Fiberglass Drift boats (Clacacraft) vs Aluminum

Captn · 01-16-2002, 09:43 AM

I currently have a 16' wide bottom Willies DB. But we borrowed a friends Santiam drifter (FGlass)and I was stunned by how easy it is to row. I was doing a web search and got on the Clacaraft page and they were describing their "Tunnel Hull". I called and talked with factory rep and of course he made it sound pretty good. Does anyone have some real life experience with this Drift Boat design? Tell me what you think, and is my Willies now trading material?

hookem · 01-16-2002, 09:51 AM

I have a Santiam drifter that i got about 1 1/2 months ago. Just love it, the fiberglass make me
a little nervious on the rocks through.

NEUTRON · 01-16-2002, 10:13 AM

I have had clackacraft boat for about 12 years,
it looks like its been through a war and still going strong. They are tough, if you get a tunnel
hull; let me know what you think.

Premo · 01-16-2002, 12:01 PM

i had a 98 17 guide clackacraft. the boat rowed and backtrolled great.there are some good things and bad...they are extremely comfortable on the inside but i dont like how low the sides are. the front and rear casting decks are very nice. and when going in shallow water during the summer, it just glides over rocky areas with ease. For rowing this boat over 300 times, it was heavily worn on the edges and looked very thrashed. compared to the alumaweld i have now,i still like them both the same. but the aluminum boats last way longer i think. and aluminum boats handle white water better, in my opinion. i thought willys where "simply the best".

ian

Bubzilla · 01-16-2002, 12:43 PM

Clackacrafts row very nice. They do, in my opinion, require less effort to row--a bonus when you spend all day on the sticks. They also seem to draft a lot less water, even when full, and thus tend to be less of a hassle in low water. They ferry nicely, and respond quickly.

As far as durability, I'm not necessarily convinced one way or the other. Clackacraft does warrant their hulls for the life of the original owner. So being on the hook for catastophic failure is really something you don't have to worry about. Also, it takes a pretty good whack to actually chip the gel coat--most of the time the hull will flex and no visible sign of impact is left.

I know several guides who fish the Upper Rogue during the fly-only season--low water, big boulders. Three have switched to Clackacrafts--two had Willies one had a Fish-Rite--and all swear by them. I also know one guide who fishes the Deschutes, North Santiam, and some of the North Coast who swears by his new Clackacraft as well.

I know what you mean about the Clackacraft reps., though. They make it sound like they reinvented the wheel or something when you talk to them--like if you don't have their boat you're livin' in the stoneage. I just can't get passed the fact that they look so cheezy! :tongue:

Bigdog · 01-16-2002, 01:56 PM

I agree both boats are good boats. It really comes down to personal prefrence. I have fished in both and both fish well. I like the look of a metal boat seem easier to mantain.

Grass Hopper · 01-16-2002, 02:11 PM

Glass is not for learning in. Ouch! That was expensive. Yet rows easily due too less surface tension between the boat and water. The Idea with the tunnel hull is like that of the raft to a cataraft. Places lift on the outer edges creating more stability. Reduces surface tension even further for pulling plugs. YET IT WILL FLOAT LOWER IN THE WATER AND ROTATE MORE SLOWLY DUE TO SPREADING THE BALANCE POINT AND FLOATING LOWER. Also the deeper in the currents you go the stronger the downstream force. So it is Questionable if it really helps???

hustlerrjim · 01-16-2002, 04:13 PM

fantastic in low water as they slide right over the rocks i have run several down the n. fork nehalem and loved every min of it

