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Base it off an NRS frame. 14’ boat.
Boxes? Drop bags? Where to put the cooler? Put in a seat or sit on a box/cooler? DIY table bench? Captains boxes?
What revs yer raft engine?
Should be able to do something like the main Salmon for a 4 person family
How I set up my boat. Bow to stern-dry box, cooler, side boxes or slings in rower bay, dry box, pelican on side up front and one by rower for day use stuff. Pacific ariver bag in stern.
Thx Conundrum.
By the way, re-read your title and a family of four isn't going to fit in a 14 inch boat. A 14' with a family of four can be done but gets a little tight for seven days. But that's what buddies like me are for. I'll carry a shit ton of gear for invites. I thought I'd put more explanation down with some pics.
The lime green is mine. The dark green is my overloaded buddy's 15' I took down a low water MFS. Similar setups but his frame is much heavier. I just sold the 14' to buy a 15' will run a similar setup to his but I'm doing an aluminum frame with diamond plate side boards. I also won't be running an extra Yeti up front and no third dry box for the kitchen in the stern. I like this setup. Everyone has an opinion on the best way to do it but this is my favorite. Quick and easy to rig, fairly flat for wind, stuff is dry but accessible during the day, and someone can chill on the back gear pile. We usually will run a day cooler and fill it before sun up. The cooler stays closed with a wet white towel over it during the day. Some folks run a paco over the cooler. Arbitrarily, I think the wet towel keeps the cooler colder if you are good about keeping it wet. I like cocktail ice on day 7 and 8. I like the cooler in the second bay for a couple reasons. If you change out between a drop/bag table or dry box up front, your cooler sits in the same spot for each rig, I like keeping a wet towel on it for ice preservation and that's not great to sit on, and on shorter trips when you're not concerned about ice, you and your passengers are not sitting on it when you need to get a beer/beers. I've avoided a seat on the rowers box. I think the dry box is fine to row from and depending on how you set the seat up, it's hard to get in the box during the day or you have a seat bolted to the box for transport and storage which has always annoyed me. I did row a boat on a trip (not mine) that had a drop bag in that bay with a seat over it. It seemed alright. More weight in the front box... but I guess that's if you really want a seat.
You can also put side boards on pretty much any frame like an NRS but it does add some weight. Plenty of ways to do it and I do like them for moving around the boat. NRS frames are a little tougher to rig side boxes. You can use box slings and 20 mm ammo cans pretty easily though. Those slings are also handy for a charcoal box, groover if you're rolling an eco safe, or water jugs. Depending on how much stuff you need to keep dry, I do like running a drop bag and table up front in the first bay on occasion. You just have to watch weight distribution but a few passengers up there keep things pretty balanced.
Pro tip... There's all sorts of random beverage holders you can strap to the frame. Most of them are kind of dumb. Buy this cozy and set your beer next to you on the dry box. In heavy water, it's easy to wedge in somewhere between flat water. Only downside is if you hate the GB Packers.
http://www.cheesehead.com/featured/c...edge-cozy.html
There are so many ways to rig, it's personal preference, but I will throw you a tip that you will thank me for. Get a high back seat. Life changing.
As makers said it is all personal preference but I run a 4 bay double rail DRE frame on my 14’
120 qt cooler up front
Dry box
Rowers bay, on big trips a run a floor that can hold two rocket boxes
I sit on a deck above a drop bag
My kitchen box is a big action packer that fits in the rear compartment
I also have wood decking over the double side rails
Do you run the cooler up front for weight? If so, does it affect quick direction changes?
I love getting the convo going. And pics. I love pics.
Anyhoo....my current 1985 14’ ([emoji6]) Avon bucket boat. Custom wood drop floor up from for the kitchen, smaller cooler, seat with Voile strapped-in captains box, and a suspended floor rear.
And yes, those are square tops on a 33 year old boat.
So...an upgrade is an exciting option...
Attachment 272740
Whole new rig or just frame? I dig the dudes who style the old stuff but there’s something to be said for self bailers.
Whole new rig. Love the Avon and it gets noticed on the river, but got a Main Salmon permit (June 28 launch) so it seems timely to upgrade. Hope the water levels are not too high at that time.
