Northwest Fishing Reports

Here's a photo of my boat, it's on it's way to get painted! It's all welded up, a few boats in line in front of me, but it sure does look sweet, don't it?

That looks like a Pavati. Very nice boat... The very few people that I know that have rowed that boat love it. They also love flat open floor which no other metal boat has.

What size did you get?

NICE!!!!!!!

I just love the build pics, they keep you up at night dreaming.

It's the 16' x 61 guardian. It's going to be custom built with the Warrior interior, which has twice the storage as the older guardian model, sans the wave cutter bow. The extra width keeps it riding higher in the water for super low flows like we have now. It's going to have the UMHF bottom for extra slippery slidy over the gravel. In floor fish boxes, three Bentley seats plus luxury rowers seat, pizza oven, custom rod rack and heater system. Of course it's going to have the full level floor, which is going to be awesome! I'm super stoked, I've been waiting a long time for this one!

MMMMMMMMM! very nice! I wish i would have shopped a little more before i bought my river hawk... but got a deal i couldnt pass up!

You went with the 16 X 61.

Were you able to look at the 17 X 61?

Was there much of a difference?

I haven't looked at 'em side by side. I like the idea of a shorter wider boat. Just a little extra room in the 17, not much of a price difference either.

I plan to ride in that someday! looks slick with out paint..

oneshot wrote:I plan to ride in that someday! looks slick with out paint..

+1 on that! Nice drifer no matter what though.

Nate, interesting your going Aluminum, and FF has decided on Fiberglass. What was the consideration when deciding on AL or FG hull?

You interested in going to a river and having anyone interested row it?

MotoBoat wrote:Nate, interesting your going Aluminum, and FF has decided on Fiberglass. What was the consideration when deciding on AL or FG hull?

I look at some used fiberglass boats when I was shopping around. I didn't like how they looked after good hard use. The gel coat scratches, it gets a little yellow and some of them on the inside look like the underside of a bath tub, which I do not like. My Pavati is going to weigh the same as a fiberglass boat. And with a fiberglass boat if, heaven forbid, I bust a whole in it, I have to send it back or have it repaired that way, rather than keep a little JB weld in the boat. I chose the Pavati for the functionality, the ease of movement, and just some of the neatest feature on a boat. The door is definitely going to be great for some of my older clients to be able to get in and out of easily, I know a few of them that are already grateful for it.

I like the way that an aluminum boat can keep it's shiny newness for longer than a fiberglass boat.

Let me count the ways; You can't row an AL boat fast enough to break it. Al does not absorb water. UV has no effect on AL. Want to add something, weld it on, no harm no foul. Pretty much Zero maintenance, rise it and put it away. The list goes on.........

However if you use aluminum too often the hull will get tunneled. If you want to get technical aluminum is pourous metal and will over time absorb water. Both types have their drawbacks. Many of the top guides in the state run glass boats, if glass was so horrible would that be the case? If you would like examples of speared metal boats that have sunk I can give them. No boat is maintenance free, you must have been wronged by a glass boat in your lifetime. Why are there so many glass drift boat manufacturers out there??? Because they work just like metal boats. I own an aluminum boat and I love it but I know it's drawbacks as well... It's not a simple fix if you spear aluminum on a rock.

Of course there are problems that can arise on any boat, nothing is impervious. I didn't like the way fiberglass boats looked after a while, and I didn't like the the features that they came with when compared to a Pavati. The new boat is going to be AWESOME.

wood boats anyone?

Bodofish wrote:Let me count the ways; You can't row an AL boat fast enough to break it. Al does not absorb water. UV has no effect on AL. Want to add something, weld it on, no harm no foul. Pretty much Zero maintenance, rise it and put it away. The list goes on.........

you can't row an AL boat fast enough to break it? Guess you have not rowed down class 4 or 5 rapids..I have owned all three wood, al and glass driftboats they all have there pros and cons...If it was a job to row everyday i would be rowing a glass boat... jmo

BNRSteel wrote:However if you use aluminum too often the hull will get tunneled. If you want to get technical aluminum is pourous metal and will over time absorb water. Both types have their drawbacks. Many of the top guides in the state run glass boats, if glass was so horrible would that be the case? If you would like examples of speared metal boats that have sunk I can give them. No boat is maintenance free, you must have been wronged by a glass boat in your lifetime. Why are there so many glass drift boat manufacturers out there??? Because they work just like metal boats. I own an aluminum boat and I love it but I know it's drawbacks as well... It's not a simple fix if you spear aluminum on a rock.

"However if you use aluminum too often the hull will get tunneled." Wrong, tunneling of the hull is not from use, it is from bashing it on rocks. Yet the boat remains uncompromised. The same treatment of a glass boat will render a degraded gel coat and will allow water throughout the composite structure compromising it's strength. The only porous aluminum I'm aware of is when it's foamed, while in a liquid state. Other than that, I'd like to hear your proof. Aluminum still does not absorb water. Professional guides using glass boats means nothing other than they got a good deal from a glass boat mfg. And please do tell what sort of maintenance is required on an Aluminum hull? Speared metal boats, what does that mean? Were they being rowed at the time? Aluminum is much easier to fix, cut out the bad section and weld in a new one. Done, good as new. You can't do that with glass. I've owned glass, wood, steel and aluminum. Owned them for work and to play. Ease of ownership hands down goes to aluminum.

Nate the new boat is awesome and you'll have it for life. The only reason to ever replace it will be if you want to, not because you have to.

Wood? Well, quiet, light, easy to manufacture but has a limited life and is not as durable compared to other materials.

bassplayer17 wrote:

Bodofish wrote:Let me count the ways; You can't row an AL boat fast enough to break it. Al does not absorb water. UV has no effect on AL. Want to add something, weld it on, no harm no foul. Pretty much Zero maintenance, rise it and put it away. The list goes on.........

you can't row an AL boat fast enough to break it? Guess you have not rowed down class 4 or 5 rapids..I have owned all three wood, al and glass driftboats they all have there pros and cons...If it was a job to row everyday i would be rowing a glass boat... jmo

Rock for rock, I'd take a metal boat any day.

bassplayer17 wrote:

Bodofish wrote:Let me count the ways; You can't row an AL boat fast enough to break it. Al does not absorb water. UV has no effect on AL. Want to add something, weld it on, no harm no foul. Pretty much Zero maintenance, rise it and put it away. The list goes on.........

you can't row an AL boat fast enough to break it? Guess you have not rowed down class 4 or 5 rapids..I have owned all three wood, al and glass driftboats they all have there pros and cons...If it was a job to row everyday i would be rowing a glass boat... jmo

Thats why i chose fiberglass. Rowing and tracking when trying to fish, tie gear ect... Much easier if your gonna be rowing day in day out