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Post by mustelameister on Nov 30, 2011 14:30:25 GMT -6
Yuppers, left the "custom fit" bleach bottles at home. Didn't think there was enough ice in the boat landing bay yet to have a problem. Broke out enough ice I thought to launch. . .   |
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Post by Scott W. on Nov 30, 2011 15:22:27 GMT -6
I just learned something!
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Post by Rally Hess on Nov 30, 2011 23:06:30 GMT -6
Been there, done that. I've broken so many tail lights I've considered buying stock in them. LOL Popple are tough on them also!!
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Post by mr. finch on Dec 1, 2011 0:40:52 GMT -6
how well does a motor like that do in a sandy type river ?
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Post by mustelameister on Dec 1, 2011 5:17:01 GMT -6
Rally, maybe it's time to run those lights up the guides and get 'em out of the water, eh? Mr. Finch. Good motor for a sandy river. However, you need to keep that prop up out of the sand as best as you can. Even though it's stainless steel, that sand will "melt" the prop if you're careless. With the 35 horse Vangaard on this 16' V-bow, I can do about 27 mph on the river. The motor will "tell you" when you're approaching a shallow area. That and you'll see the sand flat come up. As you get into shallower water, the motor, and boat, will begin to shift their angles. The prop will want to run lower, therefore, the handle comes up into your hand. To counter this, I throttle down a bit, then push the handle down 'till I see the prop come halfway out of the water. You'll slow down some, but you can still maintain planing speed. We're talking maybe a foot and a half of water or just a little less. Anything less than that and you've got to reduce speed 'till the boat settles back in and you can putt putt your way over it. And if that doesn't work, it's time to get out and walk. This boat doesn't draw much water. Nice thing about sand rivers, when you get out to walk the boat, the bottom is usually hard enough it's easy walking. Many times as you're flying up/down the river you're riding one sand flat after another. The lips of these are usually the shallowest and can be seen from either upstream or downstream. Just before you get into the lip you can quickly throttle down, push down hard on the handle to lift the prop up out of the water, and scoot over the shallow spot. This is why I prefer the longtail over the surface drive. Surface drives are quicker, but you can't play with the prop like this. The surface drive does adjust vertically on the transom, but when you're running the river and you encounter these shallows, you wouldn't want to stop and adjust. Just push down and coast over 'em. There's a fella in town who has a jet motor on a large jon boat, and he's up and down the river long before I am. Duck and deer hunter, no trapper. It might be a consideration, but I don't worry about intake water freezing and/or getting sand into an impeller. The Go Devil is a work horse and I continue to run 'em now for 25 years. A typical stretch of this river. Yup, it's sandy.  |
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Post by mr. finch on Dec 1, 2011 7:49:09 GMT -6
ok i have been told the props get ate up in sand i have often considered getting a motor like this for myself but the kansas river is very shallow this time of year and is mostly sand bottomed can you still move in shallows with that motor ?or does it mean you have to walk when it looks like that bottom pic?
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Post by niteprowler on Dec 1, 2011 8:04:37 GMT -6
That prop looks nice and brand new.Is it a new motor or just new prop?
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beetle
Tenderfoot...
Posts: 14
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Post by beetle on Dec 1, 2011 10:04:12 GMT -6
Yuppers, left the "custom fit" bleach bottles at home. Didn't think there was enough ice in the boat landing bay yet to have a problem. Broke out enough ice I thought to launch. . For those of us that are a little slow(maybe I'm the only one) how are those bleach bottles rigged? |
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Post by thebeav2 on Dec 1, 2011 12:15:17 GMT -6
Rig yourself a light bar and just place It across the top of transom. Rig It permanent or make It so It's a quick disconnect. No more problems.
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Post by rk660 on Dec 1, 2011 21:23:37 GMT -6
Absolutley beautiful pic Mike. Nothing more pretty than a pic of a good boat on a scenic river, except being in that boat. Nothing better than a day on a river all by yourself, throwing dead critters in it, watching the water climb higher and higher to the gunwhales.......
