Boat Advice Question

K

Kim Ross

Active member
I have a 15 hp Mercury Bigfoot, tiller, longshaft (20"), fourstroke, electric start. I used it last season on my Scott 16' Deep Duckboat (with a 5" transom riser to deal with the long shaft), and it moved along very well. However I have not been happy with how low the transom rides in the water due to the heavy weight of the motor - about 135 lb, so I am planning to put an older, lighter two-stroke Merc 9.8 on it this year.

I am shopping for a suitable aluminum boat with a 20" transom to mount the lonsgshaft motor and am considering either a jon-boat (like a Lund 1448 or Tracker Grizzly 14'), or one of the 'deep-and-wide' type utility boats (e.g. Sylvan Alaskan 15 or Lund WC 14), at least 60" beam. (While I would like to have a 16' length for use as a tender for my layout boat I don't think a 15 hp may be enough power so I will probably go 14')

Before diver season the boat will mainly be used for fishing at my cottage which is on a shallow, muddy lake, about 1/2 mile wide and about a 6 mile fetch.

I would welcome any recommendations on choosing a jon boat vs. a deep-and-wide utility boat, suitable sizing for a 15hp, and any preferred boat brands or models.
 
If you have a boat sitting low because of the extra motor weight you might consider adding pods. They add flotation behind the transom and to the sides of the motor. If they are properly installed they will also assist in getting up on plane more quickly and help in maintaining a good "attitude" for the bow. Not sure if they could be easily installed on a Scott Duckboat.
 
Thanks, I think I have heard of pods before but not sure where to find them. I'll see what I can google up and also search thru Duckboats forums.
 
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Getting a boat that is deep and uses a long shaft, 20", motor is the way to go. If it has a small splash well, this will help you if you have to backup to the decoys to hook the lines to retrieve them. Also you could get shields for the transom the back trollers use to keep water out. The only problem is if the sides are to high, it can be tougher for someone to get in to the tender from a layout boat.

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http://www.explorebeavertail.com/flotationpods.html

The link above has detailed information about buying/building and installing pods. Have a look at the link for pod specs and you will see the dimensions. Everything they show is aluminum but I am sure you could use the measurements and make something fiberglass. Many of the Devlin hunting boats have designs that essentially do the same thing by putting a second motor transom in the boat and creating a well for the motor to sit in.

I really like the Scott Duckboat. It is a great boat and you should be able to figure it out. I bet if you phoned the factory in New Liskeard and talked to them they could install pods for you.
 
Unless you really want to swap motors, I am sure pods will improve your situation.
#1. They will raise the stern, thus improving the attitude of the boat on the water.
#2. Pods will help your boat get up on plane quicker, with less effort from the motor.
Many different designs can be made, and other "options" can be incorporated into the pods, such as
#1. Fixed or adjustable trim tabs. (I have even seen variations, where the whole pod is hinged, on the bottom front, and adjusted, up and down as needed.)
#2. Dog platform/dog ladder.
#3. Storage, fuel tank and battery. I have even see pods with lids/hatches for dry storage.
In most cases, the Pod is adding displacement, thus raising the stern, its not so much the foam (inside the Pod) that is raising the stern up.
Hope this helps. There are many people out there that can custom fabricate/weld or even glass a set of pods for you. Check with your local fabrication shop, show him what you want, and I'm sure they can get you fixed up. If you can't find anyone local give me a call, I'll be glad to do it. I just did a pair last week, picture attached, unless I can't figure out how to upload.

View attachment 20120307_4 - Copy.JPG
View attachment 20120307_4 - Copy.JPG
 
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Thanks for the suggestion. I really want to check out the "pod solution" before having to add another boat to the fleet because I like the Scott 16" Duckboat, very stable and carries lots of decoys plus the Bankes layout boat too. I have spoken to Sean at the New Liskeard factory in the past and they are duck hunting enthusiasts.
Beavertail has sent me info and I will check out the sizing as soon as I can get back to the cottage on Scugog.
 
I sold my 14' mv jon boat last year to get a Smokercraft 14' Voyager deep & wide semi-v. I'll never go boat. The semi-v is more stable, ride better and is a much more seaworthy boat.
If you dont end up going the Pods route and are going to get new hull, get a semi-v.
When I was looking at new boats, I was sold on the Sylvan Alaskan 15 . But getting a new one shipped down here was going to be a fortune. I dont think you will go wrong with one of them or a Lund WC.
 
Here's an update for everyone since my last post.

Mid-Canada Fibreglass was not prepared to make pods, I think they were reluctant to mess with their boat design and they were focussed on maintaining their production rate - understandable. Decided not to go further wiith pods because at only 38" transom width there would not be enough space for pods and the outboard.

In the meantime the weeds at our cottage lake (Scugog) came up really thick along the shore, while water levels dropped, so bad none of my outboards (even the Ducktwin with the "Anglematic" weedless drive) nor electric trolling motors could get thru, even just lightly loaded for fishing. I didn't relish the prospect this fall of slogging the loaded Duckboat, with a layout boat stashed inside, out into the open water.

Recently came across a 16HP Go-Devil for sale and the owner was looking for a long-shaft 15hp 4-stroke o/b to use as a troller on his Great Lakes fishing boat. We swapped motors on the weekend. Now my Duckboat cuts thru the weeds like a hot knife thru butter. Top speed is not as fast as the Merc, but it's fast enough. Handling is fine, just need to tweak the skeg to balance the torque at hi speed.

Although at 145 lb the GDLT is 15 lb heavier than the Merc, the weight is farther forward and the boat rides higher at the stern. So far I don't think it will need flotation pods. Now the focus is to rig the boat to be ready for the diver season.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.
 
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