mud motors and riveted hulls?

M

michael barnes

Active member
i heard that if you put a mm on a riveted hull aluminum boat, the vibration will rattle the rivets loose. is that true? im not plannig on getting one, way to much money, but am curious about this. thanks.
 
No. A riveted hull is generally thinner, which means they will dent more easily when you start using a mudmotor where you are gonna use a mudmotor. I ran longtails for years on riveted Lowes, and my buddy is still running one of them with a 35hp shorttail. Yes, they'll dent a lot more and you can cause some leaks and wear over time, but it ain't gonna just come apart at the seams on you. Many folks that run only weeds and soft mud prefer those hulls...they're much lighter than heavy gauge, welded boats meant for stump abuse.
 
Depends, I think. If you run a 6 hp longtail on just about anything, the speed is not fast enough to worry about stressing the hull (except for a Sportspal maybe...)

If your maxing out the motor size to the boat size, construction seems to make a big difference. Longitudnal stringers, welded seams, heavy guage aluminum, smooth bottoms, and unique bottom shapes are all designed with high hp mud motors in mind. I could envision myself pounding a rivited hull to peices on stumps and bogs.

For the guys who really need fast mud boats, all this stuff becomes really important.
 
so say i got rich, and put a 13-18 hp longtail, just enough to get me to plane maybe 10-15 mph on my old (1963!!) starcraft, it isnt gonna fold up on me? running soft marsh mud, no logs, stumps or even rocks. like i said, im not planning on starting with one, id just like to know i could if i wanted to. thanks~mike.
 
I ran into a guy who used a 9 hp on a 12 V and liked it. You could do it. Get over on the 'Fuge and do some research. For you, seach for hooking, as in the hull. I think the verticle force excerted by the mud motors puts a ton of stress on hulls that is different then an outboard will. For your specific question, you'd be ok with a bit of prudence. I dont know if I'd want to buy an old V-hull that had a big mud motor on it.

Good Luck,
 
I run a 35 mud buddy on a 16 welded and riveted tracker and dont see any more vibration on it than you would an outboard. I am sure a log or something will do this boat in long before the motor could "shake" loose rivets (doubtful). I would not put a mud motor on your v- hull,,,, would'nt serve the purpose. If you want shallow water capability get a jack plate and protect the prop with a river runner skeg. mud motors have their place, but for functionality an outboard is all around easier and "better" for general use.
 
Mike,

When are we going to see more pictures of the old war horse? I'm hoping you show us the interior a bit better. Your hull is similar to one that Bob Johnson runs with the front deck. His has a side console and a bench seat for the driver and a passenger and I believe that there is a second bench aft. They have flotation in them and they provide structural support.

View attachment BJsboat.jpg

I can't tell from your photo if your boats been stripped out or if the boat originally used different seating and flotation and used the floor for structural support. Is there flotation up under the rails or has all flotation been removed (possibly from under the floor)? You do need good flotation when using tin boats in the winter. You will be reinstalling the floor with foam under it right? What you doing for seating? I know I'm not the only one who enjoys messing with tin boats so fill us in and pick our brains.

Enjoy!
Scott

View attachment BJsboat.jpg
 
I put my 6 hp beavertail on my 14' starcraft. It was slow but were able to run , once we broke free from the mud.
We had 3 guys 200 lb plus each, my dog, 24 goose decoys, and 30 cork ducks. Hunted a small creek and had plenty of free board.
I've also hunted Islands in Chincoteaque Bay with me, the dog, and cork decoys without a problem. Winds were less than 15 mph and I stayed within 1/2 mile of the ramp.
 
Once again: No, it's not going to come apart on you. It's lighter guage aluminum, so it's gonna get bent more easily, and have more stress from that over it's time in the marsh. However, I know of one going on it's 4th year with a 35hp shortail, after 6 years with a longtail, in stumps, rocks, hard bottoms, shell beds, etc. It doesn't even leak a rivet. Also, they're MUCH cheaper. Many folks buy riveted hulls, run them for several years and just turn around and buy another one. That's probably staying way ahead in the $ department. Performance and longevity are the two main reasons for goin to a mudmotor specific hull, and there are many more arguments on those. I'm not dealing mudmotors and custom mud hulls anymore. Riveted works fine.:)
 
I do not think it is vibration that is going to loosen rivets. I have run 9 hp and 16 hp GD longtails on some old Lund 12' and 14' V-hulls. They work great for areas we fish that have lots of logs in the water and shallow muddy areas to run through. My old Lund V-hulls are pretty well built, much better than most 1432 or 1436 jon boats. A thin skinned riveted boat is going to get beat-up and leak if you run it in the wood. Many of the light aluminum boats have fairly flimsy transoms for hanging a 140-170 lbs mud motor on. For running over the logs and getting back to tough areas use welded mud boats. But the longtails work fine on riveted boats and v-hulls if you are not pounding them into stuff.
 
The thing is: You do not have to run a shorttail as fast as it will go once you get in the stumps, etc. You can run them at a slow, sensible speed when you are in stuff that might hurt if you hit it....just common sense. However, it gives you the option of better handling to avoid things, AND higher speed to cover distances faster when needed. If you plan on running 25mph through stump fields, then even an all-welded, one-piece, 1/8" plate hull boat is gonna take some dents. If you want to be a bull in a china shop with a MM, then a heavier hull is the ticket. If you just merely want to be able to get through the rough stuff to get to your spot and drive sensibly, then almost any hull material/thickness will do. Glass boats aren't made for that either, but many run them and they last and do well. Bottom line: drive for your boat, not for your motor.LOL
 
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