Drachir · 01-16-2002, 04:39 PM

I've owned 2 Clackacraft DB's and I would buy another if I could afford it right now. I stopped in and talked w/ Bruce @ Clackacraft last Saturday, and got my first good look at the Tunnel hull, and indented chines. I think is a big step up for them, and should make a for some easy and true rowing. I disagree w/ Grass Hopper, I think a fiberglass DB is a great boat to learn in. They won't dent like Aluminum, and you can hit them full force into big rocks in the middle of a rapid and you will just bounce off, and maybe scratch the gel-coat. These are some really tough boats. I know where of I speak. Many years ago, when Eastside boats started building Fiberglass Drift Boats, they hired a friend of mine, George Mackie, a SW Wash. guide, to do some river testing of their Fiberglass DB's. They wanted to see how much abuse their boats could take. So we launched on the Toutle River, and took the boats through the Hollywood Gorge. It is one of the most difficult stretches of river I have ever seen. It makes the Mine field on the Clackamas look like a walk in the park. We went there and literally tried to destroy these boats. We hit house sized rocks head on at 8-10 mph in the middle of Class 4 rapids, and just bounced off. Near the end we decided to hit one full on broadside, we capsized, but the boat held up with no damage. I know Clackacraft builds boats that are much better than the ones we tested back in 1971, so I can say from personal experience, Fiberglass DB's, are very tough!! :shocked: :smile:

dampainter · 01-16-2002, 04:55 PM

Oh yeah right!!! thanks alot!! I had my mind set that I was gonna get an aluminum hull.... now I'm not sure, It will be my first and only driftboat oh well at least it'll be better than no boat at all

fishwish · 01-16-2002, 05:06 PM

I agree with Drachir . I learnd to row in my 83 clackacraft. I have so much faith in its toughness I loan it out to freinds and co workers Its basicly industructable.Last summer I ran the Johnday at 400cfs ,just slid over the rocks. Except for the clif Iran into and spun off .Its my utility boat

Lyle Froyd · 01-16-2002, 05:10 PM

I was hanging out in Sacramento Califa with a friend named Frank.We hooked up with Rick Attwood a Salesman from clackacraft and launched on the upper end of the south fork on the Califa Smith River.At that time only 12 other boats had come down that section that anybody could recall.As crazy as it seemed we made it with only a few bad body bumps and Bruises.We hit one boulder so hard it felt as if our teeth fell out from the collision at 20 mph.Rick then took a Koffler alum db dropped a boulder from 20' and it folded the boat.Did same to the clack we used it the next day on the East fork of the Coquille.GLASS LUVER

Doc Spratley · 01-16-2002, 05:36 PM

I'm another vote for Clackacraft. I was lucky enough to be able to row a lot of boats, both alum and glas, before getting my Clack. Have to admit, I hit some rocks pretty hard during the learning curve. Scratched the gel-coat, but the boat was no worse for wear, structurally. My boat is five years old. My friend bought a brand new one with the tunnel hull. I think his boat rows better than mine, and I'm not complaining about how mine rows. Don't get me wrong, I like looking at a Willie as much as the next guy, they're all great boats, hard to find a bad one now days. In the end, go with what you can afford or get the best deal on with the features you want. :smile:

SandySteel · 01-16-2002, 08:31 PM

Face it Ray, my 22 year old Koffler is prettier than your boat :tongue:

Eric

Grass Hopper · 01-16-2002, 09:06 PM

I had a glass boat and loved it. But the first time I loaned it out it came back with a hole in it. Just my bad luck I guess.

JPSFISHY · 01-16-2002, 10:48 PM

Had an old Alumaweld DB for a couple of years. A tank it was. Noisey, cold. Got a Clackacraft in 91. Have an older Koffler in the yard as well. I like it too. Put a motor on it sometimes during springer. Day to day, I have to say Clack...
It's quite, glides over rocks and limbs, slides down banks and log ramps, and cleans up very easy.
Fiberglass is stronger than aluminum. No glovit to mess with ever. No struts or seams to have welded up-ever. My old boat will probably be catching fish when I'm dead and gone. I rowed a new tunnel boat last week. It's superior tracking ability made it easier to position and set up, and I back rowed with less effort on the sticks. I know the price is up there. I believe the benefits over alum. make it a better value. When I can, I'll go back to Bruce for a trade, or maybe just another new boat. 10 veteran on Clackacraft. Lots and lots of days.

