Aluminum drift boat build.
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ez-duzit
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marinusdees
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If you have two Nimrods in the front, you don't need a third passenger in the back. We only stood in the back when anchored, maximum three people including oarsman. Only once, in the Kispiox. in British Columbia did we have four. Wooden boat and we damn near wrecked it on the rocks. The only reason to have someone in the back is to gain separation for casting. Only in flat water or when anchored .
marinusdees
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PS
The sweetest driftboat I ever ran was a Shepcraft design built by Keith Steele in Portland, Oregon. Alas, not mine. Wooden boat with low gunnels ( I know,gunwhales). First time I ran it was on the Humptulips River. I thought I was doing pretty well, but, the owner, partner and friend. said, " you floated over every piece of fishable water".. I guess I did, but, I listened and learned.
The sweetest driftboat I ever ran was a Shepcraft design built by Keith Steele in Portland, Oregon. Alas, not mine. Wooden boat with low gunnels ( I know,gunwhales). First time I ran it was on the Humptulips River. I thought I was doing pretty well, but, the owner, partner and friend. said, " you floated over every piece of fishable water".. I guess I did, but, I listened and learned.
marinusdees
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If you plan on a Nimrod in the back, you want only one angler in the front. I am only offering this in all humility.
marinusdees
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This is as close to what I have in mind for the front TB's.
If you plan on this, look at the drift boats offered by the outfit in Oregon which offers doors opening in the side. $25.000 or so. After you are finished, please invite me for a ride.
marinusdees
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Do you still want a rough sketch of Wooldridge oars, or are you knowing what you want?? I'm not looking forward to drawing them but, I can and will.
marinusdees
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Good. The friend who made them for me said he really doesn't remember how they went together. I will, however still come up with a rough sketch. I have no idea how much the materials bill would be. Nothing's cheap in this world except mass produced stuff from China. The fancy boats from Oregon are named Pavarotti. I have seen one on the Humptulips River and it looked suspiciously like the Queen Mary. Nothing I'd want to row all day.
I have a friend who has two Al drift boas. He bought them both used. The first is a 17' Alumaweld. Well built, longtime company. It is a guide model, too damn big in my opinion for a non-guide. He figured this out and bought a smaller one. Weight and bulk is your enemy if you want/need an agile boat. JMHO
I have a friend who has two Al drift boas. He bought them both used. The first is a 17' Alumaweld. Well built, longtime company. It is a guide model, too damn big in my opinion for a non-guide. He figured this out and bought a smaller one. Weight and bulk is your enemy if you want/need an agile boat. JMHO
When I posted the picture of the boat, I was pointing out the design of the thigh brace. There will only be 1 person up front.
Those Pavarotti boats are pretty. I like some of their features, but i can't figure how they couldn't be heavy pigs.
Where did the name "nimrod" come from?
Those Pavarotti boats are pretty. I like some of their features, but i can't figure how they couldn't be heavy pigs.
Where did the name "nimrod" come from?
marinusdees
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I dunno. Had a fishing partner who used that term, somewhat jokingly. Since he was a school teacher I figured it was legitimate. He was, however prone to malapropisms. One I recall was "The early dog gets the worm." I never figured that one out. He had a fiberglass drift boat. They are really slippery. The gelcoat does wear out. If there are no floorboards, the floor "oilcans" annoyingly, which I found really tiring, as opposed to "tiresome".
I have a roofer friend who put some kind of fiberglass roofing material on the sole of his Alumaweld for "slipperiness", as opposed to Gluvit or Formica. I think you need something. Gluvit is nasty. Jus' sayin'. I can ask him if you want to know.
That Shepcraft had a sheet of mirror finish stainless on the sole, thanks to a buddy who worked in a shipyard.
PS The school teacher is gone now, he gave his boat to a former student who is an airline pilot and published author.
PPS The fiberglass boats we refer to as Tupperware or plastic.
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marinusdees
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While looking for thigh brace images, I stumbled upon this pic. this is what I want to do with the front seat. Obviously, because I'm a cheap *******, the cooler will be the Walmart version.
