# Finally, a Whitewater Dories forum page that's not Facebook!



## Norcalcoastie (Jan 4, 2019)

Dude. That boat is beautiful. My wife would kill me if I started looking at other boats. Sigh


----------



## raymo (Aug 10, 2008)

That's a work of art, in building, engineering and designing.


----------



## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

Sweet....super glad to see this. Maybe some of the Whitewater Dories facebook peeps will come in here. I'm definitely happy to have a place to ask all my silly questions about Dories and building and modifying them.


----------



## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Wahoo, who says good things don't come to those that wait... Great Falls is Beautiful MT4... All that hard work is now paying off


----------



## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

Norcalcoastie said:


> Dude. That boat is beautiful. My wife would kill me if I started looking at other boats. Sigh


My wife was on the trip--her first multiday, first dory trip. I openly told her I'm building a smaller boat this winter. Great Falls was wonderful for a multiday, but she's too big for day trips and overnights.
I had free epoxy, and would you believe I only have about $2,800 in materials in her?!\

I used to build 4x4 rockcrawlers. To my wife, boats are cheap.
I don't spend much time watching TV, so boatbuilding/shop time is an easy outlet for me.



raymo said:


> That's a work of art, in building, engineering and designing.


Thank you!

The original design credit goes to Jerry Briggs who stretched his Rogue River Special for Martin Litton to use in the Grand Canyon in the early 70's.
Specific design credit to Andy Hutchinson for the stitch and glue panel plans.
And to my grandpa Leo and also my Jr High wood shop teacher Mr. Rosenleaf who taught me a love for woodworking when I was young.



Electric-Mayhem said:


> Sweet....super glad to see this. Maybe some of the Whitewater Dories facebook peeps will come in here. I'm definitely happy to have a place to ask all my silly questions about Dories and building and modifying them.


PLEASE do.

I don't have the answers, but I LOVE contemplating them.




MNichols said:


> Wahoo, who says good things don't come to those that wait... Great Falls is Beautiful MT4... All that hard work is now paying off


She was super, super fun to build. Let's start discussing her little sister!


----------



## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

I'm game, how small are you thinking? Ashkii, my little boat is a 14 footer, she can't carry a lot, and the one time I had a passenger, she was way bow heavy. She was made some 30 odd years ago by Derald Stewart / Canonita Dories out of Doug Fir.


----------



## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

14' MAX. Really thinking more like 12'-13'.

Good comment about the front passenger, and that's probably going to be the biggest design issue/compromise.

Interesting discussion here:




__





3-D Design Software and Honkey Dory Keel Heights






montana-riverboats.com





A fishform boat (wider afore the oarlocks) _should_ place the center of bouyancy forward and help offset the weight of the passenger. Passenger seat placement also plays a role, though I see Ashkii's front passenger seat is just in front of your footwell and their head is just in front of your oar handles, can't go back much farther than that.


----------



## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Just curious about what physically was "too big" and how that translated to performance and why and under what circumstances would it change. I went down the rabbit's hole and now look at every dory I see lol. That's such a great boat and a great first trip. Congratulations!!


----------



## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

First, zero regrets building, owning, or keeping her. 

GC dories were designed for 3-week trips with 5 people. She was awesome on the Main. Luxurious amount of space, really. I hauled more than my share of group gear to include my own 125qt cooler, a groover, and 20# propane.

But she's too big for day/overnight trips here in MT. If I get out 25-35 days a year, one multiday is only 20% of my boating opportunity. She's about 500# dry weight, takes 2-3 to load on a trailer with a roller, and inconvenient to launch/land anywhere but a big ramp or sandy beach.
A 500# boat is a LOT of inertia, and when most of the rivers I run have rocky shores, it's just not conducive to easy landings. Many runs are shallow/rocky, and a 500# boat has a deeper draft and moves more slowly out of the way of deadheads.

So I'm thinking a LOT smaller and lighter. 200#. Something I can load single-handedly with effort, or two people can manage with minimal effort.

This is my friend Brian and his little 200# boat. she's 12'+ long.









The two of us lifted it onto the deck of Great Falls for a run on the NF Flathead over Memorial weekend. while I was battling eddylines, he zipped into small eddies to wait for me.


----------



## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

MT4Runner said:


> 14' MAX. Really thinking more like 12'-13'.
> 
> Good comment about the front passenger, and that's probably going to be the biggest design issue/compromise.
> 
> ...


It just in front of the footwell. Too damn close IMHO, and a very small footwell for the passenger. I wish there was more room for my legs, I contemplated tearing out the shallow footwell that's there and putting in a standing footwell, your legs are every bit as long as mine if not longer, so I'd factor that into your design. Is your buddies little boat decked ? I can't really tell from the photos.


----------



## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

With this small of boat, I think it would have to be a standing footwell...a shallow one won't have room for anything under it anyway.

I do like the idea of a reduced front passenger footwell to reduce swampage.

Brian's boat is open but with bow/stern compartments (as is Eric's in the background--a Keith Steele ~15' design he modified to have a flat section in the floor.)


----------



## Oldmanriver61 (Mar 20, 2016)

Howdy, I just got my Rogue River Dory, 16ft x 6ft beam. 1st wooden craft. Rowing Colo. and near by 30yrs in rubber full fish frame buckets and s/b. In Denver. Can I join in?


----------



## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Oldmanriver61 said:


> Howdy, I just got my Rogue River Dory, 16ft x 6ft beam. 1st wooden craft. Rowing Colo. and near by 30yrs in rubber full fish frame buckets and s/b. In Denver. Can I join in?


Absolutely! Welcome to the forum!


----------



## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

Oldmanriver61 said:


> Howdy, I just got my Rogue River Dory, 16ft x 6ft beam. 1st wooden craft. Rowing Colo. and near by 30yrs in rubber full fish frame buckets and s/b. In Denver. Can I join in?


Welcome!! Got pics?

And welcome to the addiction. I just added to my fleet a 1970 Rogue River Special from Rod's Custom Welding in Grant's Pass, OR. Took it out on a town float Saturday and had a great day. Took it on the MF Flathead at ~5.5' and 8900cfs yesterday and had a BLAST!!


----------



## Oldmanriver61 (Mar 20, 2016)

Will post soon!


----------

