Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 89.djvu/28

 A Duck-Boat as an Automobile Top

camping outfits have, from time to tunc, l)cen in I rod need, but It IS doubtful if anything more dar- ing and ingenious has been conceixcd than an automol)ile with a durk-ljoat for a top, the invention of G. W. Clark of Glendalc, Cahfornia. The boat not only takes the place of the regular top but also serves as a sunshade. In a \ er\ few moments the ear is made weather- proof simply b\

attaching water- proof sides to

sere w s I o c a t e f 1

around the outside

of the cockjMt. To

reduce weight, the

seat has been taken

from the boat. At

the proper time one

of the spring-seats

is taken from the

car; it fits snug!\-

within the boat.

In transit the bars

are tightly St rapped

within the boat.

���This h,,at run bL cairicj to any duck pond

which ,s accessible to an automobileVon

the road it serves as a canopy

��lie boat IS held m ijosition above the car by four strong steel braces. The two forward braces, fastened to the •sides of the car immediatclv in front of the windshield, extend upward for , distance of four feet, and between their upper ends a rubber-covered steel cro.ss- piece IS fastened, curxed downward slightly to accommodate the oval ton of the inverted boat. To hold the l,oat hrmly down against this cross-piece a leavy strap ks run through openings' at the tops of the uprights an<l oxer the boat, and drawn tightly against the upturned bottom. The rear braces which are located just behind the scats have been arranged in the same manner. Additional braces keep the boat fm,,, moving forward and backward

I o convert this boat into a bed it is take., down and pla.ed right side up or the ground. I he two spring-cushin,,, from (he car are pl.xerl within the

cockpit, their lops being ,. bout (lush will, iH- lop <,l the cockpit-r.nl, |!p.,„ ,|,i, lound.iiion .1 bed is spread

When the .lucks alight out „f ,!,..

range of the -high boot" hunter, the owner of this car takes down his boat and goes after; them. Often he takes his duck automobile to mountain lakes where, ducks abound, unfamiliar with boats.

This duck-car carries everything neces- sirv tor a successful and enjovable outing trip. Behin• of two IH-oplc. I'pon the trunk is an "A" lent, within which tile bidding is roll- ed, and behind the trunk is an extra tire. Water- bags

and gun-holsters, are either strapped to the running-boards or hung to the sides of the car.

The boat may be set up at home as a blind for shooting geese, and when ihe hunting party reaches the particul.ir point where they wish to wait for the geese no tune need be lost in lowering the boat to the ground and placing it into position at once. Geese and ducks do not resent the appearance of an automobile provided it goes along slowly but surely. If it stops they get uneasy, of course.

With the boat rigged out as a blind at home, by using corn-stalks and weeds and .sewing them to wire-strands and Hieii .ilt.iching the whole to the boat- Inime, the p.ut\- of hunters can leave for the hunting field and when they spot a flock of geese Ihiiig within range they 'in lower the boat as the automobile ' luigs along slowK- and drop it to the ground, falling i,, i„.hi„d it. The • haiirteur cm cniiiiiuie driving the car iK'liiiid the impiomplu bo.d-blind with- out being discovered by the birds 14
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