Drift boat plans

Ok I'm getting more serious about building my drifter. After researching I'm trying to decide between a kit or buying plans and building off the plans. Anyone out there built off plans only? Ive looked at Don Hills website along with Montana boat builders and a couple of others n the web. I'm pretty handy with tools being in the construction trade for over 30 years with seven of them as a carpenter. I also build bamboo fly rods and have a workshop full of tools. So any thoughts out there concerning plans only vs a kit? All input appreciated.
Mark

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Permalink Reply by Ted Fuhrmeister on July 22, 2009 at 5:05pm
Hi Mark

I built my first drift boat from scratch without any plans. I believe it took me about 2 months to get it in the water. Anyway I know that my post is late but both boats I have built have cost me under $500.00 to complete, not counting oars, motors and other extras. I am also ahead of the game as I own a small trailer manufacturing business and usually have enough scrap metal laying around to build most if not all of a trailer. It also helped that on my first boat I got most of the 1x4's from my uncle who has a portable sawmill for next to nothing. I used poly resin (2 gal laminating 1 gal finish) which helped cut down on cost although I did fiberglass the entire outside of the boats. Jamestown distributers has some good buys for oarlocks and cloth.

My project I am working on now is a Rogue River Dory, Roger's plans of course. I am using port offord cedar for the ribs and chines,1/4 in marine AA or AB fir plywood (17 bucks a sheet from a place in Coos Bay last summer) and VG fir for a stem. I am changing the plans slightly to only use a few ribs so that I do not have to worry about the extra cost of installing floor boards.

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