DIY fiberglass drift boat

Hello All,

New to the site and new to boat building. I'm curious if you can build a drift boat from plywood and finish it with fiberglass. Has anyone done it? Or is it the dumbest idea ever?

The drift boat would be rigged up for fly fishing in Montana.

Thanks for any info and input.

Andrew

 

Welcome to the forum.

Nope, not a dumb idea. Yep, it's been done and you'd be best advised to by a set of plans, so you can build it cheaply and have it perform as you'd prefer.

 

A couple of forums you may wish to visit are
http://www.woodenboatpeople.com/
http://montana-riverboats.com/phorum/list.php?3

 

Best boat for amateur to build, just make sure you use marine or at least exterior plywood and seal it real good with resin. Don't skimp on resin or Fiberglass.

 

Talk to other fly fishermen (GUIDES!!!) who have used several designs of drift boat before you build. Nothing like the voice of experience.

My personal preference is the Mackenzie boat, but I fish the US Pacific Northwest, not Montana. Consider the rivers it will be fished in, and the power of the paddler. A weaker paddler will enjoy a narrower, more maneuverable boat. A larger river will overpower a smaller boat, out in the main current, so a bit more length will be a help. Fishing in the late Winter / early Spring will probably see high water use, so more rocker will be better. Less rocker will be more stable in flatter water.

River guides for kayakers use a rating system for rapids. Class I is easy, straight shot, with less than 1-foot waves, Class II has up to 3-foot waves with obvious route, Class III is probably the practical limit for drift boats, prohibitive for some.

These guide books could really help you in choosing a good boat design for fishing in your intended area.