# New Drake Nomad 2.0 - build details and initial impressions



## jsnipes (May 1, 2011)

I received the boat week after Thanksgiving and have been fishing it a good amount in TX, LA, and FL over the last couple of months. Figured I would post some build details and thoughts after actually getting to use it for a bit

Overall, I've been incredibly impressed with the boat. Without being too hyperbolic it's skinny (I always hate putting inches next to it but it's as skinny as my whipray), poles amazing (super light, rounded transom helps), fishes 3 with ease, is fast (39-40mph top end w scd prop so far), and looks damn good!

Building the boat w the Drake crew was also a great experience. Super responsive, found creative solutions, and also offered an honest opinion if something wasn't going to work. I thought I wanted a light green deck, when the awlgrip showed up he painted a sample and called me and said I don't think it's going to work and he was right.

Listed more of the details below, the couple of smaller things which I am super psyched about. The way they did the casting platform so it's flush to the deck is amazing. It stays perfectly still with the indentations and looks amazing (no ugly rubber caps!). The anodized rod hangers look great and keep a clean aesthetic. The removable battery tray is clutch and looks super clean.

Details:

Hull is matterhorn white, cap is 'blue tone white' (basically one shade lighter than awlgrip's ice blue) with matterhorn skids, cockpit and console are blue tone white; cool grey seadek w boat name under gunwales
Stainless rub rail over white rubber
Camo carbon fiber finish on the inside of all the hatches and underneath poling/casting platform
Casting platform flush to the deck with small two-tone indentations (first time Drake did this, it's on a couple of skiffs now)
Grab rail with clearance over 2 cup holders in the console
Removable 24v lithium-ion TM battery tray
F70 w jack plate and powertech scd prop
SIMRAD flush mounted w NMEA cable for all the tech readings
Random other small things: USB chargers in console, under gunwale LED lights, anodized rod hangers under gunwale, tibor push pole caddy

Will


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## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

Sweet rig man - I was just looking at this on your IG. 

I saw you were a previous Whipray owner. How do you feel these two match up?


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## new2theflats (Jul 31, 2019)

Beautiful boat, congrats. I definitely rate the Nomad way high on my sexy skiff list.


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## scissorhands (Apr 8, 2012)

georgeous!!!


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## Skram (Feb 8, 2019)

Dream boat


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## Bluwave (Nov 3, 2014)

I believe this is the same color scheme they had on the demo hull #1. Looks great!


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## Inshore_Inc. (Sep 16, 2014)

She bad


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## jsnipes (May 1, 2011)

Bluwave said:


> I believe this is the same color scheme they had on the demo hull #1. Looks great!


Similar, I think they used a darker light blue though


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## jsnipes (May 1, 2011)

coconutgroves said:


> Sweet rig man - I was just looking at this on your IG.
> 
> I saw you were a previous Whipray owner. How do you feel these two match up?


thanks man! They are both awesome boats but a bit different. Probably biggest one just being size, this is 18’ and 74” (I think from memory) and whip is 16’4” and 70”. Dimension wise it’s more comparable to a Pro. 

I don’t fish 3 often but honestly the fact it’s bigger is a noticeable difference. Moving from a tiller to a wheel is also different. Nomad is quite a bit faster and carves harder but isn’t as nimble in a creek as the tiller Whipray.

neither have sponsons so they both pole great


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## jsnipes (May 1, 2011)

Skram said:


> Dream boat


same haha! Thanks man!


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## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

jsnipes said:


>


Man, that's beautiful! Congrats! What do the strakes do right there where the hull softens up, do they turn in to stay below the waterline? Or is it some kind of transition from poling/tracking to lifting? Or just an illusion due to the curve of the hull?

I really like the boat; I haven't gotten to check out the 2.0 in person but I should be able to this year.


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## SkiffaDeeDooDah (Jan 20, 2020)

bryson said:


> Man, that's beautiful! Congrats! What do the strakes do right there where the hull softens up, do they turn in to stay below the waterline? Or is it some kind of transition from poling/tracking to lifting? Or just an illusion due to the curve of the hull?
> 
> I really like the boat; I haven't gotten to check out the 2.0 in person but I should be able to this year.


I was wondering the same thing. It is a beautiful skiff - first class all the way!


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## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

She's a beaut, Clark.









Can you pole her in a circle for us? Maybe lift her out the water at the ramp by her rub rail?


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## LtShinysides (Dec 27, 2018)

Got to be one of the sexiest micros out there.


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## dan_giddyup (Aug 17, 2018)

Crushing the annual ugly sweater contest in a stunningly beautiful skiff... 👌


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## Matts (Sep 2, 2015)

Wow. What a skiff! Congrats!


