Barrel Raft Boys

source for barrel rafting – rafts, adventures, lifestyle

Barrel Raft

Homemade 55 gallon drum wooden raft.
Solar: $1200
Motor: $750
Lumber: $800
Supplies: $600
Total Cost: $3350

Launch

This entry was posted in Barrel Raft Launch and tagged it floats! launch test run on July 14, 2014

Barrel Raft Construction – Shelter

This entry was posted in Barrel Raft Build Design and tagged raft shelter on July 10, 2014

Instructions on how to deck the surface of a homemade barrel raft. Items Needed Quantity 2″x6″x12′ Pine Deck Boards 44 3 1/2″ Exterior Deck Screws 10 lbs (2 boxes) 1/8″ Drill Bit 1 Heavy Duty Drill 1 Hammer 1 Circular Saw 1 For surfacing the raft, 2″x6″x12′ pine deck boards were used. To cover the 21’x10′ […]

Barrel Raft Construction – Decking

This entry was posted in Barrel Raft Build and tagged building construction decking on July 1, 2014

Instructions on how to frame a homemade barrel raft: 2- 10″ Carriage bolts through corners of exterior frame (2×8’s) We decided to build our raft in 2 sections instead of special ordering 24′ long boards. You can see in the picture below that we spaced out the support braces (2×6’s) to compartmentalize each barrel individually. Notched […]

Barrel Raft Construction – Framing

This entry was posted in Barrel Raft Build on July 1, 2014

Instructions on how to gather the appropriate barrels and seal them. Search Craigslist for the nearest person offing barrels at a cheap rate. We found these from a greenhouse for $5 a barrel. Before purchasing, make sure you have all the necessary caps with proper threads. On these barrels, one cap had thick threads […]

Barrel Raft Construction – Barrels

This entry was posted in Barrel Raft Build and tagged barrels preparation silicone on June 30, 2014

6 mechanisms to naturally propel our raft Bicycle-driven water paddle Bicycle-driven propellor Oars or Paddles to row Hydrofoil is an underwater current catcher, it could be static or removable Wind Sail option on days water sail (pull) and water anchor (keep craft steady pointing down stream)

Possible Mechanisms to Naturally Propel a Barrel Raft

This entry was posted in Barrel Raft Design Research on June 30, 2014

Solar Energy

This entry was posted in Research Survival and tagged donate research solar technology on March 8, 2014

We need to compile a list of items needed to help us survive as float the estimated 60 days on a river. Survival can be broken down into three basic parts: food, shelter, protection. Food and Water Keeping food cold is out the question as we have no way to produce ice. A cooking […]

Research Needed on Float Survival Gear

This entry was posted in Barrel Raft Boredom Food Research Survival Temperature Water Weather and tagged gear survival on February 26, 2014

This design utilizes a “pontoon style” assembly of the barrels which is the most efficient way to maximize floatation and minimize drag. To offset the weight of our shelter, we would fill the barrels on the opposite end with water. Since each barrel has a maximum buoyancy of ~450lbs. and a 20ft raft would […]

Barrel Raft Design Round 3

This entry was posted in Barrel Raft Design Research on December 1, 2013

Barrel Raft – Second Draft

This entry was posted in Barrel Raft Design Survival on November 13, 2013

We are considering launching from the St. Croix River on the 4th of July, just north of Stillwater, MN.

Launch Point – Scheduled July 4th, 2014

This entry was posted in Join Us Launch Minnesota Mississippi Journey Wisconsin on November 11, 2013

After some internet research, I decided to sketch out my idea for the barrel raft. I was reading about flow dynamics and hydrodynamics to see which principles we should include to maximize our flow rate. Flat stern is our powerhouse of motion, we need to maximize the flat surface area increasing the amount of push. Pointed […]

Barrel Raft – Draft

This entry was posted in Barrel Raft Design Research on November 8, 2013