I have finally decided to buy a backwater 35hp long tail. i decided to go with a long tail motor because the salt marsh that I'll be using the boat in has a lot of sand bars & a few mud flats but the mud is hard enough to walk on. My question is what size boat would be best. I'll have myself & 2 guys (200,200,200 lbs)at most in the boat at one time. Most of the time it will be just me. I have herd long tails work better on long skinny boats. Would a 1836 draft to much and bottom out on a sand bar. I've read in a couple of post that some of you use a war eagle 1648 but being a mini vee bottom boat would it be hard to push it off a sand bar if I did get stuck. I know a war eagle is lighter than a true mud hull. the biggest wave I will see is 2ft but that is very rare. It would be nice to go 20mph with just me & 15mph with 3 people. So what boat do think

20x40 or 20x44 would be the ticket in the marsh with a big block longtail. 18x44 would do well too.

What he said. 48 would be fine too with that engine.

I've got one on an 18/48. Pushes my two boys and I just fine.


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Thanks for the replys. It sounds like 1844 or 1848.

Only thing I would counsel is to go custom...for what you pay for a WE, you can probably get a custom flat hull just like you want!

I'm running the 35 on a 1852. Ran it on a 1748 also. Runs better with load on the larger boat!

18x44 is the ticket... that's what I run.... big enough for 3 guys and gear, narrow enough to get in tight spots..... long enough to spread out weight.... I'm running a 29hp MBLT, empty speed is 18-19mph.... loaded down I run 17-18mph.....


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Good rig! Ninja, is that a 29 Kawasaki?

That is a really nice setup you have there ninja. Do you think the 1844 go devil boat be better than a 2044 go devil boat?

Glades, no radiator. Not the kawa.

Ok, could not see front of motor, I suspected it was a Vanguard. Good speed considering that hull is not lightweight.

do you think i could put the backwater 35hp on a 1848 gatortail boat? or do you think it would be better to put it on a 1844 go devil boat? the gatortail boat has a 21 inch transom & a 20 degree angle i would have to get the 71ls

It'll be good on either, I would prefer the 48 myself.

You won't like it on a 21 inch transom.


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Not secondhand here. I did it, with pretty decent results. Weldbilt hull with 20" transom and a 72" MudBuddy Longtail.... Boat ran 20 light, with no issues blowing out, turning or fighting the tiller.

Same here. I ran my Backwater LS on a 17ft mod V Lowe with a 20 inch transom. I had to fight with it but I could get around. I put that motor on an 18/48 with an 18 inch transom and its just fine.


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