Skinny bay

[REELTIME]

Hello guys. Im new here and have been kicking around the idea of buying a seaark or g3,, I have a place on the coast and the bay is very shallow at low tide. I have a carolina skiff 238 dlv down there but i have to wait on the tide going and coming . I see alot of seaarks and g3's but not any jetdrives. I have talked to one guy that loves his but said he does have a problem at times with seaweed but not often. At low tide there is about 6 inches at the ramp mostly sand and mud. After 100 yrds or so it gets better. Dealer's want to steer me away from the idea . I been looking at the tunnel hulls and the location with the intake ,, looks like it should push me through there . Also they say there is not a neutral ,, is that ever a problem ?? Any advice would be appreciated.. One more thing,, seaark dealer said he could build me the perfect boat (prop) but that just looks like i would be in the same shape i am now with the prop kicking up mud..

 

[Ranchero50]

Sounds like the local dealers don't know what they are talking about... Neutral there is, the shift gate is half forward, half reverse. I'm not sure if you would be able to displace through 6" of mud and sand. Usually these boats need to be on plane to run that skinny...

Jamie

 

[gotmuddy]

the mud and sand will eat up the inside of the jet. I think there is a good reason coastal fishermen run tunnel hulls and props.

 

[fender66]

Plus....if you get seaweed stuck in the tunnel hull....it's not easy to clear. On an outboard, it's much easier to reach if you have to clear.

Already said, but worth a repeat. To run that skinny, you generally have to be on plane. Unless you are very sure there's nothing to hit....I won't run that fast in the skinny.

 

[Flat Bottom]

Would a mud motor work in a situation like that? or have i been watching too much swamp people?

 

[richg99]

The comments below are just my opinion, and may not be shared by others...no surprise there...

I've owned both tunnels (2) and flat bottom boats ( many ).

Same size for same size....Tunnels RUN shallow...Flat bottom boats, like your CS, FLOAT shallow.

Most of my locations are one or two feet deep and I'd rather putt- putt into the area...and drift fish...than fly in on plane...and then ground out when I got there. Getting back UP with a tunnel was harder than with my flat bottom CS's. Flying in, on plane, was easier with the tunnel...

IMHO....There is more bottom (flotation) surface, in equal sized boats, with a flat bottom. Some tunnel boats are designed with added sponsons to increase the bottom area. That is a good choice and probably a good solution to the issue of flotation loss due to a cut out for tunnel.

Flat bottom; hydraulic jack plate; Smart Tabs to get me back up on plane..; hydraulic tilt and trim; Lightweight peppy 2 cycle outboard motor; stainless steel prop...would be my choice.

If i chose a tunnel, then I'd want the added sponsons. regards, Rich

p.s. I know NOTHING about jet drives. I suspect the many hidden oyster reefs around here would cause them to grind to a halt pretty quickly, though. No one uses them around here (South Texas flats) that I know of. Supposed to be great in rivers with rocks. No such thing here.

 

[Lil' Blue Rude]

If your needin to run some shallow water a outboard jet is great. They can run 3 inches of water once on plane ( and shallower if your not affraid to bump a little). The worse problem with running them in weeds is you might stop up your pee tube. most times if you get some weeds on the bottom of your jet you can turn the motor of trim it up and have no problem removing them. Jets can take off in three feet of water without sucking rocks. When your in shallow stuff and your not on plane you can just trim it up to where the shoe is barley in the water to idle your shelf to where you need to get. If you have your boat set up right you can be planed out in 2-3 boat lenghts. They are pretty low mantainence, give it a pump of grease after you run it for the day and check the impeller and liner from time to time. Most people that haven't run a pump don't have anything good to say about them because of things they've heard but they don't really know how a jet does. I've been running a jet my whole life and I love them. Just telling you what I know about them and my opinion.