Back in the Old Days....
Ever wonder why your grandpa always wore that same tattered hat to the duck blind every morning? Why he always walked past the racks of shotguns at the sporting goods store without even looking? It's because the ol' 870 never missed and that waxed-canvas hat kept his ears plenty warm.
Although here at Carstens we are always seeking ways to improve, we live by the motto, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." When we began manufacturing fiberglass duck boats in the late 1970's, we started by looking at what was already working. Since the days of market hunting, people have been designing and redesigning boats that can go deeper into the marsh and further up river. Many of the key design elements of our boats were modeled after the old hand made wooden boats from a time before plugs and steel shot.
Our grandfathers didn't have the same materials to work with as we do now, but they learned the lessons of what works and what doesn't the hard way. We took these key design elements and melded them with our own ideas and created the original Carstens line of duck skiffs. We regularly see these original, nearly 40 year old boats both in the field and in our shop proving many are still in use today. Although the construction methods have been tweaked and the materials have improved, the designs are largely unchanged. Why? Because they work.
Carstens has a reputation of being tough, well-made, get-you-to-where-you-need-to-go duck boats. Weather your honey hole is a bottomless slough with a mile of cattails or a stand of flooded timber, we have a boat that will get you there. Period.
Although here at Carstens we are always seeking ways to improve, we live by the motto, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." When we began manufacturing fiberglass duck boats in the late 1970's, we started by looking at what was already working. Since the days of market hunting, people have been designing and redesigning boats that can go deeper into the marsh and further up river. Many of the key design elements of our boats were modeled after the old hand made wooden boats from a time before plugs and steel shot.
Our grandfathers didn't have the same materials to work with as we do now, but they learned the lessons of what works and what doesn't the hard way. We took these key design elements and melded them with our own ideas and created the original Carstens line of duck skiffs. We regularly see these original, nearly 40 year old boats both in the field and in our shop proving many are still in use today. Although the construction methods have been tweaked and the materials have improved, the designs are largely unchanged. Why? Because they work.
Carstens has a reputation of being tough, well-made, get-you-to-where-you-need-to-go duck boats. Weather your honey hole is a bottomless slough with a mile of cattails or a stand of flooded timber, we have a boat that will get you there. Period.
Which boat will do the job?
"I'm a minimalist hunter and usually only bring a small spread." - Puddler
"I mostly hunt WPAs and need to drag or carry my boat a long ways." - Puddler or Pintail
"I hunt with the only friend I have who hasn't shot the bird I was aiming for, my dog." - Pintail
"I hunt mostly small water and want a low profile boat to layout in." - Pintail or Puddler
"I'm 6'5" and wear a size 14 shoe, I want to layout." - Pintail
"I need to paddle through spots that hold less water than my lawn after a rain" - Puddler or Pintail
"I hunt with a buddy and my dog and I like to bring a large spread." - Mallard or Canvasback
"My dog is an 80lb lab and leaps in to retrieve decoys while I'm setting my spread." - Mallard or Canvasback
"I need to haul my boat in the back of my truck and want to load and unload by myself." - Puddler, Pintail or Mallard
"I hunt an island on a small lake where there is a chance for some wave action." - Mallard or Canvasback
"I want a boat with a motor and I bring a lot of gear." - Canvasback
"I hunt shallow lakes and rivers and need to travel a long distance with minimal draft." - Canvasback
"I hunt big water where there's a good possibility of whitecaps." - Use a larger transport boat to tow or haul a Carstens to your spot.
"I mostly hunt WPAs and need to drag or carry my boat a long ways." - Puddler or Pintail
"I hunt with the only friend I have who hasn't shot the bird I was aiming for, my dog." - Pintail
"I hunt mostly small water and want a low profile boat to layout in." - Pintail or Puddler
"I'm 6'5" and wear a size 14 shoe, I want to layout." - Pintail
"I need to paddle through spots that hold less water than my lawn after a rain" - Puddler or Pintail
"I hunt with a buddy and my dog and I like to bring a large spread." - Mallard or Canvasback
"My dog is an 80lb lab and leaps in to retrieve decoys while I'm setting my spread." - Mallard or Canvasback
"I need to haul my boat in the back of my truck and want to load and unload by myself." - Puddler, Pintail or Mallard
"I hunt an island on a small lake where there is a chance for some wave action." - Mallard or Canvasback
"I want a boat with a motor and I bring a lot of gear." - Canvasback
"I hunt shallow lakes and rivers and need to travel a long distance with minimal draft." - Canvasback
"I hunt big water where there's a good possibility of whitecaps." - Use a larger transport boat to tow or haul a Carstens to your spot.
Quick Comparison
BOATS SHOWN IN RELATIVE SIZE TO EACH OTHER
PINTAIL - $1,802.00
LENGTH: 13' 4" BEAM: 39" DEPTH: 12" COCKPIT: 24" x 93" WEIGHT: 100 LBS CAPACITY: 500 LBS |
MALLARD - $1,903.00
LENGTH: 13' 7" BEAM: 44" DEPTH: 16" COCKPIT: 24" x 95" WEIGHT: 100 LBS CAPACITY: 500 LBS |
CANVASBACK - $3,532.00
LENGTH: 14' 4" BEAM: 45" DEPTH: 16" RATED: 13 HP WEIGHT: 150 LBS CAPACITY: 500 LBS |
Can't Pick Up? We Ship Factory Direct.
Shipping Fine Print
The customer MUST inspect shipment thoroughly before signing. Once shipment has been accepted, we have no recourse against the shipping company. If more than superficial damage has occurred during transit, refuse shipment and Carstens will file a damage claim with the carrier. Before a shipment will be scheduled, a shipping liability release form must be signed and returned.