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Thread: Ro vs. Clacka? Drift Boat Recommendation

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Sacramento
    Posts
    73

    Default Ro vs. Clacka? Drift Boat Recommendation

    I'll be buying a new drift boat soon. My co-owners and I are all relatively new to rowing and plan to drift the Yuba, Lower Sac, and American.

    We are looking at buying the Clacka Eddy 360 or RO Deville. Has anyone one rowed/owned one of these? Thoughts?

    Recommendations on whether to buy a boat with low-profile or standard walls?

    Any and all additional thoughts are appreciated!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    East Bay
    Posts
    681

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    Quote Originally Posted by TroutHunter10 View Post
    I'll be buying a new drift boat soon. My co-owners and I are all relatively new to rowing and plan to drift the Yuba, Lower Sac, and American.

    We are looking at buying the Clacka Eddy 360 or RO Deville. Has anyone one rowed/owned one of these? Thoughts?

    Recommendations on whether to buy a boat with low-profile or standard walls?

    Any and all additional thoughts are appreciated!
    I just bought a Clacka and have taken it out once so far. I love it. I did ask the guys at Clacka (Dan) what style would be best for western rivers in California. He recommended standard sides. Helps with keeping out the water when it gets rough. The lower profile was meant for the windy rivers in the mountains, like Colorado or Montana according to them. Personally, the standard is pretty low already and I had no problems netting fish. I have the switch model. It has two individual seats up front for plugging/back bouncing and if your fly fishing or side drifting you can take out one seat and center the other. It’s still a 360 degree walk around either way and fits up to 4 people. I had them upgrade everything on it that I could and also included a 6hp motor. Sounds like you want the same flexibility as I do since I plug/back bounce, side drift, and fly fish. The trailer is also made for their boats. I also had them upgrade the trailer. It’s a solid trailer with LEDs, a roll bar, and guided bumpers. If you have any questions shoot me a pm and I’ll send pics of my rig to you.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Davis
    Posts
    105

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    Plus one for the standard side. For our area, my favorite Clacka is the WF. In the interest of full disclosure, I own one. I have never owned an Eddy, but I've rowed one. My impression is that the Eddy rows a bit easier because of the narrower beam and wider transom. That said, it's not a huge difference in rowability, and I think the wind difference is minimal. On the other hand, the extra four inches makes all the difference when you've got water trying to breach your side. In my mind, if you are going the low side route, go all the way (Adipose...they have a new "Runoff" model that has higher sides up front). Also, the Clacka WF has much more room inside than that Eddy (If you're a stuff/gear dude.)

    Rossflyguy is right. Go to MT or WY and all you see is Clacka Eddys and Adipose skiffs. Around here, you see more high sides. If you're truly sticking to the Lower Sac, American and Yuba, a low side boat is probably fine. But if you're anything like me, the allure of the coastal rivers and various Oregon rivers will be too much to resist. From my perspective, having higher sides is nice when you're rowing down a coastal river for the first time, in the dead of winter, in high water, with no road access, wearing waders. Especially if you're new on the oars. Also, many people underestimate the force of hydraulics and eddy fences on the Lower Sac an low flows. If you come into one of those with your chines cutting the wrong way, you can flip in what looks like calm water.

    My post is not meant to intimidate you. I just think everyone's first boat should be standard side boat.

    P.S. Splurge on oars. I like Sawyer squaretops. Think of them as the motor. It's worth it. Your back and your shoulders will thank you.

  4. #4

    Default RO v. Clacka

    Funny, I have had them both (2 each) and they both are high quality boats. They both have their strong suits and low sides. You cannot loose with with either, both companies are customer oriented and reputable. So I will offer the most glaring up-sides and down sides to each. I have guided out of both boats and generally use them for three years before rotating them out.
    RO Upside:
    Much lighter boat, easier on the rower over long days or trips.
    IMHO, the RO does track better and is easier to get on top of the water to move with force.
    Configurable lay-out, RO will work with you on what you want
    Down Side:
    Lighter means thinner glass, thinner glass has more issues, I wore my chines out, as well as some other glass issues
    The DeVille has VERY low sides, it is almost a skiff, you really have to be on top of your skills to avoid problems in bigger water
    RO is located in Boseman, a long drive if you need repairs. They are also smaller company so takes longer to get repairs.

    CLACKA Upside:
    The Eddy is an excellent boat to put bigger guys in back, not as affected
    Their "Low side" is a couple of inches higher than the DeVille
    Thicker, more sturdy glass
    More stable with fisherman movement from side to side
    Portland is much closer than Boseman
    Down Side:
    Much heavier boat
    The Eddy takes much more effort to get on top of the water to move
    Does not track as easy or well
    Higher sides are more affected by the wind (Marginally)

    In the end, either boat is great, either company is great. I went from RO to Clacka for two reasons: 1) I had a couple of instances with clients where I wished I had higher sides (read pucker factor of 11) and 2) As RO grew they were no longer able to meet me in Reno or Battle Mountain to drop off or pick up boats, they were too busy and the trek to Boseman was to great to be reasonable considering how much I use my boat.

