Wooden Boat People
By McKenzieDriftBoat.com
Guy's Wooden Drift Boat Project
Hello Everyone,
My name is Guy and this is my first post in this forum. I am here because I want to build a wooden drift boat and, undoubtedly, I will occasionally need advice of the pool of experts and experienced drift boat builders on this forum.
In preparation for this project I have read and studied three books: Drift Boats and River Dories by R. L. Fletcher, Boatbuilding with Plywood by G. L. Witt, and Covering Wooden Boats with Fiberglass by A. H. Vaitses. I have also developed my own set of construction plans based off of the "Original McKenzie Double-Ender with Transom" in Fletcher's book. I used and MS Excel spreadsheet to calculate all of the dimensions, cut angles, compound angles, and bevel angles of all frame components and I used Pilot3D software to calculate the as-cut dimensions of the plywood sides and bottom. At this point I am pretty comfortable with the mechanics of construction and I think that I am just about ready to start purchasing lumber.
Presently, I plan to use Meranti Hydro-Tek plywood; 1/4-in. on the sides and 1/2-in. on the bottom. I found plenty of places to purchase these materials, but they are all far away from Idaho Falls, Idaho, and as a result shipping costs more than the materials. Are any of you aware of a business within a few hundred miles of Idaho Falls that sells this plywood? I have a few requests in to the local lumber companies, but I have yet to talk with someone who has heard of this material before.
I also plan to use Port Orford Cedar (CVG) for the straight frame sections and White Oak (quater sawn) for the bent frame sections (chine logs and sheer rails).
Thank you, Guy
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Guy Fredrickson on
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Truth-be-known... I've never rowed a drift boat.
That oarsman's seat was recommended to me by Matt Hyde, of Hyde Drift Boats, located here in Idaho Falls, ID.
We'll see how it works. The river sections that I intend to float (at least in the near term) are pretty gentle.
The seat hardware is bolted in, not glued in. I can still make changes if I have to.
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Permalink Reply by tungsten on
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"We'll see how it works. The river sections that I intend to float (at least in the near term) are pretty gentle"
thats really the key.its a whole lot different when going in faster water full of rocks.
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It's ready for the float test. All that remains (structurally) is the bow eye and the drain plugs. I'll install the bow eye with the boat on the trailer to make sure it's located correctly. The anchor and orelock hardware are from Hyde.
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Permalink Reply by Greg Jensen on
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Guy -
Looks really good, but just a word of caution. It appears that you have a knot tied in the end of your anchor line. This is REALLY BAD!!! Untie the knot so that if you ever get in trouble with your anchor, you can just let all of the line run out. I won't say most, but, most of the people I know that have sunk their boat, did so by dropping their anchor in water that was too deep with too much current. If your anchor gets snagged on anything, it can pull the stern down into the water. If this happens and water starts coming over the transom, the only way out is to release all of the line and lose the anchor. This has to be done very quickly or your boat will swamp. I don't know about you, but I would much rather replace an anchor and some rope than replace a boat.
Again, your boat looks great, keep up the good work.
Greg
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Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on
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Guy, I second Greg's comment. I work for a long time outfitter whose main safetay talk suggests the same thing. Your boat is looking real good, you do a nice job!
Rick Newman
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Thanks Greg.
Thanks Rick.
That is excellent advice. And it makes perfect sense when you think about it.
Guy
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I'm a little closer to the float test! Again, there is still a lot of work to do. I just want to see how it rides in calm water before I go any farther.
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It passed the float test. I need to raise the oarsman's seat about 2 inches. But other than that is seemed fine.
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Permalink Reply by Phillip Westendorf on
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Guy,
Congratulations! Looks like you are on the home stretch now. Quick question, the white block holding the oarlocks; is it UHMW, did you make it or purchase it. I like the idea of it being made of a bearing material. Looks cool also.
Any pics of it on the water? Looking forward to the next phase of trimming it out.
phil w.
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Phil,
Thanks. The oarlock block is UHMW plastic. I purchased it from Hyde Drift Boats. It's the standard block used in thier boats. Sorry, but there are no pictures of the float test. I meant to take pictures, but it didn't work out that way. What's left is some finish sanding and routering, calking, add some height to the pedestal bases, install rub-rails on the chines, epoxy coat the decks and pedestal bases, prime and paint the decks and outer hull, and varnish the inside. I may hold off on installing drain plugs for awhile and keep a bilge pump onboard.
Guy
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Permalink Reply by Kevin Leach on
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Guy,
I just read through this whole post and have learn way more than expected about the building process. I'm looking to possibly start a build soon as well. Thinking ahead I was planning on doing a floor like yours so that I don't have to worry about dropping gear through gaps in floor boards. I was thinking of permanently affixing it though and fiberglassing it to completely seal all gaps so that water can't get in. Do you or anyone else on here think this could cause potential rot problems in the future even if it is properly sealed? I was thinking of filling the void with polyurethane foam to prevent moisture build up, something like this...http://www.shopmaninc.com/foam.html.
I also have one question pertaining to your build specifically. Did fiberglassing the interior of the side and bottom panels before attaching them make them much more difficult to bend into place afterwards?
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Kevin, plywood has an affinity for water. As a driftboat flexes and reacts to shocks, launching, and general use coatings, even epoxy can fail, however minutely. If water enters the inner layers it will travel throughout. If moisture remains present within the plywood rot will eventually occur. A sealed comparment that can't be inspected is a potential trouble spot. Secondarily if you suffer any damage to the bottom of the boat how would you access it to repair it? Driftboats are primarily damaged along the chines and often in the front of the floor.
There is a second school of thought that only one side of a driftboat should be epoxied. The concept suggests that an oiled coating or something similar will allow any moisture that gets through any "coatings" will be allowed to escape and reduce the possibility of rot.
There is a tremendous amount of knowledge and varying opinions presented within all the posts that have been shared over the years. We have a great search function so you can explore all aspects of construction. I don't know if you have purchased Roger Fletcher's book, Drift Boats and River Dories yet but it is a great investment.
I just attached the floor to my Tatman. I had laminated 12 oz Triaxial glass to the interior side of the bottom. Fiberglass has it's greatest resistance to damage when it is in tension, hence the installation of the fiberglass on the inside of the floor. Was it hard to bend? Yes! I had to start at the center of the bottom and work toward the ends using ratchet straps, lots of weight and very frequent screw installation, about every inch or so. I had to tighten the screws repeatedly, little by little, help the bottom move with a rubber mallet and lots of patience. I used 3M 5200 to seal the bottom to the frame members. I also used a strip of fiberglass tape and epoxy to seal the seal to reduce the possibility of leaks. I haven't yet posted pictures but will soon.
Good luck,
Rick Newman
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