Wooden Boat People
By McKenzieDriftBoat.com
New member / bandito from the South
Pancho Villa and Joaquin Murrietta were fine bandits in their time. As a modern example, I display the same pride in my exploits. I have enjoyed messing about with boats for at least 4 decades. Adirondack guide boats have caught my eye, as well as St Lawrence skiffs and Rushton canoes. Those boats were developed for NY state waters, but fly fishing in CA has alerted me to drift boats. Throw in some wood, bright finishes, and artisan craftsmanship and I am ready to be hooked.
In a typical internet search, Roger Fletcher's book caught my eye and was in hand a few days later. Boat history, design changes, and plans - I could not ask for more. The book is a grand read and follows the inspiration of John Gardner and many others that appreciate small boat 'pursuit of excellence'.
Next step was looking at Roger's web site, getting diverted on his links, and eureka! the bad practices of projects and building could be erased with a simple check. The result was a better result than I could ever produce, especially compared to Ray Heater's 35 years of experience.
Like a bandit, I sent the deposit, planned to row and fish on my way back to So. CA, with my loot in tow.
The boat was better than expected. A road trip was grand. The day I hooked the boat and trailer to my truck, the Deschutes had air temperatures around 50. The next morning it was in the teens. My 'banditry' was complete, but the weather could not be fooled. Ray's boat is a gem and I am old enough to realize patience is a virtue, especially before considering a first float in below freezing conditions.
The road trip did not lack for exploring. River runs were viewed from the shore and a night was spent on the McKenzie. The exploring included places like Helfrich's Landing and the Thompson Swinging Bridge. The McKenzie River Festival in 2015 may be the time for the initial OR launch (for me, Ray has probably trained the boat better than I ever will).
So, what does Southern CA offer. Well, quite a lot, thank you very much. Year round river and fishing access is a prime benefit. The Kern river had boulders galore. Whether I drift at high flows in Ray's gem has yet to be determined. The Owens River offers year round floats, as well as the San Juan River in NM. A prior trip on the Lower Green could be enjoyed as well with a dory instead of a canoe (subject to retrieval from the confluence).
The 12 foot Mini Mac has a 48 inch floor width so a stable fishing platform is a given.
And, a a bandito of one of Oregon's artisan treasures, well, I can only grin, enjoy, and give a big gracious Thank You to Ray for letting me be the next custodian of one of his gems.
In a typical internet search, Roger Fletcher's book caught my eye and was in hand a few days later. Boat history, design changes, and plans - I could not ask for more. The book is a grand read and follows the inspiration of John Gardner and many others that appreciate small boat 'pursuit of excellence'.
Next step was looking at Roger's web site, getting diverted on his links, and eureka! the bad practices of projects and building could be erased with a simple check. The result was a better result than I could ever produce, especially compared to Ray Heater's 35 years of experience.
Like a bandit, I sent the deposit, planned to row and fish on my way back to So. CA, with my loot in tow.
The boat was better than expected. A road trip was grand. The day I hooked the boat and trailer to my truck, the Deschutes had air temperatures around 50. The next morning it was in the teens. My 'banditry' was complete, but the weather could not be fooled. Ray's boat is a gem and I am old enough to realize patience is a virtue, especially before considering a first float in below freezing conditions.
The road trip did not lack for exploring. River runs were viewed from the shore and a night was spent on the McKenzie. The exploring included places like Helfrich's Landing and the Thompson Swinging Bridge. The McKenzie River Festival in 2015 may be the time for the initial OR launch (for me, Ray has probably trained the boat better than I ever will).
So, what does Southern CA offer. Well, quite a lot, thank you very much. Year round river and fishing access is a prime benefit. The Kern river had boulders galore. Whether I drift at high flows in Ray's gem has yet to be determined. The Owens River offers year round floats, as well as the San Juan River in NM. A prior trip on the Lower Green could be enjoyed as well with a dory instead of a canoe (subject to retrieval from the confluence).
The 12 foot Mini Mac has a 48 inch floor width so a stable fishing platform is a given.
And, a a bandito of one of Oregon's artisan treasures, well, I can only grin, enjoy, and give a big gracious Thank You to Ray for letting me be the next custodian of one of his gems.
Views: 350
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on
-
Ants, a most auspicious introduction. I look forward to meeting such a wordsmith at the upcoming 2015 McKenzie River Wooden Boat Festival which should be occurring on April 25th. I for one would love to read more of your exploits. We would also love to see pictures of one of Ray's treasures to see what you have removed from the Kingdom or Wooden Boats!
Rick Newman
-
Permalink Reply by Ants Uiga on
-
[URL=http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/waurbucks/media/IMG_1342.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m582/waurbucks/IMG_1342.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
Let me see if I got the posting correct. I found the salmon spawning creek! A bigger turnaround would have been appreciated.
-
-
The photo uploads have their own foibles. I think I may have muddled through.
The launch is one many probably know - on the McKenzie below Belknap. I would have to refer to a map to get the exact name. Nice launch, but on a col day and no shuttle and no river knowledge, I merely took the photo. - Attachments:
-
-
image.jpg, 1.4 MB
-
-
-
Digital trials and operator errors. I hoped for three images, but only got the last one.
Trying again. - Attachments:
-
-
image.jpg, 958 KB
-
-
-
One more picture upload, then more coffee.
Just outside of Warm Springs when the first Arctic front moved in.
Ray purchased old growth Doug Fir plywood 20 or so years ago when one of the mills received the logs. This boat was built using the materials as well as old growth wood for frames. Calling the boat a Gem is an understatement. I feel guilty collecting all the praise that should be going directly to Ray. On the other hand, it is a superb way to develop business for Ray's River Dories! - Attachments:
-
-
image.jpg, 1.1 MB
-
© 2024 Created by Randy Dersham.
Powered by
