"A boat so well designed and constructed doesn't come cheap. Prices range from roughly $1,500 for a basic model to upwards of $3,000 for one that includes all imaginable amenities for the pampered angler. Maintenance on the metal or glass boats is minimal, though, and your drift boat should be river worthy long after your casting arm gives out." Page Dabney on drift boats from March 1988. ($1,500 for a new drift boat? We wish).