12/31/2023 0 Comments White water drift boat![]() Drift Boats & River Dories-Their History, Design, Construction and Use. While the McKenzie River dory is a safe watercraft, operating any dory requires keeping river conditions in mind at all times. Like the Rogue River boats described above, the McKenzie River dory provides a much more responsive boating experience than that of a rubber raft. McKenzie River dories are mainly used by recreational boaters who wish to operate a very responsive boat. McKenzie dories without a transom are called "double-enders". Those unfamiliar with the craft would say that they are rowed backwards. The bow is then widened so that a small outboard motor and/or anchor bracket can be attached. The reason for this is that the rower faces downstream, therefore the part of the boat which first hits the waves (approaching from behind) must be pointed or very narrow to throw the water to the side. They have a wide flat bottom for low draft, a narrow bow that is flat, often mistaken for the transom, which instead is pointed. McKenzie dories are specialized to run rapids on rivers, and first appeared on the McKenzie River in Oregon in the mid-20th century. The classic Rogue River dory with a nearly full deck is a favorite among guides on the Colorado River, while on the same river, the decked McKenzie River dory has a large following among do-it-yourself river runners. The high prow, great carrying capacity, and ease of rowing makes it the preferred dory for commercial use. See more whitewater rafts at Backcountry.Com. Large, tough, self-draining and ideal for larger groups who plan to run powerful Class IV and Class V rapids. The Rogue River dory is not quite as responsive as the McKenzie River dory but is typically larger than the McKenzie dory and is used where many people and large amounts of gear need to be carried. A whitewater raft is an inflatable boat specifically designed for running riversespecially rivers with strong, powerful Class IV or Class V rapids. The Rogue River guides needed a boat with greater carrying capacity, and the ability to hold the current. The Rogue River dories are completely flat on the bottom with upward rakes under the prow and the stern unlike the McKenzie boats. Innovation has changed the design from anglers primarily sitting in the boat while fishing, to today's application of anglers standing in a leg brace to fish. Today river fishing is among the major uses of these boats. This portrayal of using drift boats in class I -IV rapids is only one application for this unique watercraft. In 1992 the film "A River Runs Through It" featured a wooden drift boat running "the shoots", a series of rapids (filmed in Montana ). Later boats were made with lower maintenance materials like aluminum, fiberglass, or plastic. The earliest drift boats were made out of various types of wood.
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