Sweet man. We're launching June 30th. Might see you out there. Snow packs are good over here but it's always a roll of the dice on how it comes off. Working on the shuttles now. Might take a jet boat up so we'll at least see you once if we do that. Tried to find some more 14' and 15's with different configs. The blue NRS is a pretty cool rig and that guy is a stud rower. He has the cooler behind him and rows from a dry box. The front is a homemade table that is pretty wide and deep and covers a drop bag. Some other NRS frames with side boards. Like those dudes said above, it's all personal. I know a guy who puts all the weight in the front for punching stuff/momentum and he's an excellent rower. I like the most weight in the middle to pivot.
A few more.
14' hyside, 4 bay.
First bay: Drop bag - reserve beers and firewood that don't need to be accessed that day, underneath tables. Tables stacked on top of each other are same height as kitchen box in bay 2.
Second bay: Kitchen box. Mounted on either side are .50 cal ammo cans to same height as kitchen box and tables in bay one, flush surface for paco pad mountain on top.
Third bay: Rowers compartment w/ foot bar. Captains box and day cooler on either side, floor in place for multi-day trips. Floor is cut slightly larger than opening, so it can be cam strapped on top of bay to make for flat sleeping surface.
Fourth bay: Cooler. Flip-style captains seat on top for comfort and spare chair for camp.
Plywood side rails running length of frame, bimini which is deployed 75% of time. I also have a drop bag/plywood cover for second bay when someone else is bringing the kitchen.
We can do a self-sufficient/ multiday one boat trip with my current rig, but any more than 3 people and we have to start limiting what people can bring to afford the level of luxury I am used to on the river.
Thanks again for the feedback fellas. Here’s the Hulk...14’ RMR of goodness
Attachment 284663
Damn son!
Get a chicken line and a bow line and yer set. And that trow bag up front too.
Trust me, those all come in real handy. And always put your straps behind the oars.
Congrats. Clip everything in and rig to flip, or rig to be an idiot. Make it a rule on your boat.
A couple more handles would help you out greatly as well.
Yeah Tap. Chicken lines are handy but a lot of dudes take them off when fishing. Those straps look like a spare and a paco strap. Anyway, hope to run into you on the Main. I’ll be in a baby blue Maravia with white logos.
Thx fellas. Perimeter line in the works...wife wants it matchy matchy. Didn’t put a bow line on because of the anchor but the anchor is new to me and even with it, I was kind of missing a bow line.
Bow to Stern-
1 - Drop bag and kitchen table seat
2 - Dry box
3 - Rowers area with floor and tie downs for 2 x 7gl water jugs
4- Canyon Prospector as a rowers seat
Anchor system
Custom ACX plywood sideboards with an Engel 13qt day cooler strapped to my right. Custom rod carrier to my left.
Feels like more storage than the ol’ Avon, which was 14’10”, not 14’.
Gotta say that all the variability in frame set up is both amazing and frustrating, since you never know what’s going to work best until you put it together. Where is the Les Schwab Tire Center “wheel/rim” set-up computer for rafts frames? [emoji23]
It floats fast, that’s for sure
This is my raft on the Salmon a couple years ago (the red one of course). 14 foot Odyssey self-bailer that I bought well used, not an expensive brand but the thing has been awesome for our family of four. We've done lots of multiday trips and whitewater too. NRS Bighorn frame is easy to break down if you are flying in somewhere. Rig from bow to stern:
1. FrontierPlay drybox--got a great deal on this at frontierplay.com. Easily seats two or three people.
2. Cooler (have since bought a bearproof one)
3. Footbrace for rower (me)
4. Rowing seat
5. Cargo floor in the back area to be loaded up with a ton of shit, keeps stuff off the floor of the raft.
6. Extra seat that fits over the tube. Putting the fourth person back there makes it more comfortable for the two up front. Great for fishing.
Attachment 284719
Lookin good mang
That's how you do it. Cams facing in so you can pull them from the seat. Line to clip all the extra shit to.
Foot rest, and the only thing I would change would be a high back seat. I'm getting older, and it makes a ton of difference. Never had an anchor.
Straps over the cooler with another set to hold the oars I would add. And I'd cut the rest so no wind floppage. I'd throw corner straps on that frame too.
After thousands of days in a boat, I can just sit in it and tell you, I won't offer, how to rig and balance it, but I am not that vocal river guy. I will happily offer simple solutions though if you ask, which you have.
Like ditch the counterbalance, get floating blades, place your oars over the front, etc.
