooks into eyelets on the conduit (i.e. between the hoops) and it stays up. Basically, 2 hoops connected with parachute cord in tension. Thread cord through net. Sets-up in less than 2 minutes and stores easy and secure for travel.

Here's a better shot of the design concept on our big boat........



Tha rear hoop has its own net that goes over the motor and covers the back of the boat. Just roll the net up on the hoop and secure with velcro strips. The rear hoop actually pivots backwards and rest against the motor during motoring and transport. Does not interfere with operation and steering. The front hoop folds flat on the front deck - no need to secure its net in the 'down' position.

No, I don't have a drawing - it's a concept I've modified over the last 4 boats and can be applied to just about any layout......once you understand the concept, you just have to be industrious enough to come-up with brackets and locate everything in its optimum position. It's really simple and I've done a couple of boats for friends. Every boat is slightly different but the concept is the same.

When I retire, I'll fix-up boats in the Starkville area for interested waterfowlers .......for a fee, of course.

[Anatidae]

OK, then........from one marsh rat to another....how 'bout you keep that to yourself and I install a free blind on yo pirogue?:mrgreen:

[hntrpat1]

My lips are sealed ol friend! Sure is dry round here, catahoula is gonna be on fire with the low water everywhere. DIVERS LOOK OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Duckdodgers]

thanks for all the info on this tread it will help me to fix up a blind for the boat i just bought