Sliderite · 01-17-2002, 02:00 AM

I agree with has been said and would like to add that it depends on different needs. The glass boat is tough and will withstand very hard hits on rocks as well as being the best boat to fish shallows where you slide over the rocks.
My boat took an an extremely hard "Hit" on a rock below Blaine on the Nestucca but it on only took just a small chip out. That was about 10 years ago and many more unexpected hits on other rivers have made this boat a value. It is tough and easy to clean..heh..heh!
I have noticed at least on my DB that the lack of good chines like an aluminum DB make it a little harder to run the boat straight for plugging. I still plug and run divers but it takes alittle more effort to keep it straight..but at least it is easy rowing since fiberglass has a fairly qick response to the oarsman.
If you have more questions about fiberglass boats
e-mail me and if ya want you can run the boat.
Sliderite

01-17-2002, 08:57 AM

I own a Willie wide bottom, but have a friend who wants either a Clackacraft or Hyde. If we threw Hyde into the discussion here, what do you folks who know and can compare think?

Rick

[ 01-17-2002: Message edited by: ****** ]</p>

NEUTRON · 01-17-2002, 09:19 AM

Don't know anybody who has one but I think they are made in eastern Idaho. For customer service issues, I would think having a local shop would be
a whole lot better.

Bubzilla · 01-17-2002, 09:28 AM

******,

You can get a Hyde that is both glass and aluminum--glass hull, aluminum interior parts, e.g., front seat box, rower's bench, etc. They're spendy, however--sometimes even more than a fully-equipped aluminum boat. I think it's a way better system than Clackadraft, though.

Firt off, it's way more flexible--you can adjust where the seats go, for example. Second, it's a more durable interior. And most of all, it doesn't have that cheezy "plastic" look and feel on the inside.

They row about the same. The only major complaint I'd have about the Hyde boats is their fly deck--way oversized and I've heard complaints about them allegedly coming free of the bow (supposedly they're glued on somehow).

Get this, though. The factory will ship you one for $150.00! When they told me that, I couldn't believe it! Heck, I can't drive my Ford to Idaho for that!

01-17-2002, 09:51 AM

Thanks much. Keep the scoop coming. The interested party will be checking this post.

Captn · 01-17-2002, 10:50 AM

I am the interested party. I really appreciate the thoughts of all who have posted. I think I need to take a Clakacraft with the tunnel system fishing for a day. I really dont care a hoot about looks, everything becomes beautiful with a limit of fish. Now I just need to figure how to get me a tunnel system for a day.

NEUTRON · 01-17-2002, 12:10 PM

Talk to Bruce at Clackacraft, I'd bet he would set
you up.

Master Baiter · 01-17-2002, 12:27 PM

Hey Froyd, are you talking about Frank Wind?

MB

ampersat · 01-17-2002, 04:33 PM

like rags, i'd be interested in dropping a kicker off the back to do springers in the willamette or crabbing in tillamook bay. are there fiberglass boats on that market that will accomodate an 8hp kicker that would be safe for those areas?

Doc Spratley · 01-17-2002, 05:21 PM

Ampersat, you can drop your 8 horse on a Clack, no problem. I, personally, don't have a motor on my clack (don't want to deal with the headaches), but I've got a friend with an older model with a motor mounted on the back. He chugs up and down the Clackamas River all the time with it. You'd be fine on the Bay so long as the water doesn't get too nasty. Of course, that would be true of any small boat out on the bay.

urb · 01-17-2002, 10:07 PM

Compare glass with aluminum you've got to be kidding, add UHMW to the aluminum and you've got the ultimate drift boat.

Lyle Froyd · 01-17-2002, 10:27 PM

HYDE, DID SOMEONE SLIP UP AND SAY HYDE?unlike the clackacraft the hyde will simply fall apart after 3 years of hard use, I don't know about you but I love to fish and do not enjoy taking up fiberglass lessons on the weekends I should be fishin the deadheads.The only good steelhead is deep flash fried cajun style with hush puppies.If you want to see what happens to the Hyde glass models just ask the boys over at Clacka to show you the trade ins (Hydes) they have lying around out back at least they had about 6-10 this summer.

rags · 01-17-2002, 11:39 PM

I've owned a 16ft Guide Model Alumaweld since 1983 and it is still going strong. Rinse it off and back it into the garage. Zero maintenance. If this is your last and only driftboat I would consider Alumaweld or Willie. Never had a problem in low water and it handles great. I've run the Deschutes to the Nestucca with no problems. Tracks and pulls plugs great. If you want to put a kicker motor on it you can. Good for crabbing and the bays. I used mine with a motor for Springers on the Willamette and Clackamas and it worked fine.