Hey everyone,
Thanks for the feedback. Definitely good things to think about before I put any money down on one of these. I'm guessing it'll probably take a couple of months to find one of these nrs drifters used as they're not exactly a household item. I spoke with a couple of people who own them. One was the owner of 8200 Mountain Sports, a fly shop/outdoor shop based out of Colorado. He has one freestone and one clearwater in his guide fleet. He was definitely more positive about the freestone than the clearwater. The freestone looks cool and reminds me of an adipose with the low sides. Not sure how it would perform on the upper potomac or shenandoah though.
The main two drawbacks both people brought up: Like mentioned above, it doesn't drain as quickly as a self bailing raft, and if it's windy, its light weight tends to lend it to getting pushed around, especially on stillwater.
Connor, I'll have to look more into the repacking process/storing in the car, but both people i spoke with said that they were able to transport in their cars, one guy in his hatchback, the other in his suv. With that said, it's not that light so it's not something I could really take out solo and definitely would need to plan any trip for 20-30 minutes each for set up and tear down. The seams are definitely an area i'd want to focus on, especially when rolling/unrolling. I'll have to find out more about on-water repairs. Thanks for the food for thought, it'll be good to think about as I shop around.
Andrew
On Friday, May 20, 2016 at 1:13:58 PM UTC-4, Connor Donovan wrote:
On Friday, May 20, 2016 at 1:13:58 PM UTC-4, Connor Donovan wrote:
I saw one of those NRS inflatable drifters on the Jackson a few weeks back. While, huge and comfortable looking, I would not want to break it down and put it in a car - that is definitely a boat that should be trailered. They aren't small. And they aren't light. Just the rubber for the smaller one weighs over 100 lbs and the bigger one weighs 135lbs according to the website. And when it comes time to get off the water and roll it up, it looks like it'll take a while with all those lopros. If you can talk to someone that owns one, I would highly recommend it. The first question I would ask is - how easy are they to repair on the water. And would you recommend rolling and unrolling it. Seams are the first thing to get damaged when rolling/unrolling if not done properly. Not that you need to be meticulous but there is a way to do it to ensure you don't mess them up and create a weak spot in a boat that needs relatively high pressure to stay rigid (most rafts need 2.5psi). And, without closely inspecting one, I bet that boat has seams in weird places and has a lot of them. The one complaint I've read, that sticks out the most, is that they don't drain fast enough for some people's liking. But that probably personal preference to their home water which I imagine is somewhat gnarly.Whatever you decide on, be safe. Don't skimp on safety - buy properly sized, good PFD's. Be smart about where you anchor, if you decide to use on. Do some research on maintenance. Practice good etiquette on the water when around/passing other boats/fisherman. Prepare to spend a lot of money you didn't realize you needed to for safety gear, spare parts, maintenance stuff, straps, bags/boxes to keep stuff dry, the list goes on and on. Honestly though, if this buying an inflatable becomes a reality, the second thing you should buy (after good PFDs) are cup holders. These damn rafts are like that drunk dude at the party that keeps bumping into you and knocks the beer out of your hand. Beers spill all the freaking time. And it's annoying as hell - until you buy cup holders.But as they say, whatever gets you on the water. And one saying that I've been living by - a trailer is a luxury, not a necessity.I would steer clear of Flycraft if possible. But that's all I'll say about that.JT - I'm still in awe of that IK. That may be the next vessel I add to my fleet. Thanks again for the response. My next frame will absolutely be speed rail fittings.
