Don, I was just trying to help with terms. I used oarsman to describe the person currently rowing the boat. The terms bow and stern get confusing with river drift boats. For example, my Clackacraft guiding boat had a large pointed bow and a small flat stern. When I rowed that boat the large pointed bow was downstream and the smaller stern was upstream. I had a small outboard (4hp) I could hangby Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
A lot depends on what type of river you are using your boat on and what you are doing. Rowing a river for fishing is different than rowing a river for whitewater fun. Rowing a rock garden rapid is different than rowing a big wave rapid. I have done both, but do far more fishing, so my comments are going to lean that way. A general rule for rowing a drift boat on a river: Keep the "bigby Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
Cool video. I like it when he steams and bends the ribs. I have heard of steaming wood but never seen it done.by Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
I like your idea of using a hole saw to get to the inside. I will feel better about the patch if I do that and not just patch the outside. Thanks, Sandy!by Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
My buddy scored an excellent deal on a lightly used Slide Rite drift boat. He took it out for a row and found that it was leaking but he could not tell where the leak was. I helped him inspect the bottom and chines and we found where the boat had taken a blow on the starboard chine just forward of where the front standing deck ends. This boat has the level front floor deck and the damage cannot bby Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
That is looking great, Sandy. I like what you are doing.by Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
If you had done the bottom out of wood would you have still built a bottom and a six inch side? The bottom, chines, and first six inches of the sides all as one complete piece? Or would you have done it all differently? I like the idea and like seeing your pictures.by Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
Love it, Sandy!by Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
I want one as well. I read the entire series and then started searching Craigslist for used seadoos. I would like a power drifter of some sort and think something like this would be a fun and interesting project. I need to finish remodeling two bath room first though. That is sucking up all my boat time.by Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
This may have been posted here before, but just in case: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/jet-boat-something-different-cheap-and-fun/90477/page1/ He starts out with junk and builds an awesome looking boat. Very interesting project. I hope you enjoy it.by Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
Looks great! Looking forward to more pictures.by Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
Watching for more updates, Sandy. Very interested in this build.by Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
How much overlap are you expecting where the plascore and the plywood join? I like your ideas for this build Sandy.by Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
Spots and more spots. I only thought I was almost done with sanding. I took a damp sponge and wiped a large area to see what it was going to look like. I have a lot of spots where, even though I though it was sanded away, there is just enough epoxy left behind for the wood not to soak up the water. Those then look like lighter colored areas on a dark plywood panel. Oiling is going to makeby Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
Sandy and Sal-man, Thank you for your replies. You opinions and experiences are valuable. I spent several additional hours Friday night and Saturday and have the finish off both sides sides now. It has been a slow process and I have been glad to have good music and podcasts to help get through it. I have worked on small sections at a time and it is looking good. You see three definite laby Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
OK boatbuilders. I am struggling and would like to hear some opinions. I have a 16' Mighty Mac that I inherited from my father. It was built in 2000 by Cyrus Happy of Ray's River Dories and saw very little use until I took ownership in 2012. It was stored under a carport for those first twelve years and the sun reflecting up off the concrete seriously faded the front third of the boaby Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
Thanks for the details Sandy. That is exactly the answer I needed.by Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
Mike, Can you tell me more about your gunwales? Those are the "ledge tops" that Sandy talks about, right? How are they made? Chris in Burleyby Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
I really like your idea for an oiled finish ribless wooden boat. I am starting to think about my next boat project and your post keeps running through my head.by Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
Hope you recovery quickly!by Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
I like that a lot Sandy. I look forward to seeing more.by Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
My brother restores rods as a hobby and side job. He makes decent money at it. At least enough to support his fly fishing trips and personal rod and reel collection. His clients used to be folks who found grand dad's old bamboo rod in the attic and wanted to restore it back to it's original glory. For the past several years the rods have changed to grand dad's old fiberglass roby Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
My brother got me to try fiberglass again last summer. He lives in Texas but fishes New Mexico and Arkansas often. He came to Idaho for his first float fishing trip ever. I took him to the South Fork of the Snake and rowed him through the canyon section. He has a complete arsenal of fly rods and reels. Bamboo to Graphite and everything in between. He pulled out a 1976 Scott PowR-Ply that hby Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
Sandy, I appreciate what you do to keep this site running and interesting! Keep up the good work. It is good information.by Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
I need an umbrella...by Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
It has been over twenty years but I remember visiting with a boat builder somewhere near Heise, ID who had built a similar boat using some sort of foam core encased in fiberglass. This was the fellow who built the guide boats for the Teton Valley Lodge guides. Those guides would show up at the boat ramps on the South Fork of the Snake with 2 and 3 boats stacked on a trailer. I do not rememberby Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
Awesome story. My father taught himself to build bamboo fly rods. He stopped when my mother got sick. Couldn't build rods and be a primary care giver. He hopes to be able to pick it up again some day. He will like this story. Thanks for sharing.by Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
I have used an old disk brake for a long time. My newer boat came with a lead pyramid so I have used that lately. I have not experimented with the two for holding ability but the price was right for the disk brake. I remember seeing an old sewing machine hanging off the anchor bracket of a wooden boat on the Snake near Jackson, WY. I guess that works too.by Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
Sandy, I saw those type as well. I chose the Huffy video simply because it was an inexpensive bike. I saw kits for less than 200.00 when I did my search. I have been following your one man boat posts for a while and it got me thinking about carrying my mountain bike in the back of the boat. I like the motor idea!by Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building
A motorized mountain bike may be a good solution. That would keep the weight low enough that you could carry the bike with you in\on the boat. I did a Google search and found lots of options for kits. Some are not very expensive either. This guy motorized a Huffy.by Chris Patterson - Drift Boat Building