Drift Boat Plans

Drift Boat Plans

Welcome to the 'Drift Boat Plans' information and review site. I am Joshua and I absolutely love the water- from fishing to simply rolling down the river - I love EVERYTHING about the water.

ESPECIALLY boats and boating.

Combined with my love of DIY and woodworking - building my own boats has been a passion of mine for well over 13 years. And,usually when we use good plans, like good drift boat plans, that can make a huge difference.

And I used to have to buy each set of plans- or hope I could get lucky and find them elsewhere. But now, with the 'Plans4Boats' complete boat plans package- I have over 254 different set's of boat plans- including some really great and unique drift boat plans.

Here's is a quick review of the plans I used to build my first drift boat plans:

Plans 4 Boats- Drift Boat Plans And More

The 'Plans4Boats' boat plans package is a complete set of over 254 different boat plans that will make building boats fun and exciting for you- even if you are a complete newbie at boat building.

Plans 4 Boats

My goal is to help you select a boat that performs best on the water that you fish the most often. To do this I've created the following topics that try to explain in a simple way the advantages and disadvantages of important hull characteristics.

Drift Boat Plans - Characteristics

Length: the measure of the boat fore and aft

Width: the measure of the boat side to side

Rocker: the amount the ends of the boat lift up

Flair:the angle of the sides of the boat

Bottom shape: the top down view of the shape of the bottom

Drift boat length

The long measurement of the boat.

When it comes to hull design, we must consider the different lengths associated with drift boats; length overall, and length of the waterline. Length Overall is the measurement from the most forward point of the drift boat to the most rearward point. Length of the waterline is the measurement of the most forward point of the drift boat that touches the water and the most rearward point of the boat that touches the water.

Width Of Your Drift Boat

The measurement of a drift boat perpendicular to the length, also called Beam.

Advantages of more width
More side to side primary stability
Heavier load with less draft
More lift when backing out of eddies

Disadvantages of more width
More effort to hold water
Additional overall weight


It is wise to calculate the width of the beam at the handrail by first deciding the bottom width and the desired flair for your application. The bottom width and flair have more influence on boat performance when it's on the water than the beam at the handrail.

Drift boat height

Distance from the boat bottom to the handrail.

The stem, midship, and transom can be measured to compare one drift boat shape to another. As you can see there are more advantages to less height. The right height is the lowest side that keeps the river out of your lap on the water you plan to float.

Advantages of height
Less water in boat
More weight

Disadvantages of height
More wind resistance
Harder to get in and out of

Drift Boat Rocker

Rocker is the front to back bend in the bottom of the boat.

There are two principle reasons to add rocker to the bottom of a river drift boat: first is to help maneuver in waves; second to allow the drift boat to easily spin in place.

Advantages of more rocker
Spins quicker
Stays above the waterline in chop
Less boat in the current when sideways

Disadvantages of more rocker
Deeper draft
More effort to hold water (slower)

Selecting The Best Drift Boat Plans For You

Find out more about Drift Boat Plans - and the best way to select the proper Drift Boat Plans top suit your needs in the water and when fishing:

Drift Boat Plans and More