Stolen Drift Boat

Here are photos of the driftboat that I have had stolen for those of you across the internet who are helping me find it. After posting this on a few sites yesterday I have had over 600 responses from about 10 states. It has gone all over facebook and the internet. Thank you!! These photos show some of the unique features of the boat that make it easy to identify against production boats. This boat and trailer is a one-of-a-kind, hand made original that my dad and I built in 1995. You can read the full story here: https://dominionproject.wordpress.com/2010/07/22/the-perfectly-normal-obsession-with-making-stuff-boats/

This was the color scheme on the boat when stolen. It also said “CoosaRiverDrifters.com” in white letters inside the blue stripe. (A dead link now)

Here is a picture of the rowing seat and storage box.

Here is a good view of the trailer without the boat on it. Huge expanded metal steps, a square tube axle, and automobile hubs set it apart from regular production driftboat trailers.

A photo of the front casting deck and a knee lock. The deck is shorter than most other boats and has a built in storage compartment.

Another view of the front casting deck and knee locks.

 

And here is the story that I have put on a few fly fishing websites. Thank you to all who have offered your help.

I recently had my McKenzie style driftboat stolen and am desperate to recover it.
It was stolen from Callaway Gardens and was last seen being towed behind a small white pickup on October 2, 2012. This boat and trailer are very, very special to me as they are one-of-a-kind hand-built originals. At first glance it looks like a wooden boat because it has wooden gunnels but it is actually fiberglass. I have a very strong sentimental attachment to this boat and trailer because I built it with my dad way back in 1995. It was the last project that he and I did together before he passed away. My hope was to share many days fly fishing with my 13 year old son in it and pass it along to him someday.
Those who are familiar with the different brands of driftboats will recognize that it is a little different than any of them. The boat is 15’ 10” stem to stern and 54” wide on the bottom. The interior is laid out to put the maximum amount of distance between the two anglers. It has a shorter front casting deck than most and more distance between the oarsman and the front caster. When it was stolen it was white and royal blue and had “Coosa River Drifters” in white letters along the sides, although that can be easily changed. It has a small storage opening in the front deck, level non-skid floors, a storage box under the rowing seat, wooden gunnels, a foot release anchor system, two drain plugs in the transom, and a drain plug under the rowing seat. The front seat pedestal is fiberglass and looks exactly like an upside down Rubbermaid container because that is what I used for a mold. It had grey and blue seats when stolen. There are lots of scratches and gouges in the chines and bottom from many years of scraping rocks. The floors have a rougher texture than most boats. The rowing seat rests on two shelves that run along the inside of the boat, and those shelves have little compartments to keep accessories in.
The trailer looks like a standard driftboat trailer except that it has a square tube axle and bolt-on rotors from an automobile. The full length roller across the back is larger in diameter than most and was a roller from a conveyer of some sort. The trailer was in grey primer when stolen.
You can read more about how and why I built the boat at https://dominionproject.wordpress.com…g-stuff-boats/ and see a video with several pictures and scenes of it athttps://dominionproject.wordpress.com…e-coosa-river/. If anyone has any information about this boat, if you see it on the river or for sale somewhere, or see it being towed, PLEASE pass along any information you may have (tag # etc). I will grant total amnesty just to get it back. You can call me at work at three three four, seven four five, two four six four or text or call me at three three four, seven zero five, zero eight eight eight.