Rhino lining for Driftboat?

Hamrnfish · 02-12-2005, 07:07 AM

Has anyone had rhino lining put on the bottom and sides of a driftboat. Lining guy says it will add 50-60lbs. 1/4" thick on bottom, 1/8" on sides. Rivers are gonna be low for the year and I don't want to bang up my brand new db. I'm also thinking of having it sprayed inside on the floor, but the diamond plating is so pretty :smile:

8bait · 02-12-2005, 07:15 AM

Hey this is not the year to add weight to your boat, I like the idea of Rino linning also but once done no going back, I suggest just stay with the zolotone, and don't cover that nice diamone plate floor, when running class 3, 4, and 5 rivers keep it light. Just my stupid input Good luck

8bait :smile: :smile:

Hooked up · 02-12-2005, 07:19 AM

I had Arma coating applied to the bottom of my frift boat. They had an applacation that was smooth. It worked great for me. I don`t know how much weight it added but I coulden`t tell the differnce. I had no problems in low water and was very happy with it.

jokester · 02-12-2005, 07:54 AM

Good question. :whazzup: I too have pondered this.

I thought about doing this to the bottom of my DB, but I was unsure that it would work. I know Rhino-lining or Line-X is used in the bed of trucks to line them for durability, but also for a non-skid surface. So, I if you're floating down a river and accidently hit a rock, that you'd have more of a chance to hang on it instead of sliding off?

Also, with loading the boat back on the trailer, would run into the same problem? Wouldn't the non-skid surface try to "stick" or hang up on the bunks making it harder to load when you're cranking it on the trailer? Or maybe because the liner is wet, it's a different story and more slippery, thus not having the same "non-skid" effect as when it's dry. For those who have Rhino-lining or Line-X on the bottoms, please help answer my questions. Am I totally off in left field here?

-jokester

seadog · 02-12-2005, 08:04 AM

When it is applied to the bottom of a boat it does not have the grit added that it does in the truck bed applications.

Angus · 02-12-2005, 08:09 AM

I bought a used Clack some years ago that had "Arma Coating" applied to it, I liked it but since I haven't rowed any other Clacks I'm not sure how much it changed the rowing characteristics of the boat or how much weight it added, but it did slide over rocks very nicely.
As for Rhino lining, I know 2 guys that have done it to their boats and they both regretted it because of the weight issue.

jokester · 02-12-2005, 08:10 AM

Thanks for clearing things up for me seadog!

I didn't know that they could leave some of the grit out...I just thought it was a one shot deal for all applications, from trucks to boats.

I might just have to talk to the guy at the Sportsman Show today :grin:

-jokester

fishboys · 02-12-2005, 08:59 AM

I have known guys to pull out the carpet of there truck and have it applied then they just hose it out after a muddy trip. seems like it would add alot of weight to a drifter though??

Hamrnfish · 02-12-2005, 11:42 AM

It will be put on with a smooth application. I'm mostly concerned with the weight issue, but I also wonder if it will affect the way it floats if 1/4" is added to the bottom. From the replies I've gotten, I might need to rethink what I want to protect the driftboat with. (it needs protection because I float the upper N. Santiam most of the time)

cody · 02-12-2005, 03:55 PM

I have a Keith Steele boat. It is rhino lined on the bottom and the sides, I love it that way. It makes it extra slick for the low spots, plus protects it. That stuff is tough.

ORpoke · 02-12-2005, 05:47 PM

The guy at Fish-Rite said they have had trouble with Rhino Lining bonding to the aluminum on the outside of the boat. UHMW is another option, but the guy at River Wolf will not put it on because he says it will work loose.

Tyeebuster · 02-13-2005, 08:02 AM

I am not sure how it would work on a boat. As pointed out above, the surface needs to be prepped properly to assure it will stick to the aluminium. I talked with someone at the Line-X booth at the Sportsmans Show and they indicated that the surface would nee to be ground and preped with primer prior to the application of the liner product.

Chromaflage · 02-13-2005, 08:09 AM

I'm confused here. :whazzup: Are we talking about the inside or outside? I talked to the guy at the Fish-Craft booth at the show. But I was inquiring about lining the inside of the floor, up the sides 6" and the floor board. I wear studded wading boots and I am concerned that they would tear up the diamond plate floor board in no time. The other things that worry me about the diamond plate floor boards is the glare and heat. Also, the black Line-X or Rhino Lining would make the inside of the boat hot. So, I think grey would work if it can be done. I don't know how much weight it adds to the boat, though.

Just some thoughts.

CrF

deep set · 02-13-2005, 11:15 AM

Funny some of you are saying it makes the boat slick...I heard it makes it STICK to every rock you hit...

UHMV....but at $750 its expensive, the positive is you will NEVER have to think about the bottom of your boat again!

riverraider · 02-13-2005, 03:02 PM

Aside from the weight issue, here is another one.
Sometimes it does not bond well to the bottom of the boat. If that happens while on a float, water gets under the bottom and makes the boat difficult if not impossible to control. I know of a guide on the Olympic Penn. that literally had his hands full getting his boat thru a rapid and to shore. Once there he unloaded everyone and everything and flipped the boat right on the shore to rip the stuff off the rest of the way so he safely get down the rest of the river.
My opinion is to spend a couple hours every other year putting new Coat-It on (thats if you fish where I do 40+ days a year) gentler rivers and less time on water would easily extend that time estimate.

Catch 22 · 02-13-2005, 08:23 PM

WOW!! If you can find something better than Coat-It, let me know!! Coat-it has graphite and teflon in it. Hmmm. Think that might get you off a rock pretty fast? The time difference between a driftboat sticking to a rock and flipping and the same boat surviving by sliding is fractions of a second sometimes. Been there done that! If you haven't hung on a rock in a class 4 rapid, then you haven't been in class 4 rapids. Therefore, you probably don't need a coating of any kind.

No coating is stronger than a rock. Something has to give. The coating is either going to:
- Shatter from the impact with the rock
- Soak up the rock ( stick to it )
- Scrape off and need a little more coating next application.

If you can't find the time and money to recoat your boat every year or two or more depending on the use/abuse, think how much a new boat will cost when it's at the bottom of a river. Don't forget the cost of having it removed, the cost of lost gear and most important, humiliation.

These products are designed to coat truck beds and they do it very well( I had an Arma and I loved it in my tacoma) but they are not designed to be used on the bottom of a drift boat. Just my humble opinion.

Amahnee · 02-13-2005, 08:49 PM

If you are looking to protect the OUTSIDE bottom of your boat than I think that Coat-It is the only way to go. If you want to do the INSIDE of the boat with a bedliner product than you could do what you are saying. I have Line-X sprayed on the inside of my FishCraft. For the three years that it has been in the boat, it is doing alright.

There is NO weight issue if you do the interior. I wear studded Simms boots and it's great. No marks, no muss or fuss.