Wooden Boat People
By McKenzieDriftBoat.com
first time out in a drift boat and floor question
well,I finally completed my rapid robert and trailer with all the fixins and it only took me 10 months! It's nice to have my weeknights back.I took it out on a lake to practice rowing and maneuvering.I expected it to come natural to me as I grew up on the water but that was far off.Only after a couple of hours did It feel comfortable.I have never felt aprehensive on the water,or future water that is untill now.I took a day off this week to give it a try on the colorado river with one of my daughters.A short 2 mile stretch short of dotsero with class 1 and 2 water.being excited to go is an understatement.I now am wondering how to secure my removable floor in case of capsizing without screwing it down.It is typical,slats running the length of the boat with 3 seams landing on the floor ribs.Or is a removable floor a new concept?Any advice or encouragement would be greatly appreciated.Thanks for reading-dreu
Views: 436
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by JAY STRUGNELL on
-
Most of the boats I have seen have small hasp hardware similar to a picket fence gate so that they remove easily,but wont fall out while on the river.
-
Permalink Reply by chris towles on
-
If you capsize the boat, you are gonna have way bigger problems than removable floor boards falling out. Open boats aren't designed to flip. Period. Spend your energy avoiding the rocks.
As to the floors, I've tried to secure them with a barrel bolt and it doesn't work, at least not if you drive down bumpy Putin roads. The parts and pieces just rattle apart, slip out, and generally don't do their job. I might think about some t butted wood plates that could glue on the frame with 5200. Then you could bolt it in permanently and loctite the threads.
-
Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on
-
Dorf had a really good idea for this situation in my boat. I havent done it yet but I`m going too. Doing the dirt roads I can here those floor boards banging like crazy. I only have a 3/4" cross pc under my sections of floor slats next to 3 frames for each section. On the frt and back cross pc for each section I`ll epoxy another pc of 3/4" maybe a few inches long, (that will get the hole I`m gonna drill into more meat on the frame). Drill a hole through that block and through the frame at each corner and epoxy a copper tube into those holes that will seal the wood good. Then run a bolt with a wingnut through the floor brace and the frame, or use a locknut. That way they are secured but removable
-
Permalink Reply by dreu patterson on
-
mike ,I think I will bolt some aluminum angle iron on the rib and bolt thru the floor board with ss screws and locknuts.It appears from others comments I should be floating down stern first in my rapid robert.I can easily move benches and seating front to rear,rear to front which leaves me to install some temporary oarlocks for the change untill I have time to make permanent ones.Do you have any thoughts on this?Pics are posted of my completed build.The 2 seats arrangement change to one by flipping the bench for just one passenger.Thanks for any input-dreu
-
-
These guys know your design, I would have no clue. I would think you would want the rocker on the frt pointing into the current. As long as you seal your holes good that would work too for the floors
-
Permalink Reply by Eric Loudenslager on
-
I noticed in the pictures you posted that the rower position is the seat close to the flat end of the boat, and that there is seating for two in the pointy end.
As originally designed the Rapid Robert had the pointy end upstream and the big flat end downstream. Look at Jay's picture of himself in his boat.
Setup may influence the handling in both lakes and rivers.
-
-
thanks for the advice. you and a few others have convinced me.I will switch out my seating as needed and see how it goes.I just need to put some temporary oarlocks in to try-dreu
© 2024 Created by Randy Dersham.
Powered by
