Stam,

I have no doubt that a good aluminum welder can build a life time frame for a raft or cataraft that would easily handle the most brutal whitewater/fishing applications. I'd be curious to see a picture of your boat and know how much it weighs but understand if your hesitant about posting. It can't be the one in your avatar because it looks like a raft and the frame looks multi-piece. I'd be curious to compare weights of a steel and aluminum frames. Dad built many Skagit flatbottom sleds; wood and aluminum but I don't recall hin building any steel boats.

Of course a man and most women could pick up my two-man steel-frame pontoon boat and carry/drag it but I (or similar strengthed dude) would have to be one of the men.

A lot of us around here are trying to make one out of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic, aka "graphite", but we're a little late (7 late 7).

What do you think GBL? Do you think there's a market for graphite cat frames? Only half kidding...

Call up Gary Loomis. He can't seem to stay out of the graphite rod market since selling to Shimano. Maybe that is his new endeavor: Graphite frames.

Of course, if a small piece of graphite costs $700, what would a frame cost?

You all heard Stam say it; he'd go with the lightest every time.

Hmmm.....Loomis name + Boeing brains = ?

Go fishing guys...jeeez!

This has been very civil and respectful...much more so than 90% of the dark side topics.

So that is where shi.t creek comes from.

Did you have a paddle?

I think he started out with two, even...

Might have ended with less

Fish on...

Todd

I knew it!

That is why you always bring an extra, especially if you start with lamiglas

I may be dumb, but I ain't stupid.

Hell, I've even got two brand new life jackets on board...'course, they were brand new about eight years ago when I bought them, and they're still in the plastic, in the box...think LE would say they were "readily available" if it took me a few minutes to find them and take them out of the packages when they asked to see them?

Fish on...

Todd

You got me beat. I usually figure, hell, the boat floats, just hold onto that. It has worked in the past.

Unless it is filled with water...on the Duc or anywhere else.

We've got different versions/sizes of the same frame...sitting on top of the same Skookum tubes...they don't fill up with water, or sink, and that's what we both use on the Duc.

'Course, that doesn't mean we can't fukk it up royally, anyway...just can't sink the boat while doing it

Fish on...

Todd

Not completely true. I had to bail off the tooner on the Duc sans life jacket once. Was pretty glad to have the boat to hang on to.

Don't ask.

...DO tell

Fish on...

Todd

I think you have already heard that story a few times. It involves a lost oar.

Fortunately there were no onlookers.

What is worse? Losing one or breaking one?

S'all the same...and neither are good...but no biggie, so long as you've got a spare.

Fish on...

Todd

Cool looking 'toon.

Now that's a motley crew, right there.Nice toon.I may need to check it out some time,sson.Good luck,
SZ