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Getting ready to buy a new boat

duckriver

duckriver

Well-Known Member
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Dec 24, 2013
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River Bottom
And I want some advise.

I'm looking at the Alweld flat marsh in a 1652 or 1656, alumacraft 1650. Looking at getting a 60/40 jet on it. Flatbottoms,

My question is for those that run a jet do I want a tunnel hull or not? The Alweld says it's a tunnel made for a jet.

Of anyone else has a recommendation on another boat around that size I'd like to hear it as well. Right now I'm leaning alweld
 
I found a place online that has a war eagle in alabama called d&d marine that has a war eagle with a jet on it. 18ft I think. I may call them about it to find out more.
 
A jet tunnel may offer some protection to the jet foot. The tunnel may also increase the amount of draft your boat has while floating. Pods might off set that. When I ran outboard jets, I preferred the tunnel. Take into consideration the weight of your boat, passengers, gear etc for choosing your hp. Outboardjets has a chart for weight to hp that might help. If in doubt more hp is better with a jet. I would highly recommend purchasing from a dealer with experience in setting up a jet if you are buying new. Of the boat sizes you have listed, I like the 56" bottom the best.

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AllOutdoors":tvg17khe said:
A jet tunnel may offer some protection to the jet foot. The tunnel may also increase the amount of draft your boat has while floating. Pods might off set that. When I ran outboard jets, I preferred the tunnel. Take into consideration the weight of your boat, passengers, gear etc for choosing your hp. Outboardjets has a chart for weight to hp that might help. If in doubt more hp is better with a jet. I would highly recommend purchasing from a dealer with experience in setting up a jet if you are buying new. Of the boat sizes you have listed, I like the 56" bottom the best.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk
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Thanks!
 
If i were getting a new jet boat i would look at Blazer.They are out of Arkansas. There are a few on the river, and everyone ive talked to love theirs.
 
I've looked at blazer online but not in person. All of them I have seen are raw aluminum. But I'm sure they can paint them from the factory. They are slick looking boats but can't find a dealer close
 
I've got a 16' Polarkraft with a 60/40 jet with no tunnel hull. I don't see a real need for a tunnel. To get the most out of a jet, you need to either know the river like the back of your hand or be willing to learn it the hard way. Being able to read the lay of the river is a must, but unlike most lakes, rivers change on a day to day basis. What was clear sailing the day before, can be impassable the next day. The hardest lesson to learn is, just because you didn't hit anything running up river doesn't mean you won't hit anything floating back down. You have to be on constant lookout. Look up "Wir dam jump" on you tube, my stepson can't spell, to see us going up the weir dam on the Clinch.
 
Look at the thickness of the metal. I'm not sure what it will be used for but in my opinion the thicker the better. Same for the width,I would go as wide as I could afford. Alweld is the best I've ever owned. Sea Ark was second. My boats were mostly used for cat fishing and mussel diving. If your going to be on big water say KY lake, again the bigger the better. Sorry but I know nothing about jet motors. Being a Bama fan, y'all don't want to hear my opinion of a War Eagle I'm sure. LOL
 
The first boat I had was a G3 1860 CCT Deluxe. I wanted it for doing everything from trout fishing to bass fishing recreation and tournaments, and hunting. It did everything I wanted it to do. It had a shallow draft and went into shallow water easy. The ride was rough in a slight chop. The boat was solid. Never had any issues with it. The motor was amazing and I learned that propping it with a cleaver prop was best for rivers and a high rake prop was best for lakes. The tunnel hull honestly didn't help shallow water performance as much as I thought it would. The jack plate is what makes the difference in shallow water. It was a nice boat.
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I ended up selling the G3 because I wanted a bigger and faster boat. I went with this boat below. It's a Ranger RP190. It does everything the G3 did......but better. Smoother ride, like a fiberglass bass boat, more storage, more room, and just made better. The welds and fit and finish are significantly better. The Ranger drafts just like the G3 did about 10 inches. Raise the jack plate and you can pretty much go in 10 inches. The beam is so much wider causing the shallow draft. This boat is the last boat I will need. It runs great with 2 people and 2 deer on the front deck.
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RUGER":374peu3w said:
If money was no object I would have an F&F myself.
Probably a 1652 or 1654.
Click to expand...

F&F is not the company it used to be, and I've even heard they are out of business. A guy I crappie fish with bought one and they never got the wiring right. He eventually pulled all the wiring out and rewired it himself. They have become pretty famous on the net for not delivering on time, lying to customers, etc.

I also fish with 3 guys that have Alwelds and they love them.
 
Spurhunter":3abaw83m said:
RUGER":3abaw83m said:
If money was no object I would have an F&F myself.
Probably a 1652 or 1654.
Click to expand...

F&F is not the company it used to be, and I've even heard they are out of business. A guy I crappie fish with bought one and they never got the wiring right. He eventually pulled all the wiring out and rewired it himself. They have become pretty famous on the net for not delivering on time, lying to customers, etc.

I also fish with 3 guys that have Alwelds and they love them.
Click to expand...

Let me rephrase:

If money were no object I would have an older 1652 or 1654 F&F open floor plan myself. :)

I have a fishing boat I love. I was thinking duck hunting only.
:D
 

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