    Either way, my only real recommendation I have for you is to get the cooler as the front pedestal seat, the greatest thing to come to drift boats, it frees up rower space. AMAZING

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Sacramento
    Posts
    73

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    DragKing-- thanks for your thoughts. I have fished a good amount in MT and ID out a drift boat and have noticed, like you said, many are fishing Adipose, clacka eddy, and Ro boats. I really liked the way they fished which is why I was inclined to go that direction but you bring up a good point regarding the standard vs. low walls. I'll definitely take that into consideration!

    Mircetich-- Thanks for your insight as well! The distance from manufacturer is another issue to consider as you mentioned. Do you have thoughts on the sidewall height? specifically the 16WF vs. Eddy? Especially for beginner rowers.

    Many thanks

  6. #6

    Default

    For the rivers that you mentioned, and the occasional trip to Mt, Id, Ut etc I see no need for a high side boat if the Eddy is your choice. Beginner or not, people get into trouble due to inability to read water, being hesitant, or not initiating a decision soon enough. I have seen plenty of guides loose boats, high side or not. In the end, a hard boat is not near as forgiving as a raft.

    As we all get older, or take out older people in our boats the lower sides are easier to get in and out of. The wide rear of the Eddy is really beneficial with a heavier load in the boat; bigger guys or over night trips. I do prefer the low side to the high side, the wind does make a difference and the "safety" part is negligible, skill on the water is what will keep you out of trouble, though I will emphasize the DeVille is too low.

    My recommendation is once you get your boat, go out with someone who knows a couple of times and pick their brain on the ins and outs of rowing. Even on a river as the American, you can gain a lot of knowledge from someone who does it regularly, and much like casting, time in seat, time on the water is the best teacher.

    As I thought about your post I would like to offer a few other ideas: I mentioned the Yeti as the front seat pedestal, upgrade that to the "65" quart cooler, Clacka offers the 45, the 45 is too small to be useful. Also I agree that a quality set of oars is worth the price of admission, but I would also recommend a 9'6" oar or even a 10', the added leverage makes the rowers job easier. Lastly, go with the foot anchor release, less things to get in the way of the casters in the boat.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Antelope
    Posts
    384

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    Id like to piggy back on what Mircetich has said, and I highly recommend the Eddy. I have one, been guiding out of it since Jan 2014 and love it. I have rowed several boats, metal, glass, blow up and all have pros and cons. But between the Ro and Clack Eddy, Eddy all the way. They truly fear no rock. My chines take a beatin and keep on tickin. The Eddy 360 is a really nice feature, do not recommend a 3/4 bench in any of the glass boats. Either full bench or a 360 model.

    The other boat I would highly recommend is the Adipose Runoff, this will be my next drift boat when I am in the market for one. One of the best rowing and most stable glass boats I have ever been in. Plus with the Runoff being a few inches higher than the Flow and the old model, you are good going through any funky water.

    A few things,
    Having the Yeti up front is a sweet touch, and definitely recommend. I have a mega box up front as I was thinking of putting items in there for dry storage, well after several years down the road the only thing I put in there is my cooler, a jacket here and there, and some TP. Which most of that can fit under the rowers bench or the box in the back under the rear seat. So the cooler up front is one sweet touch.

    Having a motor bracket is nice, you can run a 12v minn kota to get you through the frog water on some rivers, or back up on some runs if needed. Also a 4-6hp motor pushes the eddy really nice as well.

    Floor Anchor a must, whether fishing solo or with clients, keeps that system out of the way. Not a big fan of the side anchor system. I have it on my NRS Freestone Drifter and fly line does get caught in it when there is an angler fishing in the back.

    Get the best oars you can, this will make or break the boating experience and your back. I have rowed many different sets of Oars, Cataract, Carlisle, Lamiglass, Sawyer Square tops. All have pros and cons, all about application. Personally I only row Pro Loks. I have a set of 9ft Powerflex shafts for my Clack and NRS and 9.5ft Powerflex+ shafts for my Power Drifter. I swap between the standard Pro Lok Blades and the new Pro Max blades. These are the lightest and strongest shafts and blades on the market. Have ran the 9ft Powerflex and standard blades on the Clack and NRS for 4years on all the rivers I guide and never one issue with them. Blades are holding up great, and the shafts are to easy to row. The Pro Max blade pushes 30% more water and I can tell the different between the 2 style of blades, they actually do push way more water. For the Eddy you want 9ft Powerflex+ shafts with Pro Max blades with the Pro Loks rowing system and never look back. Your back, shoulder, arms and body with thank you.

