PlayDoh Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 I've always wanted to build a boat, although living in AB doesn't afford lots of opportunity or resources. Most people who build boats around here inevitably look like weirdos (Evan Almighty). Even a neighbor of mine has a big ocean fishing boat which hasn't moved in a decade, and it looks like a sore thumb out here. I found a site which sells plans and instruction for building drift boats. http://www.riverstouch.com/ . Maybe its my Irish blood, but I want to build a drift boat. It has to be on the easy side of boat building, and I have some carpentry and mechanical skills. Along with a stamina for hours of sanding/planning. how do wood drift boats compare to composite or fiberglass? Anyone have a wooden Mackenzie? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick0Danger Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 Building one currently (Its going really really slow, work and life gets in the way), after all my research get a stitch and sow? Now i have to find the website where i bought the plans that im using, i Bought 3 sets of plans, and kind of modified my favorite. Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlayDoh Posted December 18, 2007 Author Share Posted December 18, 2007 WTG. Any chance you could post pics? Even Via PM, if you'd rather. What is a 'stitch & sow btw? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 I've rowed both kinds and the wooden ones are way heavier. There is also more maintenance - but for some that's part of the attraction. Have seen some custom built boats on the Bow and many of them look absolutely incredible. I believe that Brunsie built a really nice boat a few years back - if he's lurking around he could no doubt give some good input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 oops...double post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brunsie Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 Hey Playdoh As Rusty said, a buddy and I built a boat in '01. Be prepared to spend a lot of hours in your garage. The amount of time spent is directly porportional to how nice a boat you end up with. Wood boats also require a fair bit of upkeep. "Stitch and glue" boats have no internal ribs and are stronger than a ribbed boat. Most wooden boats are , as Rusty says, heavier than plastic boats, but only because builders tend to put more "stuff" (decks, storage, etc) in the boat making them heavier and a little tougher to row. If you'd like to have a look at our boat, shoot me a PM in the New Year and hopefully I can be of some help. Nick if you need anything, call me. BK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stimmy Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 Building a driftboat is a lot of fun. It can be a fairly big time commitment, but it is worth it in the end. The nice thing about building your own boat is that you get to customize it. As Brunsie said, this is usually where all the extra weight comes from. Here is one that I rebuilt after it was run over. Before restoration After Restoration Duncan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pipes Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 I'll echo the comments as above. (Duncan, boat looks good). I built mine using some plans I got from http://montana-riverboats.com/. There is quite a bit of information on the internet about tips and techniques. Personally, the best part about building one is being able to customize. Not only can you customize storage, seating etc, but you can also adjust your chine rocker and dimensions to really change how the boat handles. A friend of mine, got me into thinking of building one. It was a lot of fun and I want to do another. If you have the patience, it is well worth the effort. As mentioned, expect the maintenance to be higher and be willing to accept getting yout baby dinged up. There are also some alternatives to making the boat stand up to the weathering, eg Line-X the bottom of the boat. I have no regrets, except I have spent more time building than on the water. Here is a slideshow that gives you the rough idea on construction. http://gregboats.com/slideshow/photo_1.html Below is my first crack at building one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick0Danger Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 Dont you worry Brunise if i have a question ill ask. But Oddly enough during the first stages of the boat back in October, this nice gentlemen walks by and see my little brother and me working, and goes you building a drift boat?, turns out he has built a few and has a nice on in his garage, and I now have all the tools i need, some extra wood he used on his last one he does not need, 3 gallons of marine epoxy, and some expertise 4 houses away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brunsie Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 Geez Nick, ya gotta like that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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