I am going to be in the market for a new boat soon, and in my many boat conversations, I have found it interesting how so many people fishing the same rivers can have such different views on boat setup. I guess what I am getting at is what is the perfect boat? I live and fish the peninsula, and I have heard of but never seen a pavati (with the door)... What do we think? Is there a better brand or just better designs? Which boats are comfortable and/or row or fish better? is 16x54, 17x54, or 17x60 the best size for the bogie, hoh, and duc? I guess, if your up to it, I'd be happy to hear your 2 cents.

Have grown up fishing on the OP and have never had a bad experience in a Lavro, Willie, or Alumaweld. Clackacraft on the otherhand with the low sides almost cost me, not up to par.

Got a chance to check out the Pavati drifter at the sportmans show. it looked like it would be a little bit like a tank on the river.

doesnt superfly use a Pavati ?

nice feature if you have bad balance, or problems lifting up a leg. Great for seniors, who are not active.

I looked at their website and they seem pretty confident that the design will overcome the weight. I thought they look comfy, but I am by no means an expert. I know a lot of guys think that willies are the way to go, and I know a guy who swears by his clackacraft. Thanks for the input.

(I cut & pasted my post from a November thread, from someone on this board who was a prospective drift boat buyer & was seeking input).



All of the drift boats mentioned are good boats.
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However, in my opinion, you're doing yourself an injustice if you don't explore RivTech Drift Boats before you make an informed buying decision. I've had the pleasure of rowing a RivTech for quite some time now and personally feel it performs and rows better than any drift boat in the industry. It is the only fiberglass drift boat on the market constructed using "Vacuum Infusion" process. Thus, making it a stronger, lighter, better performing boat.
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Here's a link to some photos from a recent trip I made to Montana with the RivTech. The boat was extremely well-received amongst the Guide Community throughout the entire State. Many of these very seasoned and influential guides who rowed the boat, put it thru some very technical water & commented it was the best performing boat they had ever rowed.

http://www.rivtechdriftboats.com/2009/08/17/team-rivtech-montana-2009/

You can learn more about this great boat at:

www.rivtechdriftboats.com

Good luck with your drift boat search.

its like deja vu all over again (yogi Berra)

Tomorrow is TUESDAY

I've been rowing driftboats for 40 years (gulp!), and have owned nearly a dozen. My advice is to stay with the top brands like Alumaweld, Willie, Fishrite, Clackacraft or Lavro. Each make and each design has its own merits. Talk to the owners of each, if you can.

Right now I'm rowing an 18 foot Clackamax, and I really like it. It tracks well when pulling plugs, is stable and wide, and warmer than aluminum. I like the Clackamax's size because I can take camping gear in it for long trips on the John Day and Deschutes. It also does well on low water because it is relatively flat on the bottom and that provides more surface flotation and it doesn't sit as deeply. I like fiberglass because it's so slick and just slides over rocks, and the Clack floats over a lot of rocks that other boats hit.

I also still have an old battle wagon: 17 foot Fishrite that is still a fabulous boat. I rowed it down the Salmon River in Idaho a few years back and it did well - better than the Clackamax would have (it might not have made it). Several years later I floated the same river in an 18 foot Lavro and it did very poorly. I didn't like my big Lavro, but the 16 foot Lavro is a great boat.

Driftboats with a lot of rocker to their bottom, like a Willie, turn more easily than flatter boats like a Clack, but they also draw more water. Aluminum is cold, but tough as heck. Glass scratches easily, but holds up better than you'd think. Both Clack and Lavro have lifetime guarantees on their bottoms, so why worry.

If you choose an aluminum boat, put Kote It (sp?) on the bottom. Gluv-it works okay, but not as well. Glass doesn't need anything.

Stay with the larger size boat, 16X54 minimum. With a few exceptions, big boats will go anywhere a small boat can go, and many places they can't.

Buy a galvenized trailer.

Good luck. Just my opinion, but I've got lots of miles on rivers. Driftboats are wonderful.

Good stuff Old Guide. Thanks for the well informed opinions and solid info.

Does anybody know about watershed boats?

If your planning on floating these rivers I would suggest a high sided boat. Alot of glass boats come with lower sides.

