Video · Kayak Reviews
East Cape Skanu and Drift: Lightweight Carbon Boats at ICAST
I got an early look at two carbon fiber boats from East Cape at ICAST 2024: the 49 lb Skanu micro skiff and the new Drift boat.
What’s in this video
Before ICAST 2024 even opened, I caught up with Kevin from East Cape to look at two boats that blew my mind. First up is the Skanu. While a lot of companies are building rotomolded jon boats, East Cape went the other way. This is a technical micro poling skiff for up to two anglers, vacuum infused and built like their bigger skiffs, with a rub rail, molded in rod holders and deep bench seats you can stand on.
The big deal is weight. It’s about 49 lb. It’s 12 ft 8 in long and 41 in wide, with a flattened top so you can slide it upside down into a truck bed or onto your roof racks. They left the carbon exposed to save weight, but you can order it in a color. The price was $7,000 at the time of the video. Kevin sees it as a pond hopper, or something to carry along on a bigger boat to get into little creeks and bedding bass spots.
Then Denny showed me the Drift, a drift boat they spent three years on, with a prototype being rowed by fly shop guides for the last year. It’s about 300 lb fully rigged, with a built in spray rail, a slick bottom, a multiplier anchor system and floating rod holders. You can swap the seat for a guide box, a cooler or a casting platform for sight fishing. Retail was $20,500 at the time.
Quick takeaways
- The Skanu weighs about 49 lb and measures 12 ft 8 in by 41 in, with a flat top so it slides into a truck bed or onto roof racks upside down.
- The Drift weighs about 300 lb fully rigged, and the seat can be swapped for a guide box, a cooler or a sight fishing platform.
- Prices at the time of the video: $7,000 for the Skanu and $20,500 for the Drift.
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