Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on February 27, 2013 at 8:36pm

Scott, I'll toss out a few ideas that might work for you.

1.Here is a picture of my boat while it is having the floor bent and fastened down. I started with some Harbor Freight casters and some 2 x 6 lumber. That made the basic cart. When I flip the boat I will remove the end pieces that sit on the 4 x 4 uprights at each corner. There is a 2 x 4 that is wider than the boat at each end and I clamp the excess frame to hold it steady. There are plenty of variations on this theme. It was cheap to build, in fact some of the lumber was free.

2. Paint,there are probably more discussions and words written about what the "Best" paint is. We have a wonderfully helpful search function on the top right hand of the page that will lead to them. You may have to try a few different wordings to get all the posts.

3. Lacquer would work if you don't want to get your boat wet.:<) It doesn't play well with water, I personally have chosen a two different polyureathane systems for my boat. For the interior I used a one part outdoor poly from Woodcraft. The exterior system is a two part water-borne poly from Comex / Parker paints. It is an industrial product noted for it's durability and longevity. It can be sprayed, rolled or brushed. I will spray the outside with several coats of color and several coats of clear. I use a HVLP sprayer from Woodcraft, it works well for me. If you look up my page you can see photos from my build where I have already sprayed all the interior pieces and boat furniture. Like any paint project preparation is the key. lots of sanding, spraying and resanding helps.

4.  Your boat is probably old enough to have some good old growth Douglas Fir plywood. If it is newer it could have a Meranti or Sapelle or some other substitute for Mahogany plywood. There are not many plywoods that are affordable and appropriate for marine use. Look for the standard BS1088 for proper plywood. Most people build the "drain" board from some form of cedar as they withstand rot quite well and need much care. However there are others that use really nice wood, lots of varnish and skidproof strips.

On my page you will fin numerous photos from the past Wooden Boat Festivals, you can see the variety of options there.

We are looking forward to pictures. I hope that this info is helpful. I hope my methods and choices will work out, time will tell.

Rick

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Scott Turner on February 28, 2013 at 9:17am

Rick,

 

Excellent! Your comments are welcome. I will explore the search function on the site for additional information. The "dry dock" structure is ideas are helpful. I will begin my project in the coming weeks and keep you posted.

Scott

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on February 28, 2013 at 10:59am

Wonderful, over the years I have read almost all the posts and have learned a lot.It would be nice if we could organize a master file or set of pages that addressed the majority of topics. However it is amazing what else you learn while perusing the pages. There are certain steps up the learning ladder that almost everyone goes through. It has been fun to watch the "newbies" progress through them.

Something like, " I just picked up a new / old boat, where do I start? How do I get the old finish off, is the wood good enough to use, why does my boat leak, what paint or finish should I use, what length oars, etc. The answers have been recorded, you just need to know how and where to look for them. Another part of the passage of a drift boat owner. Like Roger Fletcher once said, or so I paraphrase him. "Running rapids and life have a lot of similarities, each rapid, boat build or restore has it's own set of challenges and mysteries yet to be discovered.

Good luck on your tasks, may the discoveries be plentiful, the boat kind to you and this group helpful!

We look forward to pictures. If you need help posting them, let us know.

Rick Newman

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Scott Turner on March 1, 2013 at 8:42am

Rick,

Thanks for the words of encouragement! I will do my best to navigate the website for answers to questions that have been asked over the years. It seems that the "boat community" is a wealth of knowledge and expertise. I am all for learning from others mistakes and successes.

 

BTW. I loved your references to Roger Fletcher. I read his books (the first a Grand Canyon backpack trip and the second an epic Colorado River adventure) and kind of kept the idea of outfitting a boat like this for a trip down The Green River before the rapids of The Canyon. (Hey, years ago I paddled the the 240 miles and had one of the best experiences of my life there.) Then someone mentioned that he had a great drift boat that needed some "love and attention" and the dream could become a reality.

I am taking the boat out for a one time float before I tear it apart (it is river worthy) so that I can be inspired to work on it over the next several months in preparation for the summer.

Muchas gracias!

Scott

• ▶ Reply