I'd like to hear opinions on everyone that owns or has owned a Lavro drift boat. One thing I've found is that their claimed weights of the boats themselves are not accurate (the boats are much heavier that claimed)
thanks in advance

Love mine, had it 19 years and would buy another if I could.

Cut my teeth on a 1972 18' Lavro with a motor well inside.Back in the day it was fine.I've never rowed a newer lavro.I preferre to row my willie these day's.The ole blue lavro still sits in a field in maple valley lookin for some love.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

Love the Lavro's. I've had the pleasure of having two of them and enjoyed them thoroughly. They slide easily over the shallowest drifts, don't stick to rocks and aren't cold like aluminium boats. Some day I might even buy a third one!

Send a pm to:
CraigO
Skysteelheader
Beezer
All three row them and like them.
Only reason I say pm is I don't think any of them read the board every day and they might miss this....or they may not. All are good dudes and I'm sure would be happy to talk with you about their Lavros.

Lavro's are almost as cool as Clackacrafts...almost.

There are lots of 20 to 25 year old Lavro boats still on the water. What does that tell you? They are built to last.

Grew up fishing in an old lavro and although the Willie sees more water these days the lavro certainly has its place.

Where do you think Clackacraft stole their designs from Ryley?

My dad bought a lavro in 1974 and I float 15 or 20 times a year in it. Really light and easy to row, but a trip down the solduc could kill it.

The Sol Duc could kill any boat with one nmissed stroke or wrong turn. Lavro makes the best fiberglass drift boat .
Clackacraft have gotten better they copied Lavros design .When Clackacraft first came out they had the nickname Crackercraft.

So what part of the Lavro design did Clackacraft copy?

I'm assuming they float pretty good?

If Clackacraft copied the Lavro design, those similarities are long gone. Lavro doesn't appear to have updated their boats in a long time while Clacka has made significant changes. Still, if I was in the market for a drifter I wouldn't pass up a deal on a Lavro.

I love mine and the Sol Duc didn't do a thing to it. I supect it will be the only db I'll ever own. Ron is semi-retired now but I bet you can still get one built to suit you.

My Lavro has seen at least a 100 trips down the solduc. Not a big deal, as a matter of fact the "sliding off the rocks thingy" has saved my arse on the duc a number of times, I don't know what I would have done in a aluminum boat in that situation. I would say that the fiberglass is a little more forgiving when you make a mistake and end up on a rock.
Mine was built in 1978, still going strong.

Oh...and pooreel....so what if the boat is heavier then advertised? Ron, the boat builder, never skimps on materials and that is why so many of his boats, including the old Eastsiders that he built with his brother, are still around. You wouldn't want to go down a river with "egg shell" chines like a Clack woud ya?

(sorry Ryley for the slow retort....some of us work for a living)

Beezer

Lavro isn't the only driftboat I will ever own, in 1969 I built a wooden driftboat that I used for a couple of years. It was heavy and strong and hard to maneuver. When I saw the Lavro boats I bought one, serial number 004, a 14 foot boat with no rear deck. I think it was 1971 or 72, Ron was making them in the attached garage of his house and I think that was only the second one he had sold. The lifetime bottom guarantee and light weight was what sold me. I used it on most of the rivers in Western Washington and for a few years on the rivers around Corvallis Oregon. In 1979 I had some interest in multi day whitewater trips so I bought a 16 foot Lavro and gave the 14 footer to a friend in P.A. It has been on all of the steelhead rivers in Western Washington over the years and the Deschutes and Owyhee in Oregon. It has been on a lot of rocks and bumped a few logs, the bottom looks like it was cleaned with a chainsaw, but it doesn't leak. I always think I might get to use that lifetime guarantee but I might not outlast the boat. It has always been stored outside, the weather hasn't improved it's appearance but it still is a good functional boat. I know at least one person who took their 16 foot Lavro through the Grand Canyon, there are probably more, so they can handle big water as well as skinny rivers.

Here is a video from Lavro. http://www.lavroboats.com/video.htm

Northwest drift boats.

After they bought his molds, Clackacrap became a decent boat.