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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Permalink Reply by Guy Fredrickson on July 15, 2012 at 9:21pm

Rick, This deck will be easily removable.  Probably just one pin on each side of each piece.  Just enough to hold the decks in if ever the boat should flip.  There will be a slight gap (about 1/4-in.) around the edges. 

I want to try to build a deck that is continuous, so that you don't have to worry about where you are stepping or if your dog is going to get hung-up in the slats.  I can always change it later if it doesn't work out well.

Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on July 15, 2012 at 9:27pm

Fair enough. Nice setup to define the measurements by the way!

Rick

Permalink Reply by Mike Baker on July 16, 2012 at 1:33pm

Hey Guy,

I did a deck floor on my flat bottom skiff. I covered it with indoor outdoor carpet and LOVE it. One thing I did is make it be two piece split down the middle. It made it much easier to get the tricky side cuts around the ribs and makes it easier to remove as well.

Mike

Permalink Reply by tungsten on July 16, 2012 at 9:51pm

My deck is 1/4" plain plywood that i paint every other year.river floors take a beating with sand and gravel and if you like to wear studs which i do then it doesn't matter that they get chewed alittle.Make it so its easy to remove, over time they'll swell with the water and deform a little.  make them light so there easy to remove to dry out after each trip.

Permalink Reply by Guy Fredrickson on July 17, 2012 at 7:52pm

Hi Tungsten.  I'm installing four pieces of deck plate.  I'll make them loose enough so that they can be reomved easily.

Permalink Reply by Guy Fredrickson on July 17, 2012 at 7:49pm

Mike, I am thinking of using either grey outdoor carpet or grey paint with non-slip grit.  I haven't decided yet.  Guy

Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on July 17, 2012 at 8:09pm

Guy I was reading about and looking at a product called Kiwigrip. It's made for a marine environment and has great traction from what I could see. It's available from Jamestown Distributors. Price is $42.50 for a quart.

I have also been interested in trying a deck product on my floors in my boat. It's called Restore and I got it at Home Depot. I recently applied some to my concrete deck. Unfortunately a thunderstorm brought torrential rains down before it had finished drying. However where the rain wasn't pouring from the gutters off my roof it has all stayed stuck to the concrete. They now package it for either wood decks or concrete. It comes in numerous colors and has materials that provide grip. A two-gallon package with appropriate roller costs $40. Once I get over the remains of pneumonia and it quits raining I will apply the second coat and finish the deck.

Rick Newman

Permalink Reply by Guy Fredrickson on July 18, 2012 at 4:30am

Thanks Rick.  I'll check out Kiwigrip. 

Permalink Reply by Guy Fredrickson on July 17, 2012 at 7:47pm

Here are some pictures of one of the deck plates.  There will be four plates.  Three of the plates each span three frame-gaps, and the forward most plate spans two frame-gaps.  I will make them relatively loose fitting so that they are easy to remove.

Permalink Reply by Phillip Westendorf on July 18, 2012 at 6:19pm

Guy,

As we've seen throughout this posting your boat's features look well thought-out and your workmanship is awsome.  I like the floor panels, you just decided how I'll make mine, thanks! 

I can't wait to see the finished product.  Still looking good, keep up the good work.

phil w.

Permalink Reply by Guy Fredrickson on July 20, 2012 at 2:43pm

Thank you Phil.

Permalink Reply by Lee E Washburn on July 18, 2012 at 11:22am

 I hate to churp in here but silca sand is chep and easy  years ago we though walnuts was the answer. will we didnt have  any  thing but lead based paint back then.  the Lp,s will hold the sand for years. call if you have any ? about how to  lay it down . 541-218 0403  / carpet on floor board  ROT/ I just  layed some mill spec decking on a Brigges jet boat will see how well that works. just my 2 cents  Lee

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