'Row-Row your boat gently down the stream...'

[fredaevans]

Far more to running a river than the 'newbie' thinks through, especially in 'new water.' That can also be true for the experienced hand at the oars.[poke]

Soooo you bought your first drift boat (non-motor) take it to a lake and just learn how the oar strokes work ... and how slow that can be! :surprise: For context, a normal sized drift boat can easily weigh in at 650 pounds. Load that 'Mother' up and you can easily get to twice that with rower and passenger(s).

If that means beaching the boat and walking down stream so be it; depending upon the water flows (they change!) where you might run it in a heavy flow is not where you want to be in low flows.

End game is you don't want to learn how your boat will handle on moving water. Best yet is take a trip or two with a good man/woman on the oars, watch them go through the 'set up' for fast water, etc. That bit is called: 'Plan Ahead!'


Here's the first of a three part Video on running rivers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed5Ne_ZyzuQ

Bottom line of this is the river doesn't care, that bit up to you.:wavetowel

fae

Small edit: If you can get a river map (or print off of Google) go for it and take it with you. Mark the RM's, obvious land marks, etc. Quick way to keep track of where you are. An example of this is here on the Rogue River in Southern Oregon. You have a put in/take out (roughly) ever seven miles .. you miss yours and 'deep do-do' time.

 

[bazzer69]

Being a long time drift boat guide on a much tamer river I'm impressed with your rowing skills. But a couple of questions. Why a wooden drift boat and not aluminum? Wood can have a hole knocked in it pretty easily compared to aluminum, ask me how I know! Secondly, your oars look way to short and the blades look to small from your video. Longer oars and bigger blades mean much more power if you can handle it.
Are your spare oars secured to the boat?
I'm fishing the Lower Rogue this year, not in my 20ft drift boat but a Dave ScAddon 12ft framed raft. Fishing is the object from Agnes down towards Gold beach for steelies. Maybe the wild section later
Thanks for the video


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[fredaevans]

Being a long time drift boat guide on a much tamer river I'm impressed with your rowing skills. But a couple of questions. Why a wooden drift boat and not aluminum? Wood can have a hole knocked in it pretty easily compared to aluminum, ask me how I know! Secondly, your oars look way to short and the blades look to small from your video. Longer oars and bigger blades mean much more power if you can handle it.
Are your spare oars secured to the boat?
I'm fishing the Lower Rogue this year, not in my 20ft drift boat but a Dave ScAddon 12ft framed raft. Fishing is the object from Agnes down towards Gold beach for steelies. Maybe the wild section later
Thanks for the video


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Drift boats were all origionally made of Marine Grade Plywood (darned expensive stuff even today). You could get the material at any good lumber yard. The paper patterns for the lay out cost just a few bucks and really didn't take a lot in the way of 'tools' to cut out/construct the thing.

The down side is they were all heavy as hell! The up side (even now) is they were were quite on the water ... even bouncing off of rocks. Just a ''thud" and that was about all.

Old memory here (so don't quote me) but the first 'plastic' DB's came on the market in the mid-50's. Instant hit with Steelheader's in the PNW. Almost zero matainance, on the odd chance you actually put a hole in the thing:stretcher just drag it ashore and (if you had the stuff) you could repair same on the spot. (Had to do that once.)

Air temps had a lot to do with how long you were going to sit there as the stuff 'curred/set.' But you could patch up a real hole (which was going to be unlikely) in minutes.

But the bottom line of 'plastic vs wood' is the almost lack of maintance; just tip the thing up on its stern and hose it out. Job done. The other thing was a wood boat had to be kept under cover when not in use ... so much for half your garage.

But a real wood drift boat was a thing of beauty ... never had anyone come up to me on a river bank and asked to see my plastic. The old woodie you could almost count on it.

fae

 

[bazzer69]

Drift boats were all origionally made of Marine Grade Plywood (darned expensive stuff even today). You could get the material at any good lumber yard. The paper patterns for the lay out cost just a few bucks and really didn't take a lot in the way of 'tools' to cut out/construct the thing.



The down side is they were all heavy as hell! The up side (even now) is they were were quite on the water ... even bouncing off of rocks. Just a ''thud" and that was about all.



Old memory here (so don't quote me) but the first 'plastic' DB's came on the market in the mid-50's. Instant hit with Steelheader's in the PNW. Almost zero matainance, on the odd chance you actually put a hole in the thing:stretcher just drag it ashore and (if you had the stuff) you could repair same on the spot. (Had to do that once.)



Air temps had a lot to do with how long you were going to sit there as the stuff 'curred/set.' But you could patch up a real hole (which was going to be unlikely) in minutes.