On Friday, May 20, 2016 at 8:56:57 AM UTC-4, JT wrote:Andrew, I haven't seen the Clearwater Drifter in person, but it does not look to me like it packs down that easily. The frame appears to be held together with like 20+ NRS Lopro fittings, each of which has 2 nuts to undo on a U-bolt. Just read some customer reviews or find a video showing how it breaks down before you count on being able to pack it quickly/easily in your car. If you do decide to buy one, I noticed Backcountry has 3 in stock for 25% off retail.Rob, the Flycraft is a cool looking boat with a slick design, but you're basically paying $2300 for the frame. The rubber itself appears to be the same as a Saturn RD365 ducky, which you can buy for $650. Kudos to those guys for their frame design and ingenuity, though. It was a kickstarter funded company!On Thursday, May 19, 2016 at 3:47:02 PM UTC-4, Andrew R wrote:So after mulling over the options as well as the feedback of the greater TPFR community (thanks everyone!), I asked myself the question typically posed by deep voiced narrators in luxury car commercials...why settle?I realized I could have the best of both worlds and have decided to buy an NRS clearwater drifter.With the ability to hit rocks at high speeds and drift in very shallow water like a raft, combined with the size, maneuvarability and feel of a drift boat, the NRS drifter seems to capture the best of both worlds. Not to mention the entire thing can be deflated and packed in the car rather than towed by trailer. The only downside is that rather than fitting four guys like some of the drift boats I looked at (the 18' clackamax remains my ultimate dream), it only fits three.Now just to find a used one for a reasonable price...
On Friday, April 22, 2016 at 7:34:53 PM UTC-4, JT wrote:Connor, ACE was my go-to for miscellaneous bolts, washers, nuts, etc. I got the speed rail fittings online from Zoro Tools. The 1-1/4" nominal fittings are the size you want if you're planning to use schedule 40 anodized aluminum pipe from NRS (which they will cut to length for you @ $6/foot). You can also do what I did and use 1-5/8" outside diameter steel fence post (16 gauge, which you can get at Home Depot @ $2/foot).Be sure to get POSTS, rather than TOP-RAIL, which is not strong enough. The set screws on the fittings even crush the posts a bit. For additional strength, I ended up epoxying a 2 inch long piece of 1.5" OD wood dowel inside the ends of the fence posts, so I could torque the set screws down tighter without crushing the pipe.The steel post + speed rail fittings route is cheaper than buying NRS pipe and Lopro fittings. But there is no question that the NRS pipe and Lopros makes a stronger frame, if you are intending to float any serious whitewater. What type of boat do you have?
On Friday, April 22, 2016 at 11:51:09 AM UTC-4, Connor Donovan wrote:Sweet. That's a fine turnout for DIY. I've been contemplating going the speedrail and fence post route for reworking the front half of my frame. Did you pick up the speed rail fittings online? Or at ACE? Because that would be a game changer if I could find those locally.
On Friday, April 22, 2016 at 11:01:53 AM UTC-4, JT wrote:Connor, yes -- the frame is DIY. I was inspired by this boat I came across, which uses NRS frame parts: http://www.mountainbuzz.com/forums/attachment.php? attachmentid=4447&d=1332370863 My frame uses aluminum speed rail fittings (with set screws), 16 gauge steel fence post, 3/4" plywood, and tractor seats. I became good friends with the store manager at Ace Hardware. Aire sells a similar oar frame for the Traveler canoe called the "Traveler Rowing Frame," but it just has bench seats.
On Thursday, April 21, 2016 at 11:22:22 AM UTC-4, Connor Donovan wrote:JT - That aire canoe looks awesome. That's a cool mini frame, did you DIY that? I'm really, really digging it.
On Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at 7:18:19 PM UTC-4, cg wrote:Boulder boatworks makes a high density poly driftboat that can take rock strikes. It is a traditional design so is not rated for high hp motors but you can run a 2 to 5 hp. Butch Murphy guides out of one and I think Matt Miles may drive one as well.Charlie
Sent from my iPhoneAire inflatable kayaks are great (PVC outer shell with urethane bladders). I run a 15' Aire Traveler inflatable canoe with an oar frame; it's a great little boat for 2 people.--
On Tuesday, April 19, 2016 at 9:34:53 PM UTC-4, arthur noglak wrote:Anyone have any experience with inflatable kayaks?Art
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