Mike`s Framed Drift Boat Build

Hi, started a build with no solid plans. Built my strongback, laying out the ribs, got the spacing but hoping someone could give me a idea what to go with for the height for the side ribs. I`m thinking 2 ft (or less) in the frt and tapering smaller to the transom? (but how much). Does that make sense to get 2 sides out of the 4` ply?

Also someone suggested I dado the ribs so I started doing that. I got 2 done and decided it was a bad idea when it comes time to attach the chine with no meat to screw too. Any thoughts?

Can anyone suggest how high to set the ribs for the rocker, I`m guessing starting in the center? Thanks much, Mike

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Permalink Reply by Mike Baker on April 4, 2015 at 2:30pm

Hey Mike,

Is that a pic. of a middle rib? I don't want to be a buzz-kill but that doesn't look like near enough flare for a drift boat. How many deg. is that rib?

Mike

Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on April 4, 2015 at 4:23pm

uhh-ohh...yes it is the center rib. Ive been cutting them all 20 degrees. works out pretty good, around 46" on the bottom of boat and around 62" or so on the sheer width

Permalink Reply by Mike Baker on April 4, 2015 at 5:50pm

I feel 27 deg. is the minimum, this is about what the original Hindman and Tatman boats were at. My boats & others are around 30 deg. or more. The issue with a flair in the 20 deg. range is the boat will be really tippy even with the 46" bottom width. You should really have around 70" or moer sheer.  It is hard to get much rocker with that little bit of flair as well. I could be really off base but I have built quite a few boats and these are the numbers I use. I am more than happy to give input but if you want me to shut up just let me know, I will not be offended.

Mike

Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on April 4, 2015 at 6:14pm

Mike T, when you first started one of your first comments was "I have to real firm plans." Did that mean you haven't got a definite plan for where you will use your driftboat and that you aren't certain what capabilities you want your boat to have or that you haven't got a drawn out plan for your boat? I am wondering what type of water you are planning on boating. Calm rivers, moderate streams, whitewater, small streams???

Dependent on where you are boating the amount of rocker you need can be somewhat predicted. The original "western" style McKenzie river dory had considerable rocker to maneuver quickly through rock gardens and rapids. There seems to be a "midwestern" McKenzie boat that is built on a  strongback and has much less rocker. That design is fine for moderate rivers where quick maneuvering is not required.

Every boat is a compromise built to do some things better than others, dependent upon the builders requirements. What are your design requirements?

Rick N

Permalink Reply by Phillip Westendorf on April 4, 2015 at 7:01pm

Mike,

FYI, I was leery about the strength of the ribs/frames with the half-lap joints (Just thickened epoxy).  So I made samples of one and also a lap joint and a butt joint with a plywood gusset.  The lap and butt had screws and epoxy.  Gougeon Brothers (West System's parent company) tested them on their tensile machine and I was surprised as the half lap (no screws) was just about as strong as the lap joint and more so than the butt joint.  It was also stiffer than either of the other joints.

So I put that thought behind me.  Your limber holes could be  closer to the chines but they'll work.

Keep up the good work,

Dorf

Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on April 4, 2015 at 8:50pm

Mike B, I wish I would have got on here sooner, but later is better than never. I can go less rocker, and shorter sides, but I`m in too far now to scrap it. It might not be all too great, but 1st try. I guess I`ll just hope it floats. I`m very open minded to any and all suggestions, no prob there. Thank you

Rick, I dont have any solid build plans for the boat. I got a couple tips from a guy on my fishing forums who has built a couple boats, and he suggested 20, and the dado`d ribs so I decided to just go for it.The original McKenzie I think had a rocker for class 5 rapids. In Mich I dont think we have class 1. We do have some good current though in some of the rivers. So calm to Moderate rivers and small streams. Thats why I wanted a smaller boat. The bottom will be 4x12, so the boat might be 14` at best, and I would like to hang a 3 h.p motor on the transom, as I fish alone alot and I could get by without a spotter sometimes. Also I want to use the trailer I have for my 12 Jon boat.

Dorf, I half lapped more ribs today but ran out of wood. I`ll have to get about 12` more to finish the ribs, and something for the stem. I held off on the limber holes today as I wasnt sure if it was real bad, and to just scrap 1 if needed. I just tacked the ribs together to get a idea. This week I`ll start blocking the ribs up from the strongback to get some rocker. I`ll check into the epoxy this week, theres a place close by that has it, and some chine wood.

