Welcome to the Black & Tan blog!
Thanks for checking out our site! We have just begun construction on a Mckenzie River Style drift boat that we have affectionately named the Black & Tan, which will be her ultimate color scheme. It is no coincidence that she shares her name with one of the greatest adult beverages of all time. We have chosen this proven design because we are confident it will serve us quite well in the waters we fish most, which include the The Housatonic and Farmington Rivers of Northern CT, The inshore waters Long Island Sound, and most recently the Great Lakes Tribs and the wonderful St. Lawrence River waterway, a place that Mack calls home. We obtained the boat plans online, similar plans are available through Rivers Touch. She will be 14 feet long with a relatively wide beam and bow rocker for safely navigating the rapids but she will also have a high and wide, slightly rockered, transom which can accomodate a up to a 10hp motor should we decide to venture out into the brackish bays and estuaries of Long Island Sound. Unlike most traditional drift boats, this boat can be used both as a flat bottom motor skiff and a rowing dory. Our project has just begun, and we are full of enthusiasm. The design and finish concepts change every day, who knows what the final product will look like, but thats half the fun! We hope you enjoy our site, we will try to update it weekly if possible. Thanks for stopping by!

For more info on the Rapid Robert Mckenzie River Skiff we are building, Click Here or better yet, Here

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

A Hull is Born!


Probably the most exciting day so far, yesterday we cut and attached the floor!  Before we began Mack routered out scupper holes in each of the ribs, we kept them small to limit the pace at which water can flow around the boat.  Next up was the 2nd Scarf Cut.  We rigged a jig for the circular saw in the driveway, it was not pretty but it got the job and done after a few attempts we had a nice cut.  We decided to scarf and join the plywood on the boat rather than joining the wood, letting it cure for a day and then cutting it to fit.  We were able to use one piece of plywood for the floor section from the transom to the 3rd rib, and another small piece for the rest, thereby conserving our valuable plywood. It was a nice alternative to the center joint (4th rib).  Each piece was scarfed, traced out, cut and then fastened using the stainless screws and epoxy.  Pre drilling holes in the chines was necessary to protect the Sapelle hardwood.  Once the floor was joined, we used a flashlight to determine if there were any gaps in the seams, which there were luckily very few! Then we spent at least 20 minutes admiring the shape of our new hull!


routering drain holes


scarf jig, patent pending....

sidetracked!

scarf jig

look at that cut!














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