So I saw what I thought was a good deal on a drift boat today, and impulse purchased the crap out it. Hopefully it wasn't a mistake, but wow is it super pretty and unique craftsmanship. It was built by an older man who didn't want super high sides aka easier to get in and out of. I'll be using this on pretty chill and wide tailwaters (no whitewater). However, it needs to be outfitted, and I could use some suggestions!
First order of business, this boat is 10 years old and has been in dry storage the entire time. Never seen water. I inspected everything thoroughly and found some small cracks in the marine paint by the seam at the bottom of the boat. I want to remove the paint(at least from the seam area) and re seal the seam that has a hairline crack. Can anybody recommend a method to 1. remove the paint and 2. repair and seal that seam.( Pictures included)
Second order of business is oar locks and oars. I'm fairly confident I will need raised oar locks / towers. The boat is 72" wide so would 9.5' or 10' oars be better? Looking for suggestions on both the locks and the oars.
Thanks for any advice!
Posted by Lowspeedtraildad
2 Comments
I’ll be honest I know absolutely nothing about drift boats, I dream of getting a cool raft one day.
Could I ask how much this thing cost? Looks incredible
It’s tough to know without a good walk around. It’s beautiful, but I’d be cautious in the shallows. I don’t see oar locks, so I’d be super precise about where to drill. I could be missing something regarding where they are located. If it doesn’t have them, I’d float it before I set the locks. This will give you an idea of the weight distribution when it’s in the water. Maybe do some research around the dimensions and where to place them. I like an oar seat with some back support, but I’ve seen them rowed without. Other than that, I think you’ll only need rod holders and an anchor mount. You’ll have to decide on the anchor and how you want to cradle it. I recommend taking it in flat water for a few voyages. This will give you an idea of how she moves.
If you’ve oared before, I’m probably telling you stuff you already know. If you’ve oared before haven’t, take it slow and don’t tackle anything crazy until you get confident.