The 17x60 (willie) is a great boat however it's not as menuevrable in the sticky situations or rock gardens when a half stroke makes the difference. A 16x54 is plenty roomy and noticeably more menuevarable. My 2cents.

I have heard very good things about the way pavati boats row from respected guides and fisherman who have rowed a lot of boats. I personally have not rowed one though. They have some cool features that's for sure.

Willie 17x60 for me... I love the way it rows. compared to my old alumaweld. #1 Aluminum boat in my opinion. Pavati's seem all too gimmicky for me, and I really dont like that "wave blocker" design, kinda scares me. I do like the RivTech though, even though I doubt I will ever get another boat.... hope this helps

Another vote for a Willie 16x54.
I'm in the same predicament as you atm. I'm in the marker for a drift boat and am interested in a Thor, Hyde and Willie. Already have plenty of oar time in the Willie and the Hyde, just haven't touched the Thor yet...I'm a frequent visitor to Idaho and fish the Salmon and Clearwater religiously. The 2 boats we use over there for the Salmon is a 16x54 Willie and a 16x54 older Hyde. The Salmon is a very technical river with plenty of class 3 and 4 rapids, and i wouldn't want anything bigger than a 17 foot boat in those rivers. Any bigger and tracking/maneuverability suffer severely. The Willie tracks nice and responds crisply on each oar stroke/pretty decent maneuverability. The high sides make it nice for big rollers and the boat is plenty roomy. I would stay with a 16x54 for fishing on the Peninsula/rivers around here. And if you ever feel the need to go have 10-20 fish days in Idaho, you will have a good boat for over there...I haven't rowed the Rivtec yet but would like to give that a test. It looks like a very well made boat, and i have heard nothing but good things about them. Wouldn't be a bad idea giving them a looksy... Would also like to find someone with a Clackacraft who wouldn't mind me rowing them down the sky for a day...
Good luck finding a boat!

Your question on the best boat is like the same question about which is the best gun for hunting........way too many possible answers to be subjective by anyone.

when in doubt, ride with a pro and or as many friends as you can with a driftboat on all possible river conditions you might want to deal with and pull the oars for an hr or 8.

Too many great boats styles, too many oar styles, too many rivers to float, too much tackle to choose from......

Watch your favorie rivers and note the boats that go by.....that's a good recomendation.

Check out River Wolf Drift Boats.

I get asked at every sportsman show I attend how does an aluminum boat compare to fiberglass, It's a hard comparison because of the difference in materials. I've owned aluminum and fiberglass driftboats and now am in the fiberglass driftboat business.
My choice for using fiberglass for my product had more to do with the process that I use to manufacture them then the material.

Your original question was about design, Generally speaking the design hasn't changed in years, the basic design today isn't much different then the design of yesterday. The way the boats are manufactured be it fiberglass or aluminum hasn't changed much in years either which is why I started RivTech.

I won't bore the board with all the boring stuff, I've been a boat builder for 26 years, I've built aluminum work boats and my last place of employment we were manufacturing 160' motor yachts to the tune of 30 million dollars a piece. We used Vacuum infusion at the yacht yard, using this process increased the value of the boat because of the benefits and made it much easier for the owner to insure his investment.

I would be happy to talk to you on the phone and go into more details about what differentiates RivTech from the competition. You can google Vacuum infusion also if your into researching this process, There are real benefits !!!

I'm sure that any of the boats that have been mentioned on this thread would serve your needs well, it's up to you to determine what your needs are. What rivers will you float, will you be floating in shallow waters will you be floating in rocky waters. In a perfect world we all own 5 boats!!!

Lastly one word of advice, if this is your first driftboat it's worth spending the money on a guide to teach you how to run you boat and set it up for obstacles that exist on every river. Safe boating and being confident in your abilities on the river only adds to the driftboat experience!

Willie 16X54.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

theres alot of boats out there i own a willie and probably will never switch. i have a 16*54 now and at times wish i had the 17*60. aside from makes of boat i would look at options on my boat i wish i would have gotten row seat storage and walk through front bench. other than that make sure and get a galv. trailer. good luck in your choice.