I think I understand the notches at the top of ribs so that the inside and outside are squared off for adding blocks between? The angles for the stem and transom has me stalled, not sure what to do.

Side note: hit the Boardman with the fly rod after work last thur.,4 guys fly fishing, 3 guys spinning and one of them got 1 steelhead. Looked like it had been in the river for the winter, but maybe starting to come in soon. Got cold again end of the week. Hoping to catch a fish soon

Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on April 4, 2015 at 9:37pm

Mike, are the angles the same on all of your ribs? A McKenzie River style drift has different angles on each frame. If the angles are the same then the boat will have a constant side angle from bow to stern. Without the varying angles you won't have to worry about having a pointed bow or stern. To test out this theory get some stiff cardboard about 12" long by 2" wide. Tape the ends together. Then spread the center of the these sides about 4" apart at the bottom and see what shape you get.

To contrast this test do the same thing with similar size pieces of cardboard placing the ends a distance apart that represents the width of your first and last frames. For example an end frame that is 3' wide at the bottom would be 3" wide on your model and so on. If you can construct each of your fame members and scale them to their representative widths and tape them in place between two 12" pieces of cardboard you can see how your boat will be laid out. You could assume that they will be 1 foot apart in your boat so in your model they would be 1" apart.

Guy Fredrickson did a great job of illustrating how a model can be used to save time and materials before he built his boat. There are numerous other examples of modeling your boat before building it. Do a search for his boat build using the search function. Don't confuse yourself with his spreadsheet of dimensions.

You may find that the boat you have designed is just fine for your Class 1 waters as you won't need rocker, at least not more than an inch or two at each end. While your design might not resemble a true McKenzie River Drift boat it may actually be just fine for where you are going to be boating! All is not lost, you just have an opportunity to make a boat of your own design that does what you actually want it to do. Think about the folks whose original ideas actually resulted in in some astonishing inventions rather than what they thought they were going to make.

If you can find the time to read the posts on our site you can gain a tremendous amount of knowledge. There is no book published that provides the depth of knowledge on framed McKenzie River style drift boats.

Good luck and keep us informed.

Permalink Reply by Gregg Maddock on April 6, 2015 at 10:55am

Mike,

Check out a company called Croft Craft.  They are an outfit in Michigan that builds wood drift boat.  I believe they are Orvis's "Official Boat".  Their side don't have a lot of flair and not much rocker.

http://www.croffcraft.com/

I still think you should buy some plans.  Mike Baker, Don Hill, Ray's, Jason Cajun all sell plans for $70-120.  If you follow your current plan of asking friends and us what we would do you'll burn through a couple of hundred bucks with trial and error.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

 

Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on April 6, 2015 at 4:37pm

I did check out that company. He builds cedar strip boats. Its not too late for me to change some angles on the ribs. They are just tacked together right now and I can afford for the sides to be lower as I went with the lengths from the 16` Hindman. Ive got some plans from Spiro, but its not the same as what I wanted, but can get some ideas from them. Ive got the plans for the Hindman out of the holy book, but its for a 16` and it doesnt say anything about the angles other than the bevels. Theres a drift boat builder in my hood here, but he`s in the Bahama`s fishing tarpon right now. He`ll be back some time this month though and I`ll have him come by and take a look. He built my buddys guide boat

Permalink Reply by dreu patterson on December 20, 2015 at 6:41pm

mike-I've been following your project.I too had the same questions.A friend helped me steam and install the inner chine before I put the sides on.To hold it in place I overshot the bow and put a bolt through both chines completed the bend upon tightening it.To keep it in the notches I used tie down straps that went all the way around the strong back and over both chines.I half lapped my frames as well.I was able to remove the straps after installing the sides-working from one end to the other as I glued and screwed the plywood.I don't know how some folks build without a strongback as I need my work to be at chest level.I also mocked up the inner bow cap(the bolt went through that also).I ended up notching out the permanent inner bow cap to receive the chine-I glued chines to notches.IE the chine will meet the outer bow cap.I have found a multi tool to be invaluable as you can make your notches accurately as you move along just by eyeballing the fit.I hope this is helpfull.This is my first build by the way-Dreu

Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on December 20, 2015 at 7:14pm

Hi Dreu, I liked using the strong back too to not have to work on the ground, but its a different kind of build. Sounds like that chine worked out for you. It was really cool though to remove the boat from the strongback for the first time and flip it over. I built the dolly cart soon after and thats super nice to raise the boat to work on and to move it around easily. Check that out in my later posts.

Permalink Reply by Rick Finnell on April 7, 2015 at 5:35am

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