[Gbollom]

Someone mentioned it before, or several people did for that matter, but there is no one size fits all boat!

You must build/buy a boat that best suits you and the waters you USUALLY fish.

IMO you would really have to have multiple boats (I think two would be enough) to have the "Best" boat for all types of water

 

[Gbollom]

For me and the waters I fish an airboat is certainly the most capable boat.

I'll be honest though I'm not a fan, AT ALL, of fan boats (that's almost a pun).

I think if I really wanted a super versatile boat beyond a blow boat, it would be a twin turbo LS powered jet boat with a closed loop cooling system and front steer capabilities as well as a troller for those times when you just really need to be stealthy lol. Ok maybe that's not the most practical I just want twin turbo LS anything

 

[kingcan]

It completely depends on what your intended use is. Let's assume bowfishing only. As for a big fan vs an airboat I'd take an airboat every time. True, airboats don't handle rough water as well, but that problem can be solved by choosing a different launch or area to fish with an upwind shoreline. Fans run out of push with a load, there's no avoiding it. I encounter the skinny water with fish in the boat more frequently than water too rough to run, so having a more stable boat that hauls more weight and keeps operating in skinny water is a no brainer. Shooting off a big fan boat, followed by an airboat has made me realize that I will never spend my money on a fan. I'd either build a kicker or shoot off the bank for a year and sell a kidney to build an airboat.

Now if you have a bowfishing/family boat, a fan might be a better option. It's hard to tube behind an airboat.

 

[garpwacker]

We do a lot of tidal water, don't shoot huge numbers and don't usually travel far from the ramp, looking at doing an 1872 -2072 big fan boat something 28-35hp with a small 9.9-15hp OB on back as way back home if have fan issue at nite, also with small motor is lower so fan can turn or blow over motor easier,even thinking or toying with dual front controls for fan and OB motor and basically fan/kicker rig run totally from front.Also looking at the cons of our 2072 with 350# four stroke on back,(3) 31 series batteries for troller and "trading" for 115# small outboard and about same for fan and no batteries and troller issue motor,have shaft issue now. Also toying with possible jet boat fan idea ..... Good thread WWR

 

[whiteriverrambo]

bowfishing only dedicated boat as always. I shoot the skinny mud flats in the local lakes in the spring, bigheads in the summer and run the shallow rivers in the fall. throughout the year I encounter a lot of different water and i want to feel capable in all of it.

 

[Payphone Jones]

:drunk:It takes more than one boat. I don't think I could get 30 minutes out of a fan boat, but I'm notoriously hard on equipment. The river was @ 20 ft. last week. No way I'm doing that on a little boat, but the flood waters are where the action is. Only "logical" solution is to put the 1436 IN the 2172, strap it in, throw in a chainsaw, and head for the river.

 

[Istickem]

Awesome thread, I appreciate the tinker math greatly. I am sure if I posted the plans I've been working on for last couple years it get ripped apart.
Wish I had the time to do it, never seen a 1680, with some crazy custom LED built in.

 

[garpwacker]

Crazy idea..... If take the boat and sit it on level ground and fill it with water and measure how much water it takes to fill the boat to how deep (measured on inside) and then calculate the weight of the water would give you the total figures after build though. And could tell how much or deeper it will draft as add weight and of course have to figure hull weight into the mix as well as everything added into it. So be able to tell 3,000 # will draft 12" and 2,500# draft 10" maybe.Especially hard to figure displacement with front take and flare at sides to the gunnels. .....just my ******* reverse engineering

 

[water snake 2]

pipes on each side if 12 inch or more goes a long way to make it sink proof.

 

[whiteriverrambo]

I need a vote, ive been considering trading in my f60 for a f90
all my cards on the table- I owe 4000 on 2013 f60 with 70hrs on it. my dealer just give me a 5000 out the door price on a new f90 for a trade in. id be taking a lone for 9000 and msrp on a f90 is $10,300.
if I look at the bottom line it will work out OK. however if I do this I can kiss my dreams of a new hull goodbye for 3+ years. but even if I sale my current hull in a year or so a f90 will push a good size hull and sip the fuel. help me decide.

 

[Payphone Jones]

Dave Ramsey would slap you, but he doesn't bowfish, so he really doesn't understand. How big is your next hull going to be? F115 is just a little more, and HP on a bigger hull ain't a bad thing. What could you get out of your complete rig? New motor and build a hull from the ground up? I'm going through all the same thoughts right now. I haven't slept in weeks.

 

[froghunter]

rambo you already have put way too much thought into a new build. coming from a guy that MUST build things to be content, i couldnt skip the build. i understand the desire to create something from nothing and the feeling you get when its done and useable. you have a fully rigged bad arse boat, dont keep putting money into when your heart is already set on another rig. you have the shop, tools and skill and most importantly the drive.

keep what you got, build your new hull, then sell your current rig to fund a new motor.

thats my vote.

 

[whiteriverrambo]

Crazy idea..... If take the boat and sit it on level ground and fill it with water and measure how much water it takes to fill the boat to how deep (measured on inside) and then calculate the weight of the water would give you the total figures after build though. And could tell how much or deeper it will draft as add weight and of course have to figure hull weight into the mix as well as everything added into it. So be able to tell 3,000 # will draft 12" and 2,500# draft 10" maybe.Especially hard to figure displacement with front take and flare at sides to the gunnels. .....just my ******* reverse engineering

that's not really how it works Garp. I was figuring displacement @8". if I do a second figure @10" it will give us the rate of sink; or loss of draft with weight gains. so lets do one............
as my figure above a 1672/.125 hull weighs 606lbs. and will take 3045 lbs to sink it to 8" deep and displace 48.8 cubic ft.

now lets do the figures for 10". so 10" of hull displaces 62.12cubic ft. and will take 3876lbs to push down 10"


----------------------------------------------------------------10" deep-----------------------3876lbs


---------------------------------------------------------------8" deep-------------------3045lbs

 

[garpwacker]

X2 on going the 115 if gonna do a repower,your gonna add about 120# on transom over your 60hp and the 115 is only about 10# more than the 90. If was going to the expense and weight to do it I would swap to the 115 if you can

The F115 is 376#

The F90 366#

Your 60hp was about 245#

 

[Payphone Jones]

I was thinking about a trip to Pierce next week.......if it helps.

 

[whiteriverrambo]

even the same 1672 @ 6" will take 2227lbs. and displaces 35.69 cubic ft


there really isn't a true rate of sink as its based on the rate of volume being displaced.

 

[whiteriverrambo]

thanks guys. yea if I do this im gonna do it "kajun" style and spend the month of march behind a welding helmet. worst part is to create funds ill have to sale my current boat to afford a new welder and $4000 of metal. im dreaming, and im scared to death all at the same time.

 

[CPrice]

Rambo, I don't know what you do for a living but I know you would be one heck of a engineer! I tip my hat to ya bro

 

[water snake 2]

yep!! do it we only get one trip time to to do while the idea is burning,

 

[whiteriverrambo]

Rambo, I don't know what you do for a living but I know you would be one heck of a engineer! I tip my hat to ya bro

I thank you for the compliment. I am a heavy equipment operator at USGypsum. I work alone and have a area im responsible for. it leaves me a lot of time to contemplate stuff like this along with help from my wife who teaches high school math. so getting help with my trig and geometry isn't far away. Im a thinker and love to tinker, its a illness.