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Post by mustelameister on Dec 2, 2011 5:44:24 GMT -6
Thanks Rich. Thought you'd be interested in this. That motor isn't the one I started out with on this boat last year. Back up a bit, that's an Alumacraft T16-XL. Lightweight yet strong 16-foot V-bow. Only made for six years back in the 80s. Took me years to find this one. Then my buddy bumped the transom up with the aluminum plating. I was posting on here the process then. Picked up a new 23 horse Go-Devil for the boat last year figuring that would be enough motor and yet I could rope start it if the battery went dead. Seemed to be okay last year but got "doggy" occasionally. Didn't think much of it. This year had a day with 24 'coon in the front end then a day with 37 'coon in the front end plowing water back to the landing. Both days the motor just decided to quit when up on plane. Would wait for a few minutes, motor would start up just fine, and away I'd go again . . . and problems. That did it. Dropped that motor off in the otter sled, threw a tarp over it, and slid it into the bushes on the side of the house. Rolled the 18' flat under a tree, block and tackled the 35 horse off of it, rolled that boat out and slid this boat under and bolted all 225 pounds of this motor onto the transom. Figured why not, got to figure out if this will work or not, 'cause that 23 ain't going back on. Next day on the river loaded up with 'coon and this boat . . . flew . . . up and down the river. Holy smokes. Thought it would be too much motor. Well, with battery, 225 pounds of motor and 225 pounds of me in the back that's a lot of weight. So I've got these old cement blocks doing nothing much and I start with one of those in the front and as I accrue carcasses the block gets thrown up on an island. Doesn't take too many to get the boat level enough to pop up on plane. Took a road trip to visit my Go Devil dealer buddy in Fox Lake shortly thereafter. Described the situation and dropped the 23 horse off and said I'll be trading it in on another 35 horse sometime early fall but you can keep it now and put it up for sale. He said it wasn't enough motor for the weight being pushed and the motor was overheating. Thought so but needed to hear it from him. Didn't think you could overheat one of these but I did. So . . thought I knew these motors well enough to just buy one and go with it, but just about the time when you think you know it all you find out sometimes you just don't know jack. Anyway, for what it's worth, I now carry an extra battery forward which does a fine job of counterbalancing and haven't had any problems. Only downside to the whole thing was Susan cranking about not fishing this late fall with the 18' flat and she didn't want to think about having to use the 16' V-bow with the 'coon grease and slobber coating the front sides from taking carcasses out to the islands for disposal. Can't blame her . . . good woman but she likes a clean boat, and one that smells good too. Life is good. Hope I can keep my health long enough to get sick of this. Now there's an interesting thought . . .  |
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Post by thebeav2 on Dec 2, 2011 9:00:15 GMT -6
Why don't you just fill a 5 gallon pail with water and place a lid on It for weight. Lots of water when your In a boat DUH LOL
God there must be 100s of cement blocks scatter over the bottoms LOL
If I remember correctly a gallon of water weighs about 8.33 lbs
Got to love trapping on the river.
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Post by Rally Hess on Dec 2, 2011 17:00:56 GMT -6
Mustel,
Did that add on to the stern make it "louder", like i thought, when you were having it done? I've got a Lund WD14 I'm thinking about doing the same thing to. Anything you would change about the convertion?
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Post by musher on Dec 2, 2011 17:31:16 GMT -6
Why don't you just fill a 5 gallon pail with water and place a lid on It for weight. Lots of water when your In a boat DUH LOL God there must be 100s of cement blocks scatter over the bottoms LOL If I remember correctly a gallon of water weighs about 8.33 lbs Got to love trapping on the river.  |
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Post by mustelameister on Dec 2, 2011 18:05:17 GMT -6
Musher, that thar was funny . . . ol' Beav is quite the comedian, ain't he?
Rally, not louder, and nope, would have it done the same way again. Plate came right down to the drain holes in the splash tray.
No flexing with the big motor. This is a good rig.
Niteprowler, the prop always looks new 'cause the sand shines it up. Prop is four years old, maybe 5.
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