I landed a pretty good sized black marlin sitting only on an icechest. No seats in the boat. No gimbal on the chest. Thank God he sounded and died and it only took all three of us a little over an hour to dredge him up. Not a particularly enjoyable experience.
He (she, probably) had a rusty, ugly Japanese long-liner hook in her jaw. Think I still have it.
Riding on a seat that is not attached to the boat is extremely tiring. IMHO
The cooler will be bolted or strapped to the floor. These coolers are designed to be stood on. They are quite sturdy. I couldn't fab a base as useful as the cooler is.
I need to come up with a quickly detachable seat swivel that is still solid.
Standing on the cooler is pretty common for our group.
I need to come up with a quickly detachable seat swivel that is still solid.
Standing on the cooler is pretty common for our group.
marinusdees
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I think the guides use swivel seats that slide in and out on rails. It's nice to be able to switch from one center front seat to two side by side so when you get lucky and have only one Nimrod you won't have to deal with a boat that lists. It is almost impossible to row when the boat is leaning. My Wooldridge was wider than current designs and bottom heavy due to a second sheet of Al and a sheet of Formica on the bottom, but this made it more stable than any other drift boat I ever was in.
You're going to get tired of asking that Nimrod to move his *** so you can get another beer. Put the ice chest behind you and one or both Nimrods in front. If you stop and anchor. somebody can climb behind the rower's seat and fish. If you are going to do that, put a floorboard back there. I never did. I had wooden floorboards of 3/8" marine plywood coated with fiberglass non-sked courtesy of the tuna boat industry. Removable, so I could hose the boat out, and retrieve anything that fell underneath. Non-sked can be homemade with wet paint and sand. Slippery floorboards lead to swimming lessons.
If you make a front seat, put dry storage under it, accessible by lifting the seat. Holds lots of rain and emergency gear.
Must this boat be inspected by the Coast Guard?? If so, flotation will be a major issue. Hope not.
We did, with three anglers, stand behind the rear seat. Just stood on the bare Al (and the angle Al). Some times, two between the seats. Depending on size and degree of friendship and expertise.
You're going to get tired of asking that Nimrod to move his *** so you can get another beer. Put the ice chest behind you and one or both Nimrods in front. If you stop and anchor. somebody can climb behind the rower's seat and fish. If you are going to do that, put a floorboard back there. I never did. I had wooden floorboards of 3/8" marine plywood coated with fiberglass non-sked courtesy of the tuna boat industry. Removable, so I could hose the boat out, and retrieve anything that fell underneath. Non-sked can be homemade with wet paint and sand. Slippery floorboards lead to swimming lessons.
If you make a front seat, put dry storage under it, accessible by lifting the seat. Holds lots of rain and emergency gear.
Must this boat be inspected by the Coast Guard?? If so, flotation will be a major issue. Hope not.
We did, with three anglers, stand behind the rear seat. Just stood on the bare Al (and the angle Al). Some times, two between the seats. Depending on size and degree of friendship and expertise.
marinusdees
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If at some point someone wants to put a motor on, the anchor bracket will have to be removed. If you think this might happen, consider that when building a bracket.
marinusdees
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The advantage of low gunnels becomes apparent if you have to climb in and out of the boat often--eg low water, not enough to float the boat, so you have to drag it, hopefully not often. Also, if you are running a wild river--one that floods and changes course, sometimes you come around a blind corner which is different than the last float you made, to confront a tree across the river and have to bail out in a hurry. Ask me how I know. The disadvantage of the flared "dishpan" sides of my Wooldridge was the long step over the side. I learned to cope with it, you'll learn to cope with the idiosyncrasies of your boat
and have different ones on your next build.
This is a great post. My buddies were just talking about trees over the steam.
I was instructed to not build the thigh brace higher than the top of the bow. If the bow passes the tree over the river, nothing else will stop the boat...as long as every one hits the deck.
Oddly enough, I just got into the house after cutting the parts for the boat trailer.
While in Florida, all I got was a ration of **** why I haven't finished the drift boat yet. My response was I could have got it done if wasn't down here blowing wad's of money. They shut up.
Do you think there is such of a thing as the perfect boat?
I was instructed to not build the thigh brace higher than the top of the bow. If the bow passes the tree over the river, nothing else will stop the boat...as long as every one hits the deck.
