Mike`s Framed Drift Boat Build

Hi, started a build with no solid plans. Built my strongback, laying out the ribs, got the spacing but hoping someone could give me a idea what to go with for the height for the side ribs. I`m thinking 2 ft (or less) in the frt and tapering smaller to the transom? (but how much). Does that make sense to get 2 sides out of the 4` ply?

Also someone suggested I dado the ribs so I started doing that. I got 2 done and decided it was a bad idea when it comes time to attach the chine with no meat to screw too. Any thoughts?

Can anyone suggest how high to set the ribs for the rocker, I`m guessing starting in the center? Thanks much, Mike

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Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on August 3, 2015 at 2:50pm

Thanks Rick, I`ll flush the screws out and go 3" o/c. I`m gonna start on that tonight. I bought ss screws ( I know I should have went with others, but I was gonna paint it). Maybe I`ll marker the heads before I epoxy over them. If the outsides comes out nice after the glass I`ll leave it natural. If it comes out not so nice I`ll primer and paint it then the screws showing wont matter. Ya, I want some sort of pattern for looks, I`ll start 2 1/4" from the top of the boat and measure each frame (they are all different lengths) working towards the bottom of the boat and hit the chine rail too. 

I`ll try to figure out where my rub rail will be and leave those spots empty of screws, and I can see the poor chine rails getting barraged with screws from the sides, from the bottom and from the chine strip in the end. Sounds like I`ll map the screw locations out and have a spot for all 3 so I know where they are!! 

I could see how you cant put 2 screws in the same place and I wont ask how you know that ;) haha

Permalink Reply by CWarmouth on August 3, 2015 at 3:00pm

Nice job on this boat so far, Mike. I have been enjoying reading along. Please keep posting your progress.

Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on August 3, 2015 at 3:20pm

Thanks CW. I should have titled this thread "How not to build a drift boat, and no, its nothing like a McKenzie" lol. I think it will be a fine craft for these Michigan rivers none the less. (fingers crossed still though) Ive learned so much on here along the way, and such a great bunch of people on here, if I ever try this again I`ll have a great understanding of the how too`s.

Permalink Reply by Phillip Westendorf on August 3, 2015 at 3:03pm

Mike,

To mark the location of the screws put a small piece of masking tape on the wood and put a pencil mark to indicate the location of the screws center line.

Brass or silicon bronze screws would look nice too!

Dorf

Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on August 3, 2015 at 3:32pm

Thanks Dorf, I might just have to re-order those screws and replace the ss with the silicons for the sides before I get into the epoxy and glass on the outside sides. I`ll use the ss for temprary just to press on so I can get the sides plywood all trimmed and get the bottom on. I`ll need to order the graphite for the bottom anyway, and more epoxy.

Rick, thats a very fine boat, and the story really makes it special, for you and also your buddys. I`m sure they will have fond memories too of the whole thing. Thats so cool.

EDIT: just noticed you dont have any rub rails?

Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on August 3, 2015 at 3:45pm

I have a nice set of rub rails hanging on my wood rack in my garage. I figure that the more holes through the plywood the more places for water ingress and the more chances for rot to start. I am older than you but hope that my boat will outlive me and someone, perhaps my son will get to use it. On numerous older drift boats that I have looked at the fasteners and the holes that were made by the fasteners allowed rot to start. I figure that I made enough mistakes, that is chances for learning experiences that I built the boat I named 'Challenge' about four times. It took almost four years to complete, along with a fourth college degree, numerous odd jobs to pay for materials, paint and especially sandpaper. While we don't get as cold as the UP I still had to take breaks for cold weather where I couldn't heat my shop / garage up enough for epoxy to set. I also rebuilt, insulated, wired, sheetrocked, and painted the garage / shop so I had a clean place to work after I bought the unfinished Tatman kit for $750 from a guy that had had it for four years sitting in his garage.

Now I want to add partial decks so I can take on whitewater and not sink it. After rowing down the Grand Canyon last year in a raft I want to get back to the Idaho whitewater rivers I enjoyed in the past. The next trip is scheduled for October of this year. We are going to do the Lower Main Salmon River for a week.

