We can fix this all! I will build my boat and next year we will find out! My boat and Calebs! High performance against the yard dog in a course of some kind. We can run time laps on dry, wet, mud, sand,weeds, and a cone course! Lmao

 

I have a 20x8 sd with a stock weak as water vortec 350. With just me no extra weight it will run on wet grass, wet mud, slick surfaces with no water and little trouble as long as i dont stop and sand is no where in sight!! It has surprised me and many others. Deep water it planes out pretty easy and tops out around 30mph at 4200rpm im guessing i havent varified that. Im not very experienced in the airboat world either but i think that says alot.

 

U know wat was in it originally tenntom?

 

I'm with Caleb but can understand the two sides. I LOVE my 20' boat. I've driven a few 18's and 16' boats and for bowfishing a 20' is perfect for me. Even with a stock 454 it would be my choice. To me they ride so much smoother and I can have mine on plane and cruising at 2100-2200 rpms an that's a blessing. The 16's I drove were up over 3k to stay on pad. But as far as dry ground mine will run dry with no issues but with a stock 454 there's no way it would budge on dry ground so I see where you have to weigh that as well

 

It is original motor to my knowledge. Has around 330 hrs.

 

Cool. I'd say it's been a good 1 then.I wouldnt expect a 350 to last very long on that size boat. When u gettin that new 1?

 

Next thursday! Im ready to try it out. It may not run dry well but i know it will be better than what i have.

 

What you getting tenntom?

 

Its a 468 nothing to fancy oval port heads roller rockers holley 750

 

That's what I run a 468 fuel injected I like it. But have a 540 going in pretty soon

 

I can see what everyone is saying. Another thing to factor in is the width. Plus I'm not sure that the 12" is going to make that much of a difference between 17-18'. I know forsure I don't want a 20' boat so that's out of the question. I'm only going off what I know with Jon boats and the little I have been on Airboats. I know my boat is a beast but it has to do with it being so little. If I keep it a good size boat then I can stay with a stock 454 prolly get better performance with a wide and little longer boat than what I have with the 14' I have now.

 

Hollywood, i used to think the same way but after we have been using zeaks boat I'm starting to really like the big boats for fishing. we had something like 8 guys and 420 fish (just about all 8-10lb carp) the other night and were still fishing just as shallow at the end of the night as the beginning. and i truly believe with a running start his boat can make it ...well you know where. The only thing i haven't seen brought up is trailering the boat, I'm starting to think that the truck needs a bigger motor than the boat.

 

o and 36 inch sides are great unless your a midget and fall out of the boat getting back in can be a pita!!!

 

Lol! Didn't think about the deep side thing! Can you see over Zachs sides if your in the bottom?

 

lol! he can get back in when he falls out thou

 

FYI my next boat will be 84 inch bottom!!

 

Oh man you screwed! If you fall in the water you can't get in if you fall in the bottom of the boat you can't get out!!! Lmbo!

 

no i can get back in, i just hold my bow over my head and someone pulls me up, i will say a smaller boat is a lot easier to push back to the ramp just ask joe

 

Uh oh! What happen?

 

Idk i was shooting fish but everyone else was concerned with the motor going clank clank clank.....

 

why was the motor going clank clank clank?

 

Haha no idea i don't pretend to be a gear head, something to do with the push rods i think, alls i know is it seemed to be a pretty inexpensive fix as far as airboats go. i told joe it would probably work itself out but he wasn't chancing it, he hopped in the water and pushed the boat about a 1/2 mile back.

 

im confused, im no blow boat guy but why wont a 454 push a 20ftr? and i would think when comparing the same motor size and weight :the biggest boat would be the best because it has the better footprint vs. weight. just like a offroad rig the best H.P. to weight ratio is the best. so lets say a 16' weights 600lbs and a 20' weights 750lbs.lets say they are both 7'wide. that would make the 16= 112sqft (5.357psf)and the 20= 140sqft(5.357psf). the difference is when you add the motor 600lbs. 16' is now 1200lbs witch is now 10.71 lbs per sq ft. and the 20 shines at 1350 its 9.64lbs psf. but add the b4 mentioned 2000lb of fish and things change dramaticaly 16' is 28.57 and the 20 is at 23.92 lbs per sq ft. wich makes the 20ft 16.27% lighter per sq ft.
like i said b4 im no blow boat guy but i would imagine this formula for comparing weigth ratios would work. maybe im nuts.

 

If u wer talkin bout a truck footprint in mud ud be right. Think about it like is if u had something heavy with a small footprint it'd be way easier to drag than something of equal weight with a much bigger footprint bc Thers more "drag"

 

Im not talkin bout in water in just talkin bout dry ground or real shollw sand or something. Hull design is the biggest thing. Prolly more than the motor as far as dry running. The spoon hulls don't have as much ground contact so it's easier to move which refers to wat I said in the last post about there's less footprint. Whether it b from hull design or size.... I'm just talking about physical size. I may be COMPLETLY WRONG, which isn't uncommon! But to me equally powered boats, 1 is 20ft the other 16ft with same style hulls, it just seems that the lil boat would do better either on dry or sticky a bottom right?? Or am I just missing something?

 

Send it in to myth busters...lol!

 

How do i put this...Like if u were to drag a boat across concrete I would think the smaller one would be easier to pull...but if u were dragging a boat across softer surface the one with better weight distribution would be easier to drag. Like bulldozer with skinny tracks sinks in soft stuff but the wide track models walk right over it...I don't know, I'm confused now...I'm going to bed...lol...

 

Haha need to! But I'll let it go an say I'm wrong. It's like joe dirts dad said bout posi trac rearend in a Plymouth" it just does".....just thought of something, I'm takin the boat down to mobile bay this weekend Caleb should bring his an we can have a showdown. Both r silver dollar "style" flat bottoms exact same motors I think the only difference is our exhausts. Same reductions diff props. He's got 20x8 I got 17.5x6.5(bottom)