Documenting the Construction of a Mississippi Backwoods Drifter

The Mississippi Backwoods Drifter is a boat I designed in 1998 after much discussion with my long-time canoeing and camping buddy, Mississippi author and outdoor writer, Ernest Herndon. Ernest and I often discussed and compared the relative merits of canoes and the ubiquitous johnboats that are so common in Mississippi. Ernest had floated rivers in both types of craft, but preferred the canoe because the johnboats in common use are generally too big and too heavy for twisting creeks, and don't paddle well because of the wide, squared-off stern that is designed to accommodate an outboard motor. Early johnboats, commonly used throughout the south before the invention of outboard motors, were generally narrower and like a canoe, were double-ended, or symmetrical, though still squared off in an upswept pram-bow shape like the bows of modern johnboats.

Being double-ended, these boats were much easier to paddle, and lack the drag that the wide flat stern of a motor boat creates. The boat tapers back symmetrically to the stern the same as a canoe, so the stern paddler is sitting in a position that gives better access to the water for guide strokes and other maneuvers that would be difficult in a wide-sterned johnboat.

So why a flat-bottomed, pram-ended boat rather than a traditional canoe? What are the advantages? There is no question that the traditional canoe derived from northwoods Native American design is one of the best boats ever devised for a wide variety of conditions. Canoes are equally at home on lakes and rivers of most sizes, but canoes that are long enough to efficiently travel on windswept lakes or carry enough gear for expedition length trips are a bit unwieldy on some of the fast running, twisting creeks of south Mississippi that Ernest and I like to explore. By eliminating the sharp ends that enable a canoe to so efficiently cut through wind-driven waves on more open waters, the Backwoods Drifter's double pram ends allow almost the same load-carrying ability in a much shorter 12-foot length. The flat bottom allows standing and poling as well, which is also tricky in a canoe. The Backwoods Drifter can spin 180 degrees in its own length, making tricky maneuvers a breeze without the risk of capsize that would be more likely in a canoe. All in all, it's a great boat for what it is designed for, and it can be easily carried in the bed of a pickup to the launch site without the need for rooftop racks like longer canoes and kayaks.

I am currently building a Backwoods Drifter for a customer in east Texas, and I am documenting the entire construction process so that I can produce a complete set of plans with photos that will soon be available for sale for those who want to build their own boat. I will post regular updates and photos here during the construction of this particular Backwoods Drifter.

More info and photos of finished boats are available at: www.scottbwilliams.com/drifter.html