Boats and boating are a big part of my life. Plus the steelhead should be available up there too.

You are doing a great job and will be a much more knowledgeable bot builder on your next build! I am glad that I can contribute a few ideas from my learning experiences and the knowledge that others have passed on to me.

Rick

Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on August 3, 2015 at 3:20pm

The day I finished assembling my boat I had a bare hull with no gunwales, no seats, no chine cap, no oar lock blocks, etc. We installed the gunwales, drilled them and put in the bolts and cut off the bolts. We installed the pipes for the seat mounts, the seat mounts, the seats, the oar lock blocks, the chine caps and applied Daly's Sea Fin teak oil to the gunwales and chine caps. We started at 8 AM and finished with the boat loaded on the trailer ready to drive to Vida, OR to the 2013 McKenzie River Wooden Boat Festival. I slept for three hours, got a bunch of energy drinks and coffee and nine hours later I was in Vida hosting the BBQ.

The two previous days we spent rebuilding the trailer I had driven to Vancouver, WA to get a few days prior. Not the best way to get the job done. I will be forever grateful to my friend Steve Long for his help and dedication to my drift boat build.

A lot of lessons were learned, some of which I remember! Here's a picture of the boat and trailer with a couple of good friends that also happen to be participants in the Spokane Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing group. Between PTSD and blindness these guys fight and conquer their issues and my boat and I get to help. We have an annual Two Fly event on the Yakima River where 25 drift boats and vets participate. It is a good time and provides a great time for all that participate.

Drift boats can do more than take you to the fish! 

Rick N

Permalink Reply by tungsten on August 3, 2015 at 4:23pm

Careful with using felt pens on screw heads or anywhere on the wood,epoxy dissolves it and colors the glass in the area.

I think from 4' back you wont even notice the ones on the sides,and I'm with Rick that use the least amount of screws, clamp and glue as much as you can.

Also wouldn't bother with the rub rail,again just a place for rot to start.We have fenders now.

Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on August 3, 2015 at 9:05pm

I`ll stay away from markers. Tried the new Dremel with a wood cutting blade. Wow, melted through that 1/4" plywood. Needed to trim along the chine rail to get a center line from the bottom of the frame to the top. I stayed off the chine rail 1/8"-3/16" cause I didnt know how it would cut. Now through I might trim it off again closer then finish it off with the belt sander.

I can see that if I had the McKenzie rocker that plywood would have about fit it just right. Started drilling and sinking some screws. The center frame is about square and the scarf joint is right over a frame. As the frames bevel more I`ll run a little off center. I might have to use shorter screws on the largest beveled frames? Someone said always wear good work shoes around tools.

Ive had these old drill for 25 yrs, 9.6v. a zillion hours, many batteries over the years, still work great. One was before the keyless chuck, which I changed. Nice having 2 to not switch bits.

Looking forward to getting this side screwd off and getting to the other side so this weekend I can work on the bottom scarf.

Permalink Reply by Mike Baker on August 3, 2015 at 10:02pm

Hey Mike,

When you get to the frames with more bevel you will need to move the screw placement closer to the edge of the frame as opposed to the middle of the frame so it won't come out of the side of the frame. I use 4" spacing, I use nails though.

I use a 4" spacing on my chines. Mark where the screws for the chine cap will go first, then make another mark 1" in front of those marks, these will be where you screw the sides to the chine. The bottom gets a screw pretty much wherever there isn't already a screw. Be sure to angle these screw at about the same angle as the side not 90 deg. to the bottom.

Mike

Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on August 4, 2015 at 5:43pm

Should I get some caulk of some kind and use it for the stem and transom besides the screws? Shouldnt the chine strip in the end of project get single (or double) screws and hit the frames?

Permalink Reply by Mike Baker on August 4, 2015 at 6:39pm

Hey Mike,

Use either 5200 on transom and stem or epoxy (I prefer epoxy).

Not sure what you mean in the second question. If you are talking about the outside chine cap those screws will go through the plywood and into the chine, not the frames.

Mike

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