Good to hear about the swomp 35! Your positive review and Frank's and many others convince me that will be my next motor also! I guess you have long runs (built in alum tank, 12 gallon?)? I still use a 6 gallon plastic- typically use 2.5 gallons for a 12 mile round trip, in the back, and I have relocated the battery to the front- for weight distribution and bow mount trolling motor hookup (I've had the trolling motor a long time just have not had time to get the mounting base fabbed up). I'm sure the .125 hull will last more than a lifetime- my 1648 grizzly weighs close to #400 ( I added a .090 floor too) and that is plenty when you get hung up, and the .100 is plenty....my previous boat was an alumaweld 1544 in .090 that was great and lightweight and an 1844 in that gauge, minus the crimped bottom and with a true flat bottom would be great. Honestly, all those reports of washboarding I've never seen here since we don't have the obstacles like you have in your bayous. There are plenty of riveted hulls here with both LT's and SD's that do fine. If you could get one right now, would the GT25 be enough for that hull or would you go 35 HP? Those shorties are dang expensive....the few friends that have surface drives have had numerous repairs and a lot more maintenance costs than our LT's over the years. I just can't justify a SD any time soon, that may be a must when my left arm wears out!
