Running a boat in 12" of water?

[SpecFisher]

So this may be a pretty dumb question but how can some people run their flat boats fast and safely in 12" of water like they say they do? Only asking because I have a 1232 jonboat with a 6hp Tohatsu and I took my boat to the wekiva river the other day. Water level was pretty low and I got to a section that had less than 24" of water but more than 12". Even with my motor on the shallow water position the bottom of the lower unit was still digging into the sand/mud. I turned around and got out of there before I would nick the propeller on the rocks and gravel on that river. But how do bigger boats than mine run in these shallow waters at pretty fast speeds without the bottom of the lower unit dragging through the bottom?

 

[DrNip]

Jet motors.

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

If your going to be in shallow water a lot get a Macs River Runner prop protector.

 

[SpecFisher]

lckstckn2smknbrls » 23 Mar 2014, 21:47[/url]"]If your going to be in shallow water a lot get a Macs River Runner prop protector.

Yes I decided to avoid very shallow water until I get one of these. I should consider myself lucky I didn't hit any stumps or large rocks.

 

[SpecFisher]

Would installing a manual jack plate to raise the outboard A few inches be worth it for this little boat?

 

[TNtroller]

Can try and install a "riser plate" which will raise the motor up however high you build the riser plate. Lots of FG skiff or microskiff owners use the riser plates to raise the cav plate up to the drain hole or higher, depending on how you build the riser plate. Some skiff owners use jackplates as well, so it depends on how much $$ you want to spend on your rig to run skinny.

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

I installed a Mini-Jacker b/c my short shaft motor is a longer than my short shaft transom. The 4" set back of the mini-jacker let me raise the motor even higher than the cav plate even with the bottom of the hull. I'm running a 25hp motor I don't know how much it will matter with a 6hp motor.

 

[SpecFisher]

Thanks for the advice guys. I don't even care about the increased power if there is any at all. I just want to raise that motor as a precaution in case I'm ever in skinny water.

 

[BigTerp]

Before I got my jet motor, I ran my 1648 with a 1964 Johnson 5hp. My Dad had welded on a homemade prop guard years ago. Kind of looked like a pitch fork. It worked great!! When in shallow water/riffles I would just idle thru and let the prop guard bounce off the rocks. Was extremely slow, but worked just fine. But now that I have my jet installed I can go full throttle through 4-5" of water

 

[dhoganjr]

No prop to worry about.

 

[jonboatboy]

I learned from guys in my area that if you get the boat up on pad or plain (whatever you prefer to call it) your able to run in shallower water. It's scary running it like that but it gets the boat up out of the water and only the cavitation plate and below is in the water. I don't think it's a good idea in 2 foot of water but I do it in 3 or more running the channels in the creeks at my lake. My buddy's runs 50mph through it in his z8 with a 250hp merc. Scares me to death!

 

[thill]

Yes, but don't slow down!

 

[vahunter]

Theres a few things you can do but im not sure most of them are worth it on that size hull. Safest and cheapest thing is to push pole through it. Jackplate will help with running in shallow water but as Thill mentioned dont slow down but even if you know that stretch of water well it can still be dangerous. Float pods setup for shallow water planing (fast hole shot) can help but again may not be worth it to you. Personally Id raise the motor up if possible with or without Jackplate, prop guard is never a bad idea for the shallow rivers, spare prop, wear life jackets, minimize extra weight and push pole through the shallow stuff. IMO thats the safest and cheapest I can think of to help in shallow water. Wider hulls will draft less. With motor in shallow setting only helps when idling or just above idle. It will actually dig the back of the boat deeper with more throttle.