operose Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 check out this suba-boat that went for good money on ebay! http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=26434&item=4531121858&rd=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudboat Posted March 14, 2005 Share Posted March 14, 2005 check out this suba-boat that went for good money on ebay! http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=26434&item=4531121858&rd=1 That is a good price for a Kirk Matherne boat. It has a marine clutch, which costs about $1,500 by itself.. Boats like this sell for over $5,000 all the time in South La. A new boat like this fully rigged with an EA-82, clutch and trailer goes for over $10,000.. I've seen them as high as $14,000, but that is with hydraulic steering and fully tricked out with trolling motor and fishing seats...... $3500 is a steal............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted March 15, 2005 Share Posted March 15, 2005 Yeah, boats are NOT cheap by any means. I could probably find a USED Jet-drive outboard motor for my jet boat for $3500. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torxxx Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 I work in the marine industry, and that boat is actually kind of a joke. It says its made for "It goes through shallow water and soft mud. Made for going duck hunting, redfishing, and froging in the shallow bayous." How do they figure that? it's prop driven. That thing draws at least a foot of water even when its on step. Slap a 5 1/2 inch hamilton jet on that, you could run that boat in 1 inch of water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudboat Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 torxxx I work in the marine industry as well. I also own a boat exactly like the one on ebay. While they may look crude, and incapable of running as described in the listing, I can assure you that these boats will run as he described. They are designed primarily for hunters to use in shallow, fresh water, soft bottom marshes in South Louisiana. With an EA-81 or 82 soob, they will run through mud with the consistency of oatmeal at over 25 mph and blow through water lillies and hydrilla like it's not even there. A jet drive would not even get out of the starting block where these boats run without sucking in mud and vegetation. The only other types of boats that can run in this terrain are air boats and go-devil, or pro-drive boats (which are air cooled engines on an external tiller controlled contraption). The suboat hulls will draft approximately 2" with the prop, rudder and stump jumper 10" under water. The engines are keel cooled, not fresh water cooled. They circulate water/anti-freeze through the keel radiator. A very efficient cooling system I might add. Top speed varies depending on the weight of the boat and the depth of the water (they are fastest in 6" or less with a soft bottom), but my boat will run 40 mph in water that would burn up a jet drive in seconds. I attached my photo gallery with various pics of the same types of boats in the terrain where they are designed to run. Notice the picture of my boat, which was taken from my deer stand and you will notice that we actually run through ditches, which in Louisiana are called a trenausse'. Enjoy!! http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/photos/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=8086 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torxxx Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 you obviously dont know much about jets. To start out. I'm a commercial fisherman. I've been doing it since I was old enough to walk. I've been running boats since I was old enough to see over the steering wheel. I've fished and ran a jet boat in Bristol Bay for 3 years. A 32" foot aluminum jet powered bowpicker. Powered by 2 Marine Power 454's. Boat does 38 knots (with 300 gallons of fuel on board) I've had that boat in 3 inches of water doing 35 knots. I've hunted and fished all over alaska's river systems. I've taken a jetboat up the Copper River through Miles and Childs Glaciers. Now that you know where I'm coming from: My problems with it is the fact that its prop driven, which makes the need for that skag welding to the bottom of the boat. Right there, you just lost 6 to 8 inches of draft. With a jet, nothing sticks below the bottom of the boat. The jet is set into the bottom of the boat raised up about a inch or two. Rigged with a grate rake, these boats will run anywhere. With a jet, there is no need for a transmission or clutch because you have full 360 degree steering due to the reverse bucket. I do know what a keel cooler is, and it creates drag. you add turbulance to the bottom of the boat. You also say that: "Top speed varies depending on the weight of the boat and the depth of the water (they are fastest in 6" or less with a soft bottom), but my boat will run 40 mph in water that would burn up a jet drive in seconds." In mud, that will jump right though the jet and not hurt anything. I've seen boats