Guy's Wooden Drift Boat Project

Hello Everyone,

 

My name is Guy and this is my first post in this forum.  I am here because I want to build a wooden drift boat and, undoubtedly, I will occasionally need advice of the pool of experts and experienced drift boat builders on this forum.

 

In preparation for this project I have read and studied three books: Drift Boats and River Dories by R. L. Fletcher, Boatbuilding with Plywood by G. L. Witt, and Covering Wooden Boats with Fiberglass by A. H. Vaitses.  I have also developed my own set of construction plans based off of the "Original McKenzie Double-Ender with Transom" in Fletcher's book.  I used and MS Excel spreadsheet to calculate all of the dimensions, cut angles, compound angles, and bevel angles of all frame components and I used Pilot3D software to calculate the as-cut dimensions of the plywood sides and bottom.  At this point I am pretty comfortable with the mechanics of construction and I think that I am just about ready to start purchasing lumber.

 

Presently, I plan to use Meranti Hydro-Tek plywood; 1/4-in. on the sides and 1/2-in. on the bottom.  I found plenty of places to purchase these materials, but they are all far away from Idaho Falls, Idaho, and as a result shipping costs more than the materials.  Are any of you aware of a business within a few hundred miles of Idaho Falls that sells this plywood?  I have a few requests in to the local lumber companies, but I have yet to talk with someone who has heard of this material before.

 

I also plan to use Port Orford Cedar (CVG) for the straight frame sections and White Oak (quater sawn) for the bent frame sections (chine logs and sheer rails).

 

Thank you, Guy

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Permalink Reply by Robb Grubb on March 20, 2013 at 11:20am

I damaged my ego once (or twice) when I launched my 16x48 without the middle drain plug installed at the boat ramp. Then you go do the shuttle and come back to 4 inches of water in the boat and a wet life jacket that was lying on the floor...

The drain plug on my boat is installed exactly as Dave describes, the boat is 17 years old, with most of its miles on rocky, boulder garden rivers, always scraping over gravel bars and rocks, etc. with no trouble. I think that if there is going to be an impact that would affect the plug, you have other issues as well.

Historically, aluminum and glass boats do not have enough material on the bottom to accommodate a plug in the middle without protruding, so they put them in the back. If you drive through driftboat world (the Northwest) you see hundreds of driftboats (mostly aluminum or glass) tilted back on their trailers in front yards across the Northwest. It is a convenient way of 'storing' the boat so water can drain out the back. Wood boats come with garages :)

Cheers, Robb

www.RiverTraining.net

Permalink Reply by Lee E Washburn on March 20, 2013 at 12:38pm

THANK YOU   FOR THAT ROBB    CANT WAIT TO GET BACK UP YOUR WAY  FOR  MORE TRAINING   IF YOU AND WILLIAM  WOULD  LIKE TO  DO SOME SAILING   WE,RE WORKING OUR WAY  TO SEATTLE  VIA THE PANAMA CUT  THEN UP THE COAST. THE BOAT IS  IN PAPAGAYO COSTA RICA AS  OF TODAY  WITH A FULL CREW BUT   THERE WILL BE NEED FOR FILL IN ALONG THE WAY.  I AM HOME  AND ITS RAINING.  THAT IS JUST THE WAY IT IS IT RAINED ON US AS WE TRANSITED THE ZONE, MY100TH TIME THROUGH THE LOCKS  TELL WILLIAM  I HAVE NOT FOR GOT HIM  AND THANKS  HAVE BEEN USING THE HAND LINE I MADE FOR HIM WILL GET IT TO HIM AT  SHOW TIME IN APRIL.  WE HAVE TRAINING 0N BOARD  EVERY DAY.   KNOW AS    MOB.   TRAINING PAYS   DONT ASK HOW I KNOW. AFTER A LIFE TIME  ON THE WATER  I BOUGHT A DRIFT BOAT. I DID NOT KNOW THAT  THAT THOSE STICKS WERE BRAKES.  I HAVE ALWAYS ROWED FOR SPEED. ON STILL WATER.DUH

            HAPPY  RIVER RUNNING  THANKS  TO ALL YOU ON THIS SIGHT AND ONE HELL OF A BOAT SHOW  IVE GOTTEN TO FIND ANOTHER WAY TO BOAT  AND KEEP THE BLOOD RUNNING .

