Description
For generations, McKenzie River guides built their own boats—craft shaped not only by design, but by the hands, judgment, and river knowledge of the person who rowed them. That tradition has largely faded.
This workshop is an opportunity to help bring it back.
Led by master boatbuilder Jayson Hayes of Hayes Custom Boats, participants will work side-by-side to build two classic 16½’ x 50″ McKenzie Guide Boats from the ground up. Whether you are a working guide, aspiring guide, or simply someone drawn to the heritage of wooden boats, this immersive ten-day experience will deepen your understanding of both boatbuilding and river craft.
What You Will Build
Participants will take part in every stage of construction, including:
- Cutting scarf joints
- Lofting and forming frames
- Shaping the stem post and forming the transom
- Building and assembling the hull
- Building and installing interior components
- Discussing finishes, maintenance, and care
More Than a Boatbuilding Class
This workshop is about more than building a drift boat. It is about a tradition where a builder knows every line and joint of the boat beneath them, where craftsmanship directly influences performance and confidence on the water, and where building a boat creates a connection that ownership alone never can.
By building these boats, you will have the knowledge to build your own, and may carry forward a lineage of innovation, self-reliance, and stewardship that shaped the McKenzie River guiding tradition.
Workshop Details
- Dates: Evening of November 30 – December 10, 2026
- Location: Shelly and Roy Pruitt ranch, (a.k.a. "Campfire"), Vida, Oregon
- Instructor: Jayson Hayes, Hayes Custom Boats
- Experience Level: Beginner
- Activity Level: Moderate to Intense
- Lunches provided during daily workdays
Tuition and Payment
- Pay in Full: $1,500
- Deposit: $850, with the $650 balance due no later than October 10, 2026
Cancellation Policy
- Full refund for cancellations received on or before October 10, 2026
- Cancellations after October 10 are non-refundable unless the cancelled spot is refilled
- Registrants may wish to consider trip insurance
- If circumstances beyond anyone’s control require cancellation of the workshop, all registrants will receive a full refund
Lodging
Participants are responsible for their own lodging. A list of recommended accommodations will be provided in your confirmation email, including options for camping or residing at the workshop site, nearby campgrounds, and local cabins and lodges.
Inquiries
Email workshop coordinator Roger Fletcher at riverstouch@msn.com with Guide Boat in the subject line.
With Gratitude
Two Oregon river guides have generously stepped forward to cover the cost of materials for these boats. They will each receive one of the two boats on completion of the workshop.