Design
Clark Fork Drifter
Designed by Paul Butler
Paul Butler drew the Clark Fork Drifter as a cut down, much simplified relative of the commercial Grand Canyon dory his shop built, scaled to something an amateur can manage. The hull is 14 ft long with a 62 in beam for a wide, stable stance in rough water or when standing to cast, and its rocker and wide bottom make it steadier still as it is loaded. Lightweight versions come in under 130 lb, light enough to cartop. The design was published in the June/July 2008 issue of Outdoor Life.
Construction is stitch and glue: thin plywood panels laced with plastic ties, filleted with thickened epoxy and taped outside, with bulkheads fitted at the same time to set the panel angles. Sealed end compartments give flotation, dry storage and seating, and a graphite and epoxy bottom lets the boat be dragged over ramps and gravel. It can be fitted out for moderate whitewater or left open for fishing.
What building a Clark Fork Drifter actually takes
Medians from the build logs kept on this site, not the designer’s estimate. Nobody has logged this boat here yet, so they are empty until the first builder does.
Those medians firm up as more people log this boat.
Builds of this boat
Nobody has logged a Clark Fork Drifter here yet.
If you are building one, yours becomes the reference: the page the next person building this boat finds when they search for it. One photo and one line is a valid first entry.
Start the first log of this boatBoats like this one
Same type, closest in length.
| Design | Plans from | LOA | Logs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14ft Driftboat | Glen-L Marine | 14′ 0″ (4.27 m) | 0 |
| Drifter | Glen-L Marine | 14′ 0″ (4.27 m) | 0 |
| Lincolnville Salmon Wherry | Duck Trap Woodworking | 14′ 0″ (4.27 m) | 0 |
| Maxi Mac | Butler Projects | 14′ 0″ (4.27 m) | 0 |
| McDrift | Glen-L Marine | 14′ 0″ (4.27 m) | 0 |
| Rock Creek Drifter | Butler Projects | 14′ 0″ (4.27 m) | 0 |