Hi everybody. I finally purchased a new surface drive motor. I am purchasing a Gtr 37 and it will be going on a 17/48 3/16” boat. Unfortunately I do not have a hunt deck. Will this cause any issues with performance? What kind of speed should I expect?

If the bottom is straight and you don’t porpoise a lot, you should be fine on performance. The hunt deck is not a performance mod but something that is geared to hunting with a dog or hunting in timber so your furry partner can get in and out the boat easier. It also is nice because the motor and filler are mostly outside of your floor space, so you have a bit more room for your activities without the tiller being in your way, but the main reason for a hunt deck is for a dog to sit on and get in and out the boat easily during hunts

Also, with that 3/16th bottom paired with a stock 37, you shouldn’t porpoise

The hunt deck, like he said, isn’t a performance option it’s basically a personal preference. I prefer not to have one bc GTR, PD, etc the hunt deck takes away from the space in the boat. Gator trax is the only builder, I think, that ads the hunt duck to the length of the boat. So an 18ft gator trax with a hunt deck is actually 19’6”.