# Driftboat bottom/gel coat care



## happyhooker2 (Nov 11, 2005)

Hello everyone. I've got a quick question for everyone. I'm a new drift boat owner after years of wanting one I broke down and finally got one. 

My question is regarding care/maintenance of the bottom. I used the boat only one time(just took delivery of it in early October) and after launching at Green Cottage and floating/fishing to Gleasons my bottom got more scratched up than I expected. I know the bottoms aren't bullet proof from scratches etc.....but I was still surprised. What type of care should I give my bottom and at what point should it be serviced by a professional as far as reconditioning? Thanks in advance!


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## SalmonBum (Feb 28, 2001)

I know back in the day the HYDE boats were only a few season boat and then you needed to sell it or get the bottom redone. Clacka's seemed to have a better setup with the chines not getting so beat up. Best thing to do if worried about betating the snot outta it is get a aluminum one. 

As far a re-doing the bottom, not a big deal. www.westsystems.com will give you alot of info.


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## happyhooker2 (Nov 11, 2005)

SalmonBum said:


> I know back in the day the HYDE boats were only a few season boat and then you needed to sell it or get the bottom redone. Clacka's seemed to have a better setup with the chines not getting so beat up. Best thing to do if worried about betating the snot outta it is get a aluminum one.
> 
> As far a re-doing the bottom, not a big deal. www.westsystems.com will give you alot of info.


Hey there stranger, thanks for the reply back. How did Ludville treat ya this year?


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

You could get a shoe for the bottom, or rhino the thing.


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## SalmonBum (Feb 28, 2001)

happyhooker2 said:


> Hey there stranger, thanks for the reply back. How did Ludville treat ya this year?


We had a great offshore steelhead fishing season all yr. Early king was good. No matter what anyone says, the 4 yr old run absolutly sucked this yr.

Changing gears.... Now I'm duck hunting just about every day. Leaving for ND in a few days  Could care less to see another finned creature for 4-5 months.


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## happyhooker2 (Nov 11, 2005)

SalmonBum said:


> We had a great offshore steelhead fishing season all yr. Early king was good. No matter what anyone says, the 4 yr old run absolutly sucked this yr.
> 
> Changing gears.... Now I'm duck hunting just about every day. Leaving for ND in a few days  Could care less to see another finned creature for 4-5 months.


It totally did. The DNR predicted this mature class might be lost. The PM had so many gaps in it. I didn't fish Ludville as much as I wanted this year. Next year will be much different. The few times I did head out we also had great offshore steelhead bites. We did real well on adult kings down by Little Point end of July/Early August in 50-80 fow when the lake peeled but that was the only real furry of adult fish we saw.


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## Bucket-Back (Feb 8, 2004)

Rhino the bottom. The West System/Interlux Epoxy stuff will chip on the rocks and gravel


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## centerpin (Jun 13, 2009)

I purchased a used Clackacraft drift boat In the early 2000's, I was purchasing the boat over the Internet and in hindsight not the best idea. The boat looked great in the tiny pics but when it finally arrived the bottom was like Swiss cheese. Come to find out it was a former guide boat out west and like a previous poster mentioned it was really run hard through a ton of shallow water and then flipped for a new one.

When I finally did redo the bottom it was a ton of work with a lot of filling and sanding, trying to find a match for the gel coat color was also difficult, I never did find one.

The boat looked great, but the bottom was still the same gel coat material which dings and scratches so easily.

The best thing to do is start with a new boat and be pro active and coat it with something like rhino liner or something similar. 

I am using a product called duraback, the us military uses it to coat vehicles, ship decks and other things. I am using the smooth version in black and with the UV resistance. Its not cheap, but niether was the repair job on that Clackacraft, I spent over five bills easy.

I would do this ASAP, otherwise you end up with a whole lot of work fixing the gelcoat and then coating. Gelcoat just does not hold up with any serious use.
I would never run a stock gelcoat bottom boat ever again.


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## SalmonBum (Feb 28, 2001)

centerpin said:


> I purchased a used Clackacraft drift boat In the early 2000's, I was purchasing the boat over the Internet and in hindsight not the best idea. The boat looked great in the tiny pics but when it finally arrived the bottom was like Swiss cheese. Come to find out it was a former guide boat out west and like a previous poster mentioned it was really run hard through a ton of shallow water and then flipped for a new one.
> 
> When I finally did redo the bottom it was a ton of work with a lot of filling and sanding, trying to find a match for the gel coat color was also difficult, I never did find one.
> 
> ...



yup, thats what my guide Buddy's do. They run a boat for a yr or tow and off them. If your gonna own one and want it to last, get a Tin one. They are noisy, but they last.


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## Bucket-Back (Feb 8, 2004)

When I was duck hunting along the rocky shores of Metro Beach and Lukas Pointe, I'd get a year or two out of my TIN Boats.
Then I'd off it in the spring and buy a different one in the fall to trash out.


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## Freestone (May 15, 2003)

I know some of the wood driftboat guys have the bottom sprayed with Linex. It's supposedly less rubbery and slides over rocks better than some other bed liner materials.


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## METTLEFISH (Jan 31, 2009)

There are "sheet" products available to prevent and "cure" old issues. Google "Drift boat products" if not contact the Manufacturer. They'll point you in the right direction!


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