I'm getting started on this thing.......again. In my quest to build the ultimate bowfishing boat, I've come up with some pretty crazy ideas. Because of how I'm building it, I can go with any shape and any size. I dont' want an airboat, just a fan. So to get by with the fan, I want this thing to draft only a few inches. Which is very doable with what I have in mind, however,it needs torip across the lake at 50 mph.Hence the350 Chevy and OMC outdrive sittingin my garage. So I've done some research and my motor and outdrive should weigh about 150 pounds more than a 150hp outboard. I know that's a lot of weight on the back of the boat but, this thing is 22'long and has a full 8' bottom. To legally go down the road, the sides will have to be 90 degrees to the bottom so my beam is 8' also. Since it's light (I'm hoping for about 750lbs without motor)it will probably plane on just the back few feet of the bottom. I'm hoping because of this there won't be much spray. I can build in some deflector rails in case. Should be a pretty rough ride in any kind of chop though. Do you guys think the 90 degree sides will cause any problems? Do you notice this on your Rettey Kendall?
Another idea I've been tossing around is howdeep to make this thing. Originally I was going very tall like 30 inches or more. Now I'm thinking only 16". It will basically be a deck boat. The whole interior will be storage with sealed compartment hatches flush with the deck, one big airtight bobber. If a wave goes over, I shouldn't have been out there to begin with,but will just drain over the sides. Of course there will be a deck on front, but I like being closer to the water to reach things, especially if the deck is flush with the topsides.
I've noticed most people, especially on the good ol' web, are quick to argue against anything that isn't the "norm". Nothing about this boat will be normal and I like it that way. I'm wanting to prove something different will work.
Mark, be careful here, 16" sides and if you draft at only 8", which isn't much, seems like three guys, a fan, a generator, gas and a barrel full of bigheads and you could be doing a Davy's Locker kind of thing real easy. But I say go for the unique, just error to side of safety.
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Member of the Illinois Bowfishers
Like Christine said, 50mph would be scary. Something about that flat deck...
Bowfishing needs a displacement hull to get the least draft possible. This is what you've described. The problem is that then we want it to turn into a planing hull to move at speed. This is where your design runs into trouble. The 90 degree sides cause turbulance that eats HP and robs speed. Also I'm guessing that it would have a flat front. That would give the most carrying capacity and the roughest ride.
I know what you mean about "the norm". When I was thinking about making a Bowfishing pontoon, I heard about how it wouldn't work and I wouldn't like it.
Good luck and like the Robster said, keep it safe.
I was able to do some math and found out some cool things. I found the ratio for water displacement is 62.3lbs/ft cubed. So with that I was able to calculate if this boat weighed a porky 2000lbs, it would draft only 2.6 inches. If I added another 1000lbs, it will draft only 4 inches. And this was witout figuring in float pods. And it will take approx. 9,950lbs to put water over the sides. That's a lot of fish! This is the whole idea behind this boat, I don't want an airboat, so I need as little draft as possible. I'm definately worried about the ride. Basicallyit is a displacement hull, but weight/HPissuch that planing of course will be easy. It's probablygoing to be a wickedrough ride in any choppy water. I'd have to be careful not to bust the thing in half. And I doubt I'll be able to turn well at any kind of speed.It will slide sideways terribly and I'll be worried about catching an edge and flipping it. Butthefastestdrag boats out there ride on a completely flat bottom. Ifit'scalm water, hang on!
was wonderinghow the IndyBoys boat rode and what kind of speeds they got. How does it handle chop? Luke, Alex?
You can put a tunnel hull into the bottom that will help you run the stern drive a little more shallow. It would also help turning at speed.
"it will take approx. 9,950lbs to put water over the sides."
Whoa! That's a bunch. According to the manufacturing info, the CIRFCU should float > 6,000 lbs but we are constantly rearranging weight, especially the shooters, to keep it level.
Yeah, remember, it's 9000lbs to put your boat underwater, not water over the edge. The CIRFCU has that 6000+lb rating but it only takes about 600lbson the front edgeand less on acorner to dip the deck underwater. Also, it will dip under when busting through wakes and waves. If your boat really is airtight that shouldn't be a problem, but you might want to take it easy 'till you know for sure that it won't take on water.
Wanted to pick your brain a little.
