Wooden Boat People
By McKenzieDriftBoat.com
Wooden Drifter/Sled
It Happened today!! Wasn't expecting to be ready for this event for another couple three weeks, but all of the sudden things started coming together and Santa Delivered this boat to me, after nine months of fun-fun building and much learning.
Boat plugs?? - no problemo, I haven't drilled the holes yet!
Refurbing the trailer before the big day
The Moment of Truth after so much head scratching, hoping, and fun building. This photo angle shows the strakes I added below the chine logs - to help prevent skidding.
VIOLA VIOLA VIOLA WOW WOW WOW -- after nine months of total pleasure of this building project. It FLOATS!!. And it sits pretty level in the water. This Yamaha 760 Waverunner jetski motor/pump didn't have a reverse hardware so it was a challenge to get it going in the right direction, quite a strong wind today too. Banged into the Dock -- wearing gloves and didn't work well with the "stop" button. Managed to get it into open water and found a short section of water quiet enough to use full throttle - had runs of 32, then 38, then 42 mph as measured on the rear water wheel w/digital readout. Jumped out of the hole in about four boat lengths.
So So happy with how the boat performed. Couple things I want to address -- the noise thing......, way too obnoxious for me...... Will try lining the inside of the motor and pump "box" with maybe 1" foam to try and alleviate the motor noise. I love drifting down a remotely located stream and hear nothing except the occasional slap of the oars.
Next part of this project will be a hybrid oar building project thing - I think I will try a microlaminate (1/4" veneers or thinner w/10 oz between each) for the shaft with the veneers vertical to maximize bendability, then a blade of fiberglass with possibly a foam interior top profile to create a high flotation oar that you don't have to drag up out of the water after resting the oars while releasing that steelhead.... I tried that flotation idea when I owned a
14' aluminum "whitewater mfg" driftboat for several years -- worked great. All wooden oars probably wouldn't present that problem - the oars I had then were all Plastic.
Back in the barn. Tonight 12/29/10. I want to present a full picture story of my building experience with this project, which started when I bought the jetski about March of this year (2010). Would you knowledgeable people with this woodenboatpeople.com tell me how to make this presentation -- I have a lot of pictures -- and I can be a wordy person..... a blog?? a remote site that can be linked? -- don't want to Hog the pages in this wonderful website. I have stolen so many great ideas from Woodenboatpeople - thank you so much Randy.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jordan Davis on
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This is just wonderful Don. Thank yo so much for sharing! Tell us, how did you decide on the color scheme?
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Permalink Reply by Don Wakefield on
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Jordan -- that sounds like a loaded question. I was a home building contractor (small guy which means finish work and building cabinets) for 25 plus years and I remember how Oak or Walnut and Forest green go very well with the exterior color scheme of a home - in the south central Colorado mountains. Then the lime green being complimentary with the dark green as in a signage combination of some sort?? Then..... Red is my favorite color.
Ok now - the bright orange floor Durabak?? Well, yes I had second thoughts about that choice the next morning, and at this time, still not sure if that was a bit bizzare or not..... call that the choice of two beers influence. Ordered it online ninish or so.
How you coming with your build? Sounds and looks like you have a great start -- what a fun pastime hey??
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Due to the holidays my build has slowed. Almost to a stop...I did get a brand new drill press just in time for limber holes! I have all chines scarfed and waiting, and they turned out really well. I like asking people to find the seam. They have to look VERY close. It truly is fun, isn't it!? Hopefully I will get some time to build over the next few days, cause starting next Monday, I'm hittin' the road for work :( Hopefully I will have some update photos soon. Keep up the great work!!
JD
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Permalink Reply by Jason Knight on
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This is cool Don. Put that blog together, I want to read it, seriously.
You have the right idea about the blog, just post the link, then you can send it to other people in your network who may not be on this site.
Looking forward to checking that out. Thanks for the inspiration!
-jk-
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Permalink Reply by Lawrence E. Long on
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Don: beautiful craftsmanship- and some good engineering to get the powerplant located so the hull lays flat on the water - not "pooped " at the stern. Be careful running 40 knots!
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Thanks Lawrence -- Although I did give the engineering aspect of level flotation a lot of thought- the end result of being near perfect was just s--- house luck - except for my limited ability to balance things with the location of the front steering seat box - which was built around the 17? gal fueltank, and the way too fat driver sitting on the box - me.. Viewing the pictures and then measuring, it would appear to me that the draft at the outside chines is 2" then plus the V-hull deadrise -- the total static no-speed draft directly below the centerline is about 5-1/2 inches. Probably why the jet discharge was making such a fuss when up to speed - I think the pump discharge wasn't deep enough to keep it from spewing and spraying up like a rooster tail..and yes I had it pointed down. I view this boat as a river craft - so I won't never need to use full throttle except maybe to get up class three whiteater like the Devil's Staircase on the upper Rogue or making the steering behave when negotiating a downstream curve.
Yeah running the 42 mph didn't feel all that good during the second or two when it happened - maybe a seat belt??
Don Wakefield
Paradise, CA
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Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on
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Don, Google as well other sites have easy to use Blog setups. If you uploaded pictures and text to here you can do a Blog. Let us know if you need help.
Rick Newman
P.S. Great job! Did your construction supervisor go for a ride too?
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Permalink Reply by Greg Hatten on
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Very cool Don. Well done. I vote for the Blog as well - would love to read a full re-cap.
GH
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Hi Greg -- thanks for the compliments.
I very much enjoyed looking at the pics you have posted running the upper rogue in your beautiful boat. Where you have been, I would like to go.
I'm thinking that if my jetski engine can manage 42mph in just a short run it should have the get up and go to squirt up through Blossom Bar and the several other white water stretches?? Being careful of course not to get in the way of the downhill craft.
Want to post a couple pictures here - They aren't "wooden" but still fun boating....this is my 18' Alumaweld with a 175 sportjet, we ran the Shanghai Falls on the Feather below Yuba City a month ago today. Pretty sure the new wooden boat (with eight layers of glass including kevlar on the bottom) could get up and down this easily.
Will get that Blog started soon -- Happy New Year to all!!
When running a river, what goes down must come back up:
Have plans on running the Rogue this coming February.
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Hi Rick - would it be appropriate for me just to create a build story right on this same location?
I intend to just use my photos to create the text and to jog my memory.
Bet when it gets warmer I will manage to talk my Mom into taking a ride, she has been a great encouragement for me and always interested in what I was doing out there in the garage.
What a fun project its been. And thanks for the Kudos.
Don Wakefield
Paradise, CA
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Don, you can add your own page and start your "blog" here and it will be easy for others to find and the format is already basically familiar to you. The Google setup is also easy to use but has a small learning curve. The nice thing about a blog that uses a template like Google is it is easy to start and add information to. The drawback of a template system is it is harder to customize. You might even want to setup your own page here and at least look at the Google blog setup and see what you think. Feel free to send me a message or communicate here to ask for assistance. I spend a great deal of time on the computer as I am a computer science student.
Rick Newman
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