I was looking at my boat this spring when I was giving it a good scrub down at the car wash and while it was propped up draining, I checked out the chines and noticed that; holy crap, they were pretty much non-existent.
For those of you that don't row, the chines are basically just the edge between the sides and the bottom of the boat. They run the length from bow to stern and it's what allows a drift boat to track since the bottom is flat and doesn't have a keel like on a "V" hull such as in a traditional fishing boat or a speed boat. Smooth chines allow the boat to glide back and forth against the current when you pull on the oars. When your chines get beat up from hitting rocks and debris, it causes resistance, which can make it harder to row. That resistance can also make the boat swing while on anchor and when those chines open up and the fiber glass is exposed, cracks will cause the boat to leak, which obviously is not good. It's inevitable and every guide out there will get to that point with their boats where you have to answer the question of whether it's time to buy a new one or not. Here's what I decided to do and why.
A new boat runs about $11K, if you pay retail. If you're a professional guide you should NEVER pay that. Every boat manufacturer wants you to row their boats because that's the most effective marketing they can employ. Use that to your advantage if you decide to buy new. I've never bought new because I've found great deals on used boats that were in good condition and I was able to fix the things that needed to be fixed myself. And I'm not one to jump on something just because it's trendy so I didn't feel any pressure to buy the next "latest, greatest" thing. I've never really been sold on all the "new technology" out there. In fact, I listen to my clients when they tell me how they feel about fishing out of one boat versus another so I'm hesitant to get into something that might be easier to row, but less comfortable for the angler.
I row a Clackacraft LP. I've installed rubber mats that are fitted to the floor, put a side anchor system in it with a more secure cleat than the normal jam cleat, added a newer and better rowers seat, replaced the front and back angler seats, and have it set up just the way I like. It's very clean on the inside and it has no structural problems. I've also replaced the crank on the trailer and have fixed the connector for the lights...a number of times. It looks a little rough on the outside and again, the chines were trashed so I took the boat to a guy in Belgrade to see what he could do and for $450, he said he'd fix the chines and gel-coated the bottom.
Other options other than buying a new boat would have been to do a Rhino Liner bottom, which I think is a joke. It's heavy and it doesn't last and actually, it can do more damage to your boat when bumping rocks since the hull will crack but the liner will just flex. You end up with pockets between the liner and the boat, which will collect moisture and freeze causing even bigger problems. In my opinion, keep it fiber glass and gel coat.
So I chose to fix my boat rather than buying new because I have better things to spend money on although sometimes dropping the cash on a boat can be a good thing when it comes to taxes. Depending on how you take the right-off, either as a one-time deduction or a depreciation over time, you could buy a boat every other year and have a substantial tax benefit and be rowing a new boat all the time. However, the more money you spend on a boat, the less you have for other gear and I can find a lot of cool stuff I'd rather have for my business at this time. Plus, that right-off isn't like it's saving you $8,000 on taxes if that's what you paid for the boat. It's saying that you made $8,000 less that year that you can be taxed on, which makes that savings about a third of the actual money you spent. I'm sure that day will come for a new boat, just not this year and honestly, that new bottom really makes my boat look %100 nicer.
Here's the last thing I would say; it is important to present yourself as a professional but don't drop a ton of money into something just because you think it makes you look cool or because you think it will give you a leg up with some outfitters. If that's why they would hire you over someone else, they might not be someone you want to work for anyway. I don't rock gear because it's the coolest or because it makes me look more like a guide. I use gear that makes sense for me and the guys that I want to work with have that same mentality. I'm not going to choose to hire someone because they row an Adipose any sooner than a guy that rows a Hyde, RO or a Clack. What I will say though is before buying something, think about who you are guiding and what works best for you and your clients. We are in the business of making people happy and showing them a good time. I encourage people to buy a boat just as much for the angler as the rower but don't buy something just for affect.
Keep 'em where they live...
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