Here in south Louisiana where I hunt there are lot's of cypress stumps,logs shallow water,slushy mud and hard bottom swamp.I currently have the 23 vanguard on a 18ft flat bottom haul but im sitting deep in the water and having trouble getting up in speed because of the shallow water and the hard bottom,my prop is only half way in the water most times and the keel dragging the hard bottom.In deeper water my top speed is 27mp.Will I still get that speed in the 12 ft with a wider bottom so im sitting higher in the shallow waters?

There's a good chance that a 12 foot boat is not gonna get on step with a 23... I have a 16 on a 14 foot boat and wouldn't even think about goin any shorter

Those are amazing speeds for an lt. Basically your going to be sacrificing length for width. How wide is your 18 ft boat? How wide is the 12ft boat bottom?

27mph with a 23hp Go-Devil longtail? I think you're stretching the truth there by a pretty good bit.

It's a 18ftx36 custom made flat bottom.The one i was looking at is a 12x56.Not stretching the truth i have no reason too.Prop was cupped and pitched for that boat and its weight.

I would love to get some contact info for the people that outfitted you with that prop. I'll pay you if my 23 will go 27mph!

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A 56 inch bottom will definitely help more than that 36 inch. I just don't have enough experience to tell u if it would distribute the weight better than the 18ft. I have a 1648 tracker. And 48 might not be the true bottom.

It's up to you.

There is more people with long skinny boats than short fat boats. That should tell u something. I personally think you're shooting yourself in the foot and won't be happy with the overall performance.

If you're getting 27 mph on the 18' there is no way in hell I'd change a thing!

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msm I was thinking the same thing and have always heard the long and skinny is better.I guess I was hoping that a short and wide boat would sit higher in the water and that somone here had tryed it.The problem i have is my hunting ground is mostly shallow water with hard bottom and with a load the boat is close to dragging bottom and its hard to get to speed with the keel dragging and prop half submerged.In slushy mud theres no problem it gets on top and glides.

I can tell you this.. you run into a boscoyo running even 15mph in that 12 boat and you'll definitely know it or may be swimming back to launch

Can u test your motor on one of these boats.

msm I just finished talking to a friend with a 12x48 with a 16inch stern.As close as I can get so we shall see how it go's.If it dont work I will have to man up and rework my run's a few inches deeper in the summer.

Did you have any motor work done on the 23 besides the prop?

Have you tried moving the gas tank/ battery up front.. It just seems like squatting shouldn't be too much of an issue with a 23 lt on an 18' hull. Regardless of the width that's a whole lotta pad to work with

Where you from? I would like to see a 23 longtail run 27 mph.

X3

X4.237

I'm calling BS.

I had a 1242 with a 20 hp gdlt and it ran 20 -21 on phone gps with myself or 1 other person and light load but we both weigh abput 150. if i added any weight to it i would be lucky to get 12 mph. i liked it and if i could afford 2 boats id still have it for solo runs.

If you're gonna run a longtail only couldn't you add some pods on the back to float yer ass higher ?

My 1448 flat does 21 with just me, gas, a battery and a tool box. And its just a 20 lt im running.

Hahaha

I've ran 20 in my rig with it completely unloaded, only weight being an empty gun box and fuel and battery in the front. This was on a slick cove, no wind, clean water and turning plenty of RPM. My 20hp is of the Honda flavor. I've got plenty of prop wear and weight added since then. I average 17ish.

No 20 vanguard. Prop has a real good cup and like said ^. Calm water,not much wind. But yes I can get 21 but average 20. Added my cousin (185 lbs) and average 18 sometimes 19. Have video of that.

Thanks for the video poke chop.I guess if you don't have video here people won't believe.Lot's of non believer's here.Sorry y'all bought into the "buy this $4000 1200 pound boat because that's what everyone else has" and y'all can't get over 15mph.Thank's for the people who offered good advice.Put the motor on the 12footer yesterday and the front end dug into the water like a bull dozer.And after reading that 27mph is impossible with a vanguard I guess I will just stick to the 18footer that only weights 280 pounds dry/without motor. btmannin thank's I moved the battery and gas tank up front and it lifted the back up on slow run's wich helped out a good bit.Thank's for the good advice.I won't be back here to argue with the non believer's because I have shit to do and duck's to eat.

It makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up just thinking about that prop getting thrown out of the water from hitting stumps going 27mph. I let out girlish screams when I hit them doing 17

^^^^ Definitely. I had to cut my grab bar out because my lt handle hits it. And going from 11-12 mph wide open to 21 makes the brown roun get a little tight without a grab bar. Won't even attempt anywhere with stumps without one.

My grab bar was attached to the back of my center seat. I removed the seat and put in a box down the left side of the boat and now I have no handle. I'm looking to add one since I ended up with bruised ribs and full waders last weekend. Smacked a sunk log doing 17-18 and rolled down the gunwale and into the drink... Water was only about 8" deep, the log was barely under the surface and half in the mud bottom and it was dark as hell... Bad combo. Needless to say, I'm looking at putting a bar of some type back in the boat lol

Lmao! I have no grab bar. But I have a surface drive. Almost fell out once though and I was sitting down!
Boat was drifting sideways and it hit a huge patch of sawgrass. The boat stopped dead in its tracks and my face was in the grass. But i wasnt fully outta the boat.

Damn thats rough. I will definitely be putting me another one

Hey yall. My first post. My boat is a ol 16 36. 25 kohler. Boat jumps outa water but at 21 it shoves the nose too. Feels light in rear and will pucker you up. I would too like to see a 27 mph longtail.