  CAPT  LEE E. WASHBURN       " FREEDOM "124' S&S 1986 motorsail

Permalink Reply by Mike Layne on September 23, 2013 at 3:55pm

Hi Guys, I'm new to the forum and I"ve been enjoying Guy's excellent adventure.  I jump in only to say that yes, I lost a drain plug that was installed on the right side at the low point of an old Eastside fiberglass drift boat.  I wound up coming out of Blossom Bar backwards and stuffing a red bandana in the hole to finish the trip to Gold Beach.  The boat was a pig anyway and the field expedient repair wasn't very elegant, but it worked.

Mike

Permalink Reply by Guy Fredrickson on March 2, 2013 at 12:04pm

Well... good, bad, or indifferent, the drain plugs are in the middle of the boat.

This picture shows a simple guide for the router bit.  I wanted the router bit to cut a 2-in.-diameter hole about 1/8-in. deep.

This picture shows the recess.

Then I had to drill a 1-in.-diameter hole through the hull.  This gave me a sick feeling in the bottom of my stomach.  But then the worst of it was over.

This picture shows the bottom of the boat.  I'll trim the brass so that it is slightly recessed into the bottom.  Before final installation, I'll coat the exposed wood with epoxy and seat the fitting with 3M 5200.  I'll also install shortened woodscrews.

 

 

Permalink Reply by Dave Z on March 2, 2013 at 3:42pm

There you go.  Looks good.  That's how I do mine. Although mine are not in the middle, but off to the right side where I can access the plug where the floorboards end.

Permalink Reply by Kevin C. on March 2, 2013 at 6:00pm

huh,Ive not seen a plug put in that location before...experiment......

Permalink Reply by Guy Fredrickson on March 2, 2013 at 6:32pm

Kevin,

I like the result of installing the drain plugs (one on either side of the backer board) and I'm no longer worried about that.  And it would be easy enough to relocate the drain plugs if necessary.  To me, the biggest experiment on this boat is the seating. I've got a lot of time invested in the seating and deck plates.

Guy

Permalink Reply by Brian King on March 2, 2013 at 6:50pm

Might I inquire as to where you bought your drain plug? Have not got that far yet on my boat but I am trying to buy all the parts that I need when I do get there. I made my old one out of stainless steel.

Permalink Reply by Guy Fredrickson on March 3, 2013 at 4:35am

Brian,

I got a lot of my supplies from iboats.com; seats, epoxy, paint, varnish, and drain plugs.  The the silicon-bronze hardware (woodscrews and bolts) are mostly from glen-l.com and clcboats.com.

Guy

Permalink Reply by Guy Fredrickson on March 10, 2013 at 12:34pm

This picture shows the deck support rails and backer-blocks installed.  As well as the drain plugs.  I used 3M 5200 on the deck support rails and drain plugs, and expoxy (with microfibers) for the backer-blocks.  All the wood is coated with epoxy and sanded.

Here is a close-up of a drain plug.  The wood screws do not penetrate through the bottom of the boat, but the holes for the wood screws do.  I did this so that the 3M 5200 would completely coat the holes for the wood screws and squeeze out the bottom.  (No matter how careful I am, that 3M 5200 gets on everything.)

After some light sanding, the inside of the boat will be ready for varnish.  And for that I need warmer weather.

Permalink Reply by Guy Fredrickson on March 16, 2013 at 1:25pm

The first of two coats of primer is applied to the bottom surfaces of the deck plates by brush (I will use a roller for the top surfaces).  The minimum application temperature is 50°C, and the garage is at 52°C.  I hope the paint sets-up.  I mixed 483 g of base, with 161 g of reactor, with 129 g of solvent and it brushed on well.

Permalink Reply by Dave Barnes on March 18, 2013 at 8:15am

You realize, Guy, that we're all going to show up at your house for rides in this thing. nice work, but the suspense is getting to us.

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