It took countless hours, but the process was enjoyable. I managed to get it out on the water and I am very happy with how the boat handles. And yes, we actually managed to catch a few fish.
I think I remember you building it last summer in your garrage ???,
I seen pics of something similar on one of the fishing forums,
well great looking boat , curious as well how much time you have put into this and over all size and weight of the boat.
Thanks for the comments everyone. The boat cost roughly $1100 in materials. As mentioned, used mostly douglas fir and the storage boxes are made from birch.
Morph1, you are correct about the boat.
The dimensions are 13' 5" long by 57" wide at the widest portion. Boat weighs approx. 250 lb without any gear.
As for hours spent, I would estimate roughly 130 hours were spent start to finish.
I will be building more boats and looking at some different materials from douglas fir (only for cosmetic purposes).
I am aiming to build one next winter and donate it to a charitable auction.
Kyle, I can explain. I got married in the summer and it was all I could do to avoid the planning. I kid.
It became addictive for me, except the sanding...
You are correct, I think I can easily do the next one in about 75 hours or less. Got to do something when you cant fish or hunt.
I painted the hull with 2 coats of UV protective paint from Sherwin-Williams and then coated with 8 coats of Spar varnish.
That is a very nice boat, just seems a bit heavy, I was hoping it would be around 140 lbs, but hey that is wood not a fabric .....,
How does it perform in the water??, exactly as you expected or better?
whats the capacity ?? 4 ?
Nice to see something that was just a project actually in the water,
serving its purpose...
Congrats again dude.
Morph, Boat is designed for 3. It handles very well. Floats high, turns on a dime and handles rougher water quite well.
It was tough to keep the weight down. You could use 3/8 plywood on the bottom, but I went 1/2 inch just for extra protection. you could also eliminate the storage boxes and solid floor. Probably drop it below 200 lbs.
Beautiful work. With a bow sticking out of the water like that you are certain to always be pointed down wind. Tacking/maintaining a course in a wind might be challenging though. I'm not a sailor.......a canoe guy lol.
Building a drift boat - It actually works
Linear Mode