Oddly enough, I just got into the house after cutting the parts for the boat trailer.
While in Florida, all I got was a ration of **** why I haven't finished the drift boat yet. My response was I could have got it done if wasn't down here blowing wad's of money. They shut up.
Do you think there is such of a thing as the perfect boat?
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Speaking of Florida, the tournament I entered into, I won the grand prize. Largest combined length of 3 species of fish.
Redfish, snook and sea trout.
I won 3 Co2 life jackets.
I actually won the largest redfish category, but a person could only win 1 category. No complaints on my end. Been invited back for next year.
I give all credit to my boat captain, this guy knew were the fish were in Tampa Bay!
Redfish, snook and sea trout.
I won 3 Co2 life jackets.
I actually won the largest redfish category, but a person could only win 1 category. No complaints on my end. Been invited back for next year.
I give all credit to my boat captain, this guy knew were the fish were in Tampa Bay!
Craptain
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Hey! I didn't know you were in my neck of the woods. I live in Tampa Bay.
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Craptain
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altersaddle
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Bit late to this party, but my uncle makes oars. A pair of 8'6" for your drift boat are just over $250USD. Shipping 'em costs another $50 or so.
http://www.barkleysoundoar.com/
He's a one-man shop so may not respond right away to calls/emails. The oars are amazing though, very light and strong.
http://www.barkleysoundoar.com/
He's a one-man shop so may not respond right away to calls/emails. The oars are amazing though, very light and strong.
altersaddle
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All the oars/paddles made by Barkley Sound are old growth clear Sitka Spruce. The long ones are laminated because it doesn't make sense to waste away that much wood to make an oar.
Make sure to seal your oars so they can't sink!
marinusdees
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Maybe, given the flare of your boat, 9' would serve. You'll only know after you try them. This from the guy who OK'd 8'6". Boat building is still an inexact science. Spruce is amazingly light and serviceably strong, but,personally, I'd prefer Al. Doesn't break, doesn't rot, doesn't wear out. Bends. You can run a boat a long ways with a bent oar. Not with a broken one. But, ALWAYS carry a spare.
marinusdees
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You got the idea. I'd angle the ends a bit as per my drawing, but these will work. Those corners will get chewed off if you run any rocky rivers.
marinusdees
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Put a roller clear across the back of the trailer. Just a little higher than the rear bunk. When you want to launch, raise the bow a little and it'll go. Make the rear posts removable, so the wide gunnels can launch. Then they'll hold the boat in place. I used rubber snubbers to hold down the rear, the winch held the front. Some state's regs require a bow chain for security while trailering. Dunno about MI. Cover the roller with rubber or carpeting, or don't. Leave it Zinclocked or ??
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marinusdees
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Every boat is a compromise.
marinusdees
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Sometimes the tree is a "sweeper" at or just below water level. Doesn't matter what level the thigh brace. Personally, I wouldn't put in a thigh brace until I figured out if and what kind I wanted. "Need"has not got a lot to do with it.
marinusdees
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I have drug drift boats around logjams. Lifted them on and over trees 2' above the water. You do what you have to do. There is no going back upstream. You take everything you can out of and off of the boat. That's when you are glad it is not a 17' guide model with two propane heaters and two propane bottles. And your companion(s) are able bodied enough to help.
marinusdees
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Having a chain saw is like having a third oar. You don't know you need it until it's too late.
Glen Wooldridge and his buddies got tired of portaging around Blossom Bar, in the Rogue. So, they packed in enough dynamite to blow a passage through. I think he was in high school then. I think the Rogue boats still use that chute. I don't think you'd get away with that today.
Only saw two sticks of Al tubing. You got a line on a wooden oar to use as a spare?? Doesn't have to be Al, but has to serve. JMHO
Glen Wooldridge and his buddies got tired of portaging around Blossom Bar, in the Rogue. So, they packed in enough dynamite to blow a passage through. I think he was in high school then. I think the Rogue boats still use that chute. I don't think you'd get away with that today.
Only saw two sticks of Al tubing. You got a line on a wooden oar to use as a spare?? Doesn't have to be Al, but has to serve. JMHO