    If you have any questions please feel free to ask.
    Its all personal taste, wants and needs when it comes to getting a drift boat. If you can check them out, maybe take a ride in them if you can.
    Lots of great advice here. Hope it helps.
    Good Luck
    And Always Remember
    Keep Those Line Tights
    Brian W Clemens
    Nor Cal Fly Guides
    530-354-3740
    norcalflyguides@gmail.com
    www.norcalflyguides.com


    "I have many loves and Fly-Fishing is one of them; it brings peace and harmony to my being, which I can then pass on to others."
    ~ Sue Kreutzer

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Sacramento
    Posts
    73

    Default

    Thanks, Brain. I appreciate the insight. It is really helpful! I was looking at the adipose runoff as well. Looks like an awesome boat. Do you know how much a new one costs? since its a new model, I haven seen any used ones recently.

    One more question: I've been in talks with someone re: their boat and they sent me the attached pictures of the chine/bottom. Since I don't have a good reference as to what is "reasonable" wear, I want to see if anyone here had thoughts on the damage. He said it just need a new gel coating but it looks like it needs a bit more to me.

    Thanks again for all your help, everyone!
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  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Antelope
    Posts
    384

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    When it comes to chines on any glass drift boat, the worse thing you want to see is glass. Once you start seeing glass and not just chipped off gelcoat, there can be some internal issues. Over time open glass can and will absorb water and does 2 things, makes the boat heavier, and is hard to dry out and worse than that it can rot out. Once that happens the glass looses its structural integrity.

    Gelcoat is one thing, I have been adding gelcot to my boat over the years, which isnt very hard, mix it, slap it on, sand it smooth. My boat is 3 colors, grey for the bottom, then black and top color is blue. As my gelcoat wears down I have 3 layers of colors showing. First is grey which is my bottom color and main gelcoat that gets chunked off and over time wears down. The grey is the thickest gelcoat of all the three colors. The next layer is black, a bit thinner gelcoat, and lastly is blue which is really thin. After the blue gelcoat is gone, wish is very minimal amount, then the glass part of the boat shows up. This is not good, and not what you want.

    The minute glass is showing you have to fix it immediately so water doesnt penetrate the glass and cause a lot more damage and $$$. This includes sanding it down, adding epoxy resin with small amounts of glass filler/cloth/mat what ever the area requires. Use the material needed for the job and mixing in epoxy resin will make it waterproof so water doesnt penetrate the glass again. After it dries, you will need to sand it smooth and after that you will add the gelcoat (matching the color) over the recently repair glass.

    So if glass is showing, there is much more work involved. You can bring the boat back to the manufacture and most redo the bottoms from 1000-1500 bucks. But then you have to drive up to the original manufacture. Dont know if there are any places around here that offers that.

    If its just gelcoat thats an easy fix. Sand it down, mix the gelcoat, slap it one, smooth it out, let it dry. Then sand it smooth. You can make it shinny if you want, by sanding it with lighter sand paper going up to 1500 wet sand, then rubbing compound, polishing compound then wax it. Have done that a few times on my boat. But on the bottom, just slap it on and rough sand it smooth.

    Hope this helps.
    To your question about side height, here are the dimensions of the 2 boats.
    Eddy
    SPECIFICATIONS
    Gunwales 17′ 6″ Bottom Width 56″
    Centerline 15′ 11″ Side Height 19″
    Beam 78″ Weight Approx. 260
    Oar Lock Height 23″ Motor 3-6 H.P.

    Weight Forward
    SPECIFICATIONS
    Gunwales 17′ 4″” Bottom Width 57″
    Centerline 15′ 10″ Side Height 23″
    Beam 83″ Weight Approx. 285
    Oar Lock Height 25″ Motor 10 H.P.

    My first Clack was the FFB model, I liked it, and worked great when I only had one angler in the front, but once a second guy was put in the boat, that bow road very high and was hard to see around the front angler and the bow. Worked great with 1 guy in the front though. This is a safer boat due to higher sides.

    My second the Eddy, is the best of both worlds. Its based on the Low Side, but because of the wider stern it does sit slightly higher in the water. Rows way better.

    Tough choice thats for sure, especially being relatively new to rowing. I would highly recommend not doing the Yuba or the Lower Sac until you have some experience behind the oars. The swirls on the Lower Sac, and some water around the Bonneview area will flip boats if your not careful. Same thing with the Yuba, there are a few challenging spots. You may consider going with a guide first to see how the water looks and how he rows it. Then maybe doing another trip with him while you row down the river in your boat. You row yours following his tracks, and bring another buddy or 2 along and they can be in the guides boat fishing, and of course make a fishing trip out of with with you a buddy or 2 and the guide. The American and Feather will be your safest floats right now.

    Hope this helps.
    If you have any questions feel free to ask.
    And Always Remember
    Keep Those Line Tights
    Brian W Clemens
    Nor Cal Fly Guides
    530-354-3740
    norcalflyguides@gmail.com
    www.norcalflyguides.com


    "I have many loves and Fly-Fishing is one of them; it brings peace and harmony to my being, which I can then pass on to others."
    ~ Sue Kreutzer

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2021
    Location
    Dublin
    Posts
    7

    Default

    It seems to me that it is much more convenient to buy a boat with an electric motor.

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