But the bottom line of 'plastic vs wood' is the almost lack of maintance; just tip the thing up on its stern and hose it out. Job done. The other thing was a wood boat had to be kept under cover when not in use ... so much for half your garage.



But a real wood drift boat was a thing of beauty ... never had anyone come up to me on a river bank and asked to see my plastic. The old woodie you could almost count on it.



fae

Actually I've built two wooden drift boat, one was in my lounge during a winter in Tahoe. I had to remove a window to get it out. Yes, they are things of beauty, but then I started guiding and clients with cleats just ripped the floor up even though I covered it with clear epoxy resin. Aluminum drift boats are the only way to go. Just read the forums and look for posts from people asking how to repair GRP boats. It the boat in the video appears to have large waterproofs lockers which I'm guessing is to make it unsinkable. On my present DB I've foamed under all the level floors. It might get swamped, but it won't sink! I do get people asking about my Fishrite since it's so large, 20ft! Definitely not a whitewater boat. I use a raft for that!


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[vanwagw]

Drift boats were all origionally made of Marine Grade Plywood (darned expensive stuff even today). You could get the material at any good lumber yard. The paper patterns for the lay out cost just a few bucks and really didn't take a lot in the way of 'tools' to cut out/construct the thing.

The down side is they were all heavy as hell! The up side (even now) is they were were quite on the water ... even bouncing off of rocks. Just a ''thud" and that was about all.

Old memory here (so don't quote me) but the first 'plastic' DB's came on the market in the mid-50's. Instant hit with Steelheader's in the PNW. Almost zero matainance, on the odd chance you actually put a hole in the thing:stretcher just drag it ashore and (if you had the stuff) you could repair same on the spot. (Had to do that once.)

Air temps had a lot to do with how long you were going to sit there as the stuff 'curred/set.' But you could patch up a real hole (which was going to be unlikely) in minutes.

But the bottom line of 'plastic vs wood' is the almost lack of maintance; just tip the thing up on its stern and hose it out. Job done. The other thing was a wood boat had to be kept under cover when not in use ... so much for half your garage.

But a real wood drift boat was a thing of beauty ... never had anyone come up to me on a river bank and asked to see my plastic. The old woodie you could almost count on it.

fae

I second what Fred says, wood is beautiful and quiet. There's something about fishing out of or traveling over water with a wood boat that aluminum or plastic can never recreate.

 

[bazzer69]

The bottom of my wooden drift boat, both kits from Don Hill, were sheeted with UMWP. It's as slick as snot on rocks. I once left my boat untethered on a concrete launch ramp and it slid down to the water on its own. The issue with it is that it expands like crazy in any heat and wrinkles. The solution is to attach it with slotted T bolts. But the sides of the hull are very weak and will crack with the slightest hit from a rock. Mine was re-enforced on the inside with epoxy, but still not as strong as aluminum which will ding and stretch but not hole. Quiet? I never noticed any difference unless your bottoming out on a rock or riffle.
Wooden is cheap to diy but aluminum lasts a whole lot longer and need far less maintenance


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[vanwagw]

Bazzer69....thanks for the suggestion on UMWP. Sounds like interesting stuff. Never seen it in person on a boat that I know of. I read about it on the Greg Boats website. I would like to see a boat mounted with this product.

I've always been impressed with the reinforcing abilities of graphite powder, epoxy and some extra fiberglass strips. The UMWP sounds even beefier than this.

 

[fredaevans]

I second what Fred says, wood is beautiful and quiet. There's something about fishing out of or traveling over water with a wood boat that aluminum or plastic can never recreate.

Here's my vote for 'Post of the Day.':wiggle: Three stroke and glide, three strokes and glide on a lake ... fly line over the back with a 'Carry Special' on the end of the leader. Lots of dinner's for Mom and me way back in the day.

In the door ... 'Did you catch dinner???' Most I did, if I didn't it was Mac and Cheese ... again.

fae

 

[bazzer69]

Bazzer69....thanks for the suggestion on UMWP. Sounds like interesting stuff. Never seen it in person on a boat that I know of. I read about it on the Greg Boats website. I would like to see a boat mounted with this product.



I've always been impressed with the reinforcing abilities of graphite powder, epoxy and some extra fiberglass strips. The UMWP sounds even beefier than this.

It's real beefy stuff, the sheet I fitted I'm going to say was close to 1/2 inch, but maybe 3/8's. It's heavy stuff and very very tough as well as being slippery than snot. My current aluminum DB has a epoxy coating, but don't bother, it cracks and flakes off. Be carefully with graphite, the particle size is very small and it has been know to cause fatal lung problems.
When fitting UMWP you need to cut slots for the mounting screws to allow for the expansion and contraction . I was very happy with the plastic. The maintenance of the wood was another question!