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 Best tunnel hull for outboard motor question 
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Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:17 pm
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Location: Idaho
Post Best tunnel hull for outboard motor question
I realize that it is probably an act of blasphemy to ask about outboard motors on MMT but some of you guys know I ran shorttail mud motors on a variety of mud hulls for 15 years so I have paid my dues...

With my advancing age I decided last year to sell my beloved Prodrive and hang a 50 HP Merc 4 stroke EFI outboard on an Atlas Micro-Jacker jackplate on my Phowler flat bottom mud hull. We run a couple of rivers (between them about 30% of our hunt trips) that are very shallow with sand and rocky gravel bars. Before you tell me to get an jet OB I will tell you that the other 70% of our runs can be quite weedy and icy with solid or slush ice. So a jet would not work for me. All of our waterways are natural rivers and lakes that are nonetheless dam controlled for flood and hydro. The winter pool levels drop the water quite a bit and we strike a lot of submerged logs and stumps when we get in the shallows.

I just completed my first season running only the outboard and I was fairly happy. I am considering, however, transitioning to a tunnel hull boat with pods on the back. I am currently running an 1852 and would not want anything smaller.

Who would you guys recommend as a boat builder who can do a .125 longitudinally braced boat with tunnel and pods? I am familiar with most of the mud boat builders from the last 17-18 years, but unsure how many, if any of them will do a tunnel specifically designed for an outboard.

Any advice you can give would be appreciated!


Tue Feb 09, 2021 5:38 pm
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Post Re: Best tunnel hull for outboard motor question
Prodigy and timber creek build them like that. I’m sure gator trax and uncle j would do it too. I seriously considered ditching my mud motor, but just couldn’t bring myself to do it after having one the last 15 years. Here’s an 1860 off of prodigy’s website, this one has a jet though. Did phowler quit building boats?
39CE85F9-4362-4783-93BA-5DF04CB75CD9.jpeg


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Tue Feb 09, 2021 6:45 pm
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Post Re: Best tunnel hull for outboard motor question
Yes, Phowler quit building boats in Iowa. The owner had some health issues related to breathing aluminum dust for years. Made the right decision. Phowler boat designs were sold to another company and they are now based out of Mississippi.

https://www.phowlerboatcompany.com/


Tue Feb 09, 2021 8:29 pm
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Post Re: Best tunnel hull for outboard motor question
Used to run an 1860 G3 & 90 Yamaha tunnel with CC and 9" hydraulic jack plate that was a nice rig...

G3 has been around a long time and is nationwide... Price is good too...

My only surprise with tunnel was that it seems you need 30% more HP to get the
same performance of a flat bottom of the same size and weight - so go big on the
motor and also consider the torque models that spin a larger diameter prop since
you will want to run with prop "surfacing" - I had best luck with 17P Stiletto 3 blade
and never liked any of the 4 blades I tried....

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Wed Feb 10, 2021 7:40 am
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Post Re: Best tunnel hull for outboard motor question
Talk to Casey @ Sportsman’s Fabrication in Morgan City.

Uncle J can probably build you one, too...I haven’t personally seen one he has built...if he has. But, I know Casey has built them.


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Wed Feb 10, 2021 9:24 am
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Post Re: Best tunnel hull for outboard motor question
Thanks for the replies so far. Keep 'em coming.


Wed Feb 10, 2021 10:01 am
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Post Re: Best tunnel hull for outboard motor question
Happy so far with my Prodigy. They build a solid boat and you can customize it however you want. I have a tunnel jet but they make prop tunnels as well.

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Wed Feb 10, 2021 10:04 am
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Post Re: Best tunnel hull for outboard motor question
just have a competent welder put a tunnel in the boat u have now. it's that easy.

if it stinks. take it out and put it back like it was. that's the bueaty of buying a custom aluminum boat.

swap out that 4 stroke 50 with a 90 2 stroke while u are at it. lol



good luck


Sat Feb 13, 2021 8:08 pm
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Post Re: Best tunnel hull for outboard motor question
Thanks for the reply and the suggestion, DA. We have welders in North Idaho but I don't think we have the boat design / fabrication gurus here like you seem to have on just about every street corner down there in LA.

My boat is a longitudinally braced Phowler 1852. If I was going to ask someone to make a tunnel for that boat (keeping in mind for use with prop OB, not jet OB), what would the dimensions be in length, width, depth?


Sat Feb 27, 2021 2:01 pm
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Post Re: Best tunnel hull for outboard motor question
i bet Phowler made their share of tunnel hulls. i would try to talk find one of their guys and talk him up. Paul at Illowa prodrive, if my memory serves me right, might be a guy to talk to about that.


Sat Feb 27, 2021 8:42 pm
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Post Re: Best tunnel hull for outboard motor question
X2 - Phowler has made a lot of quality hulls thru the years....



But a minimum of 24" long x 9" wide x 4" deep flat the last 6" and
rear step pods that offer twice the floatation lost to the tunnel.....

Then a hydraulic jack plate with at least 6" travel....

You need the travel for reverse near the dock and bringing the
prop shaft to above hull at full lift....

Maybe a bit like this... Plus the pods - they help a lot getting up on step...



http://answer-me-up.com/questions/vent- ... -hull.html


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Sat Feb 27, 2021 8:53 pm
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Post Re: Best tunnel hull for outboard motor question
Giga, my jackplate is an Atlas Micro-Jacker. It has 5" of travel. Will that work?


Sun Feb 28, 2021 10:56 pm
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Post Re: Best tunnel hull for outboard motor question

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Mon Mar 01, 2021 8:55 am
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