Dedicated river boat

I too have been looking for a "Drift Boat" style of kayak and had previously dismissed the Nu.  I'd like to use it for steelheading on coastal rivers and especially for pulling plugs.  The NuCanoe looks almost ideal but storage and seating leave much to be desired.

NuCanoe is not a river boat.  No rocker whatsoever and low freeboard with no scupper holes is a recipe for disasters.

-Allen

No rocker whatsoever and low freeboard with no scupper holes....

We do have a Cuttin & Drillin section!  Now we just need a Heatin/Bendin/Weldin section!!!

Blake here from NuCanoe (http://www.nucanoe.com) in Bellingham....Nice discussion on the river boats! And thanks to Richard for contacting me about it.

I'll leave it to you to decide what the NuCanoe is or isn't, but if you'd like to give it a try on the water, let me know ([email protected]).  We have demo boats here in Bellingham, and a couple other NW dealers have demo boats as well.  We'd be happy to let you give it a test run....would be great to learn how it works for you.

What design changes would make the NuCanoe better suited for use as a mini drift boat?  Adding scuppers?  More rocker?  Other ideas.....

The seats on the NuCanoe are adjustable/removable, so both 10' and 12' models can be used solo or tandem. 

Cheers,
Blake

What design changes would make the NuCanoe better suited for use as a mini drift boat?  Adding scuppers?  More rocker?  Other ideas.....

Cheers,
Blake

Hey Blake,

Thanks for joining the discussion!  As you mentioned, scuppers and a lot more rocker are a good start.  As well, I'd want to see the flat bottom carried higher up the bow and stern to avoid spinning when crossing current seams.  The fixed skeg works against you when trying to pick a line in moving water.  A retractable skeg would be great.  Drop it for the frog water rowing and lift it for the fast water.
While we're at it, how about a flat work surface/accessories mounting area that can be installed in an unused seat mouting position?

Let me know if you need a crash test dummy for your R&D.   

-Mark-

I'm working on getting a Diablo Chupacabra up here.  I think you guys would like it. The hull is a bit flatter than it appears in the photos.  Its pretty wide, but that helps it keep a shallow draft inside of 4".  10.5' L, 37" W and 56 lbs.