Boy what an awesome sweet aluminum sled. This reply is a bit late but maybe better late than never. A few months ago I finally decided to attempt a wooden jet sled/drifter. First thing I did was buy a Yamaha 760 Wave Runner jetski. Then sat down to a drafting table and attempted to draw the lines that would accomodate. My design was inspired by many articles and pictures, and I tried to incorporate the best features from many. I ended up with a pointy bow, and a wide transom on the other end, 15' overall . I cut out the fiberglass jetski bottom where the pump and motor was, then framed a hole in the bottom of the wooden frames so I could just drop in the jetski hull bottom. I am putting about a quarter inch of glass on the bottom, seven layers of various cloth including one layer of Kevlar. When I get this thing floating and the engine started I plan on sending this website a picture story of sorts - I'm a long ways from finished but have high hopes!!

Well, I thought I would post an update on my sled project.  My goal in the beginning of the process was to take a boat to BC this fall.  I put as much work as I could into the boat last spring before spending time in Mexico and then the summer in Alaska.  When I got home in the middle of October, I was under a serious time crunch to get it done, or else I would have been heading north without a watercraft.  I needed to do a ton of interior work, find a suitable motor, buy a new truck (after leaving my truck in Baja last spring...) and get ready for a 2 week fishing trip.

 

Things weren't looking good.  The search for the truck was slow going, and finding a  40 to 60 hp outboard jet locally and in good condition, that was within my price range was even tougher.  The truck was eventually found, but with only a few days until departure, there was still no motor.  I had come to grips with the situation.  The boat still wasn't finished, but I thought it could make the trip and be finished later.

 

The day were were leaving, one of the guys I had emailed about a motor called me back and said it was still around - a 50 hp mid 90's Yamaha 2 stroke (exactly what I was looking for).  So we pushed the trip back a day, I drove to get the motor in So. Oregon, picked it up, and proceeded to ready the boat for departure.  The next day we were heading north.  The boat hadn't even been in the water yet, but what the hell? I've done crazier things.

 

If any reports trickled down here from BC this fall, I can say that they were most likely true.  We hit near perfect conditions for our entire trip and had fishing that was out of this world.  The boat performed much better that expected.  It gets on step fast, stays on step going sloooow, and handled awesome through some very shallow water, as well as through some technical boulder gardens.

 

Here are a few photos from the trip.  The boat still has a long ways to go, but it survived the trip and allowed us to get on a lot of water that we would have never been able to fish.  I will mention that I have never build a thing in my life, so this project was quite the undertaking.  The boat has more than a couple parts that aren't perfect, I'm almost embarrassed to post photos here after seeing some of the boats that you all have built.  Nonetheless, here a few photos from the trip...

The boat should be totally finished here in the next few weeks, if you see me on the water stop and say hi.

 

Justin

Hi Jason -- Another reply after another six months....just wanted to post with you the newest picture of what is almost a completed wooden sled/drifter (haven't found a moniker for this thing yet).  I just lack the oars and locks, and some hardware for using an anchor or lead weight.  I incorporated a jet steering system that allows me to use my feet when going downstream like airplane rudder pedals  while looking over the transom and drifting downstream, or swivel this seat to the bow (which is mounted over the gas tank) and use a joy stick when jetting in the same direction as the bow is pointing.  I'm feeling that with practice with the jet steering and skillful throttle application this boat could easily be used to power drift down through difficult water.  Might be like patting your head while rubbing your stomach but with practice..... the throttle is mounted on that pipe alongside the seat box and can be slid in both directions to accomodate the direction of the seat.

The lady in the picture is my 92 yo mother construction superintendent - she pokes her head through the garage door once in a while to make sure I'm still around. 

 

I'm gussying up the new-to-me trailer for this boat, and when I finish this in a week or so I'll take it down to the lake and see if it works.  Then write what I hope will be an interesting report to my fellow boat builders.