Driftwood on Montana Rivers

[drift montana]

I'm a long-time WB Forum lurker, and very occasional poster. But I thought I'd share my latest creation. Wooden boats are few and far between out here, and builders are even more scarce. There are a few of us, though, mostly building drift boats for fishing.

This is my second boat. It is inspired by designs from Montana Boatbuilders, but comes out of my own head, computer, and meager skills bending wood. It is about 16.5' LOA, stich and glue construction. A mix of mahogany plywood, ash, white oak and mahogany. Made for floating the western rivers of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. Her name is the Woody Bugger.

Building log: http://mtboater.blogspot.com

Cheers!

-Tony

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[Donn]

Very nice! I love the leaning post design, and judging from the fish (Rainbow?) it all works.

[Lew Barrett]

That's one hell of a drift boat. Thanks for posting! Well done.
Lew

[Vernon Hunt]

Very Cool! :cool: Is that a video screen I see? Looks like the fishing is good. You did a great job. Nothin like designing your own boat!:D

[drift montana]

Thanks for the compliments, guys. It has been a fun project. Made even more so now that it is on the water!

Vernon, sorry, no video screen. Plenty of entertainment watching the eagles, osprey, otters, fish and mountains!

-T

[Vernon Hunt]

Upon further review, I see it's not a video. Must be old age and the need to clean my glasses after sanding mahogany all afternoon. I lived in Colorado for awhile and you are correct in saying there's plenty of entertainment outdoors.

[DJM]

Very impressive. Looks like it is perfectly designed for its intended use.
Is that center seat mounted on a gimbal, and what is the webbing for that runs under the seat. Looks like a control for something?

[drift montana]

DJM-
No gimbal on the seat. It does have quick release on either side so I can slide it front and back to trim out the boat depending on who is in it. The "strap" you refer to is the anchor line. It runs to a block under the seat, back through a tubing to the transom, then through a sheave installed in the transom to the anchor. As you drift down the river and find a good fishing spot, you drop the hook to stop the boat, do your fishing, pull the hook and head downstream to the next spot.

http://www.dtm-websolutions.com/boatbuild/MiscPhotos/Boat2_mv_13.jpg

-T

[Tom Robb]

The drift boats I've seen pictures of have HUGE rocker. Yours does not. Is the rationale that your waters are less boisterous?

[drift montana]

Tom-
You're are correct. Most drift boats are based on original dories. They were originally built with the a straight chine edge of the side panels. When this is bent around a football shaped bottom panel and opened up with spreaders it creates a lot of rocker. Folks have varied the ammount of rocker based on how much you spread the gunnels apart.

If you cut a scallop out of the chine edge of the side pannel, it creats a flat section in the bottom of the boat when it is bent around the bottom panel.

Pros and cons to each design. My first boat, below, had HUGE rocker! Way too much for the rivers I oar. I could turn it on a time and bob through big standing waves, but it was slow as hell and didn't track worth a darn.

So I pushed the envelope in the other direction and created around a 6' flat section in the middle and very little rocker. It is much faster, rides much higher in the water because it displaces water quicker, and tracks very well. It is a little sluggish on the turns, though this can be handled by a good stroke on the oars.

The low profile on this boat also helps with wind resistence on windy days and is easy to get in and out of (something my father in law will appreciate!).

-T

http://www.dtm-websolutions.com/boatbuild/images/Maiden_Voyage_021_sm.jpg

[Ed Strong]

Wow!!!

[Donn]

I love the anchor rig. I used to fish rivers in SW Michigan in drift boats with such rigs. We did "dropback" fishing for Steelhead, which involved anchoring above a good spot, and letting out deep-diving lures which we dangled into holes. The anchors were masses of chain, bolted together, and hung from rigs just like yours.

[drift montana]

I've been tempted to try the chain anchor approach. It is certainly less expensive than the standard approach. I know folks who used clutch plates, differential covers, old gears, etc. from the junk yard. Really any chunk of metal will do.

-T

[Tom Robb]

Realy nice work.
Was the sheer line an aesthetic choice or a practical solution to the placement of the oar locks?
Drift boats seem to be a perfect solution for their task and environment.

[geeman]

Thats not a boat,,,,,,, its a piece of art.

[drift montana]

Thanks again guys!

Tom- the sheer line comes from a couple of constraints. First I wanted a low profile. We get a bit of wind on rivers like the Yellowstone and I wanted to reduce the 'sail' effect that most drift boats have. Second, I wanted a boat that is easy to get in and out of. It's great being able to step out of 1.5' of water and right into the boat without having to roll your body over a high gunwale. Finally, the oarlocks need to be high eanough for comfortable rowing. Jason Cajune at Montana Boatbuilders initially came up with the compound curve on the sheer for a drift boat. Bending the gunwale to the compound curve is the real trick. I had to split the rail in two and attach it as a top and bottom.

-T

[Don Maurer]

That has to be one of the best thought out and well executed boat designs I have seen. Every part has a purpose and the parts combine to make an aesthetically stunning watercraft. The recurved gunwale even compliments the curve of the trailer fenders. Well done!

[ssor]

That would be a really cool coffee table in the winter time. ;)

[kc8pql]

Beautiful boat. You have some wonderful water to float. I spent two summers living in a campground in Livingston and working on a barn building crew in the early '70s., though I really was there for the trout fishing.:D

[Hal Forsen]

That is one really sweet setup. :D
Nicely Done!
HF

[ssor]

Drifter, you could win prizes in several categories with that design and quality of craftsmanship. Very well done.

[GROOVY]

That is one of the most well thought out... and nicest boat I think I have ever seen! Hats off to you buddy!
I wonder how that would work on the Catawba river here in SC, as a row down the river and enjoy the ride thing.....

[katiedobe]

I sent a copy of this link to my fishing buddy friend in Oregon. I know he will love it and be very jealous.
You did an outstanding job. Make sure you clean it every time after using it and it will look like a million bucks forever.

[L.W. Baxter]

Cunning setup, Tony!

That hogged sheer line has some historical precedent; it is reminiscent of the Micmac and Beothuk birch bark canoes, as recorded by Edwin Tappan Adney in The Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America. They did it for use on open water. Hauling a heavy object over the rail, the boat could heel farther without swamping. The lower ends kept windage down.

[pipefitter]

That is awesome work. I love it when someone does something different to suit their needs in a boat design. The function creates the form which makes it beautiful in it's own right.