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## Surffshr (Dec 28, 2017)

Bucky’s sweater FTW


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## Bluwave (Nov 3, 2014)

jsnipes said:


> Similar, I think they used a darker light blue though


The demo skiff had blue tone white nonskid with white slicks. I only know this bc I asked when I did a wet test. I'm not knocking the color. I painted my old waterman the same color scheme.


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## omegadef (Jul 10, 2011)

Sick boat.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Very nice!


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## SkiffaDeeDooDah (Jan 20, 2020)

If I may ask - SCD3 or SCD4 prop? And, what pitch?

Thanks


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## jsnipes (May 1, 2011)

bryson said:


> Man, that's beautiful! Congrats! What do the strakes do right there where the hull softens up, do they turn in to stay below the waterline? Or is it some kind of transition from poling/tracking to lifting? Or just an illusion due to the curve of the hull?
> 
> I really like the boat; I haven't gotten to check out the 2.0 in person but I should be able to this year.


i can tell you what they physically do on the hull but i'm a liberal arts major so can't tell you how they impact the performance 

the strakes recede gradually into the hull and then disappear. so, i guess it's a transition (they don't go all the way back)


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## jsnipes (May 1, 2011)

Bluwave said:


> The demo skiff had blue tone white nonskid with white slicks. I only know this bc I asked when I did a wet test. I'm not knocking the color. I painted my old waterman the same color scheme.


damn, you right! yea rick pointed me to your instagram for inspiration actually. there's a lot of ice blue skiffs and very few blue tone white. i spent a lot of time staring at a random Conch CC on THT to see what that color looked like.


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## jsnipes (May 1, 2011)

SkiffaDeeDooDah said:


> If I may ask - SCD3 or SCD4 prop? And, what pitch?
> 
> Thanks


it's the SCD3 17P.

it was the prop Wilds' recommended for the skiff to have good hole shot and reasonable top end.


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## Rick88 (Apr 15, 2016)

Best skiff out there in its class In my opinion I’d take it over a HB pro or mangrove 18 any day of the week!


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## C Brueckner (Mar 22, 2016)

I can personally vouch for this boat being skinny skinny! Winter time Texas back marshes skinny! Every push I kept waiting to hit bottom and drag but we kept floating. Very impressive for a full size skiff with a 70 floating in little tiller boat waters. 10/10 would recommend lol.


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## RollTide1000 (Jul 27, 2020)

jsnipes said:


> damn, you right! yea rick pointed me to your instagram for inspiration actually. there's a lot of ice blue skiffs and very few blue tone white. i spent a lot of time staring at a random Conch CC on THT to see what that color looked like.


Haha this is so funny. I am having an Evo build and am considering doing the whole boat in blue tone. I’ve looked at that same Conch like a bazillion times too!!! Need more photos of the blue tone!!!


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## SkiffaDeeDooDah (Jan 20, 2020)

jsnipes said:


> it's the SCD3 17P.
> 
> it was the prop Wilds' recommended for the skiff to have good hole shot and reasonable top end.


Good to know! Thank you!


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## flyclimber (May 22, 2016)

I like that boat a lot!


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## jsnipes (May 1, 2011)

RollTide1000 said:


> Haha this is so funny. I am having an Evo build and am considering doing the whole boat in blue tone. I’ve looked at that same Conch like a bazillion times too!!! Need more photos of the blue tone!!!


just my 2c but I think a little contrast helps the blue tone stick out. Here’s a few more of the deck


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## Water Bound (Dec 12, 2018)

Beautiful man! Love that color combo


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## jackson man (Aug 13, 2020)

jsnipes said:


> I received the boat week after Thanksgiving and have been fishing it a good amount in TX, LA, and FL over the last couple of months. Figured I would post some build details and thoughts after actually getting to use it for a bit
> 
> Overall, I've been incredibly impressed with the boat. Without being too hyperbolic it's skinny (I always hate putting inches next to it but it's as skinny as my whipray), poles amazing (super light, rounded transom helps), fishes 3 with ease, is fast (39-40mph top end w scd prop so far), and looks damn good!
> 
> ...


Great build! I especially like the extra attention paid to the battery and hatch interiors!


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## JDRProductions (Apr 9, 2017)

jsnipes said:


> I received the boat week after Thanksgiving and have been fishing it a good amount in TX, LA, and FL over the last couple of months. Figured I would post some build details and thoughts after actually getting to use it for a bit
> 
> Overall, I've been incredibly impressed with the boat. Without being too hyperbolic it's skinny (I always hate putting inches next to it but it's as skinny as my whipray), poles amazing (super light, rounded transom helps), fishes 3 with ease, is fast (39-40mph top end w scd prop so far), and looks damn good!
> 
> ...


Rowdy!


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## Matts (Sep 2, 2015)

Sweet ride!


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## TheFrequentFlier (Feb 17, 2016)

What battery setup are the Drake guys using? Particularly for the crank battery.


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