Not one person in that pic has their cooler tied. Sweet for me!
And tell that kid he is casting in the wrong direction. :2)
It was the end of the day and we were in the middle of unloading, so stuff is not secured. All the dry boxes and coolers were well secured while floating. In addition to double straps over the top of each, I always tie webbing off to the handles as well. Oars are attached to the frame with the ring/webbing setup so they can't be lost. I bought the counterweights just because it was cheaper than getting new oars. Much nicer with them for sure.Quote:
Originally Posted by MakersTeleMark
The kid is not mine but he sure fished a lot. Caught a big one at that camp and we cooked it up.
Every river worth being on has an old salty with thousands of days under their belt willing to help critique boat rigging. That’s how you know you’re in the right place. They’re easy to spot too...duct taped high back seat, ratty cam straps that used to be nine footers that are now two, faded life jackets long out of production because 10% float loss per year is a myth and a 50% chance there’s a stubby knife sheath on it with no knife, a good story about wooden dry boxes and how they used to do everything in a bucket, a 10 year old orange juice jug with some cord on the handle carabinered to the frame that they sometimes remember to drink water from between Tecates, a travel socket set in the repair kit even though nine of the 10 sockets don’t fit anything on the boat, probably an old NRS strap as their belt with a leatherman on it because you never know when you might need a leatherman and keeping it in a waterproof captains box costs valuable seconds when you need one, an ammo can with a drain Powell sticker on it etc.
They are mostly sober now, or dead. I know those peeps well. Don't forget, "I don't need trailer lights, I just don't hit the brake."Quote:
Originally Posted by Conundrum
Runnin’ ‘shine and letting the young bucks carry the kitchen box.
And rig everything, right?
Not a lot of loading or carrying but really good riggers. Can’t wait to get to that point.
I'm there times ten, I just have to keep the old crew in check not to get too high to stay in the boat.
I used to pick them up from their drunken stuppors, now, all they want is trippy music from the bluetooth speaker that they don't even understand, and everything to be done just like they would have done it 20 years ago.
Well, at the first sight of uncle gusty, guess who's on the oars, and guess who is nestled down in a cuddle puddle?
Getting STOKED!
Me too. Just did the non-perishable shopping last night. Everything is in the trailer except coolers. Holler if you see this boat.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tap
Likewise! 🤙🏼
Thanks for this thread and your contributions. Helped me plan and put together a new 14’ trib. So much fun on our shakedown trip.
Attachment 286942
Grand Ronde is a nice little float. Good looking setup.
Just off the Salmon...what a float. More details to come but a highlight was having a jet boat rocket past and Conundrum screaming my name out a couple times once he saw the boat. My crew was flabbergasted. That was awesome, thx Nate. Hope you had a great float too. Pics to follow.
Thought I'd put some pics up from our trip. We rowed, ate, camped, drank, traveled, cribbaged, foraged, and hiked well. Great trip all around. Not much blood, sunburns, or hangovers. One outbreak of poison ivy and lessons were learned. The only bummer was getting a text from Tap probably right as he got back into service while I was still on the river. Came home to get his text and then read his news. It really made me reflect how lucky we are 99.9% of the time...going on great trips and coming home. That 0.1% that he experienced has to be awful but he'll get through it. He's a tough dude.
More pics.
Three more.
Hi all,
I'm currently in the market to purchase my first sit-in kayak, and have finally narrowed it down to three. I'm hoping some of you can help me narrow those options down to one.
What I want to do - I'm a casual kayaker, with three specific areas of interest:
1. Wildlife photography
2. Enjoying the quiet of nature
3. A little fishing
For these reasons, I need a stable and relatively dry kayak. I'm 6'1" and 225lbs, so a larger cockpit would be nice (and obviously a nice seat).
My budget is up to $800, and I've narrowed it down to the following kayaks:
1. Old Town Vapor 10 Angler
2. Old Town Dirigo 106 Angler
3. Ascend FS10 Angler
Can anyone provide me with some real world advice on these choices to help me narrow it down? Thanks much for your advice...
The red one, JONG.
this is the thread I’m looking forQuote:
Originally Posted by Conundrum
my old/new lady friend just asked me tonight if I want to do this with her next summer
she’s got a 14’ oar rig
I haven’t rafted in 15 years - I gotta get up to speed