A Duck-Boat as an Automobile Tod 



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NO) LI. canipiiiii 'HiHils 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 tlie 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<l the seat is a 'large 

 platform upon which is a spacious trunk. 

 This isdi\ided into 

 sections for \arious 

 kinds of food, hunt- 

 ing material, and 

 tlie like. It can 

 easily hold enough 

 provisions for a 

 month's trip of a 

 P a r t >• 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 strapfjed 

 to (he 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 pl.icing it 

 into i)osition at once. ( leese and ducks 

 <lo not resent the appearance of an 

 automobile provided it goes along slowly 

 but surely. If it stops thev get uneasv. 

 ol 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 

 ;""'. 'I"' liimtei- .Mil then 'tire from 

 iK'liiiid the impiomplu bo.d-blind with- 

 out being discovered by the birds 



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