pump straight sand through the jet when jumping sand bars. Yea in a few years, jet impellers have to be replaced, but if you ran your boat in the places we run jetboats (gravel bottomed rivers) you'd be replacing props faster then I'd be replacing an impeller. I looked at your pictures and I've had boats in places like your pictures shown. Let me ask you this, can you jump beaver dams with that thing? Probably not, because of the skag under the prop. With a jet, not a problem. My biggest thing is the amount of money paid for a boat that you can only use in one part of the US. The same boat made with a jet drive could be used anywhere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 Um, Brad, not to diss what you're saying here as I run jet boats too, but what happens when the jet gets clogged with weeds and junk? Not much as far as propulsion is concerned. These boats are highly specialized to run in the marshes, where I think jet drives would not go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudboat Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 You got me there torxxx. I have never owned a jet boat. I have rode in a 32' Allison jet with a blown 540 ci engine. Quite a rush once the thing actually gets going. For the first 45 seconds, it makes a lot of noise but doesn't really go anywhere.. And since you are a brother commercial fisherman, you will appreciate the fact that I own and operate a 35' Lafitte Skiff with a keel-cooled 555 Cummins marine turbo diesel. A double skimmer shrimp boat if you will. Oh, and it has a prop as well, you know.. for power, not speed. One thing you will never see in the areas where we run mud boats is any kind of jet driven craft, including sea doos. They will suck up vegetation faster than the blink of an eye. The soft mud we run in is probably like 40% decomposing vegetation. Unless you want to burn it up in a hurry, you best stay running your boats away from the shallow bayous in Louisiana. You are correct with several comments. First, we don't jump beaver dams and I doubt that you would either with a fiberglass hull. Plus, there are no beavers down here. They will give an alligator a pretty nasty headache. Second - We do pay good money for these boats even if this is the only part of the country where they are practical. We live here, so they are the right fit for us. You are incorrect in saying that the keel cool on these boats create drag. The keel cool is incorporated into the hull. Nothing protrudes off of the boat, yet the metal surfaces make good contact with the water. You say your problem is that it is prop driven. These boats are designed for power in muck. A jet boat at a standstill would not budge in thick mud or vegetation. I just can't see that happening. It has to be able to pump something in order to displace water to move, right? If it can't pump, you don't move... With a prop, it will displace the mud, water and vegetation and get it moving in a hurry . These 16' suboats will easily transport 2 persons with guns, and misc gear as well as carry 2 deer. They are not built for speed, but speed is a positive side effect with the design. They are both powerful and fast.. Don't get me wrong... I am not knocking jet driven crafts other than that they take forever to get moving from a stand still. They are just not practical where I'm from.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted March 27, 2005 Share Posted March 27, 2005 If you run a hamilton jet in mud, without enough water, what do you think will happen to the water lubricated rubber bearing supporting the impellor? They cant run in mud for the same reason you can't start them out of the water - the rubber bearing will be gone in minutes. In saying that, an oil lubricated roller bearing will soon be available for the hamiltons.....Pretty specialised and rather expensive though. Its designed for rescue craft on oil rigs that have to be started once in a while to ensure they run when they are put in the water. I noticed that the prop on that boat is a rather odd shape. Am i correct in assuming that it is so shaped to stop it getting tangled? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudboat Posted March 28, 2005 Share Posted March 28, 2005 I noticed that the prop on that boat is a rather odd shape. Am i correct in assuming that it is so shaped to stop it getting tangled? Nothing special about the props used. I think that the picture angle makes it look like it is odd shaped. All mudboats use a 2- blade weedless prop, either brass or stainless with a lot of pitch. I use a 2 blade stainless cleaver prop that is cupped. The cleaver design allows for higher rpm and the extra cup displaces water efficiently. Every year I have the prop sharpened and balanced at a local machine shop. A sharp prop is not really necessary, but it helps shed grass better. Every boat is a little different, so you basically have to experiment with a few different props to get the right one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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