Boat suggestions living on skinny water lake canal

[danpcrisp]

Hi, this is my first post, so please be patient with me. I recently moved to a home that backs to a very shallow (14-18") canal that leads to a lake. I'm thinking about getting a boat to use for general recreation, mostly cruising and maybe towing a skier or tuber. I don't have a very big budget (read less than $3k) so I've been perusing the CL ads to see what older boats are available and as such have quickly learned (as with most other hobby endeavors) that there is so much more to learn. So basically I'm planning on asking some other people on this part of the canal what types of boats they are running, but I wanted to get other input on what's probably best for this kind of situation.

I need to run about a mile (in progressively deeper water) until I get to the lake. The canal isn't silt on the bottom - it's not rock either, but it's hard packed and I'm sure would easily dent/break a prop. I would think a setup with an outboard would be best, but then that's not ideal for towing. I've seen lots of I/O boats for sale (seem nice with swim platform), but then from what I've read it seems that the canal may not be deep enough for that. On top of that, it's almost impossible to get good information about draft displacement on used boats. So I've been mostly looking at tri-hulls and runabouts (like Blue Line or Bayliner open bow) that have a relatively flat hull, but am trying to keep in mind to not have too deep a hull also. I'm particularly concerned about bottoming out if we're loading up several people at our dock.

But I'm new to this and have limited real-world boating experience and mostly know only from what I've read so I'm open to any and all suggestions and would love some other input to help me sort all of this out.

 

[BonairII]

Re: Boat suggestions living on skinny water lake canal

At 14-18" deep.....it's going to be pretty tough to run an outboard. Either run an electric trolling motor until you get to deeper water......OR

Launch your boat at a spot where the water is deeper....even if that means trailering your boat a few miles downstream.

My Starcraft SS will run in 18" of water, but only using the trolling motor.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Boat suggestions living on skinny water lake canal

The lake I grew up on had two channels with homes. The water wasn't quite a shallow as you describe, but it was definitely shallow ... the most common thing that I saw at those homes were pontoons. A 'toon will get through shallow water, and be relatively easy to mount an auxiliary electric motor too. It won't be the best option for tubing (and would probably be pretty hard to ski behind), but they will pull 'em. You should be able to find a pontoon in your budget too.

After that, maybe a center console type tri-hull - think Carolina Skiff or Boston Whaler - in about 16' size or so. That'll be much harder to find, but might cover all the bases as well.

Welcome aboard - hope your search goes well.

 

[danpcrisp]

Re: Boat suggestions living on skinny water lake canal

Thanks for the replies. I can't really launch it anywhere else downstream because there are strict ordinances about boats being decontaminated before entering the lake (so once it's in it has to stay in or have have a wire clip attached to the trailer proving it hasn't been off the trailer). A trolling motor sounds like an option, but 1) would a small electric trolling motor be enough to push and keep a 16-18 ft. loaded boat on course in a narrow canal and 2) wouldn't I be restricted to a boat with an outboard so I'd have a transom to attach it to? I mean I can't get a trolling motor on an I/O with a swim deck, right?

Also, I remeasured the water depth and it is about 16" right at the edge of the water, probably going to about 24-28" in the center and it isn't hard like I thought it was. :redface-new: I stuck a tape measure in and it went about another four inches into the muck before it stopped.

Thanks for the input so far - I'm shying away from pontoons, because my wife's interest in getting a boat is to be able to tow and if it can't tow, we probably wouldn't do it.

 

[BonairII]

Re: Boat suggestions living on skinny water lake canal

My 40lb thrust troller pushes my 16' open bow(aluminum) very well...and for hours.

There are plenty of trolling motors available that will push 3000lb boats around quite easily.

You can get trolling motors that are transom or bow mounted.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Boat suggestions living on skinny water lake canal

first, look at my suggestions under 'swamp boats' although you want something bigger.

Here's the deal: no inboard/outboard (and not inboard). You need a low deadrise, fairly flat bottom outboard. Look at the "bay boat" design as well as whalers, carolina skiff, palm beach, and other flat floating boats. I run a 19' carolina skiff loaded with people and gear to get to an island over water only inches deep. learn how to operate a shove pole.

It's really not that complicated; watermen have alway been able to work around your issue. you just have to think like a boater and not a car driver.

The good news is you don't have to get some crappy sofa boat!

 

[Campylobacter]

Re: Boat suggestions living on skinny water lake canal

Don't count out the toons just because you want to pull a tube or skiier. Around here everybody at the "back of the cove" uses pontoons, and I see them towing all the time. Another option is a deck boat, I have a Hurricane (19' with OB motor), and it only draws 12". I have 3 feet so I don't need a trolling motor but I have a friend with the same boat that uses the electric to get him into the channel.

There is no real advantage to a I/O vs OB in towing. You can get a full swim platform with I/O, but with the deck boats you also get front platform and boarding ladder. People will tell you I/O is safer but the motor should NEVER be on when people are entering or leaving the boat, so I don't think thats an issue.

 

[coastalrichard]

Re: Boat suggestions living on skinny water lake canal

Thanks for the replies. I can't really launch it anywhere else downstream because there are strict ordinances about boats being decontaminated before entering the lake (so once it's in it has to stay in or have have a wire clip attached to the trailer proving it hasn't been off the trailer). A trolling motor sounds like an option, but 1) would a small electric trolling motor be enough to push and keep a 16-18 ft. loaded boat on course in a narrow canal and 2) wouldn't I be restricted to a boat with an outboard so I'd have a transom to attach it to? I mean I can't get a trolling motor on an I/O with a swim deck, right?

Also, I remeasured the water depth and it is about 16" right at the edge of the water, probably going to about 24-28" in the center and it isn't hard like I thought it was. :redface-new: I stuck a tape measure in and it went about another four inches into the muck before it stopped.

Thanks for the input so far - I'm shying away from pontoons, because my wife's interest in getting a boat is to be able to tow and if it can't tow, we probably wouldn't do it.

Check to make sure there are no water-level issues to consider (tides, dams, etc).

 

[Lone Duck]

Re: Boat suggestions living on skinny water lake canal

Jet drive...

yup! outboard jet and a 2 or 3 degree V hull thats tapers to flat at stern. Will easily handle skinny water (6") and mounting a high tow bar will handle your skiers. 18' to 20' would be good with a 115 out board jet. That would give you about 90 hp at the jet.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Boat suggestions living on skinny water lake canal

before you invest in a trolling motor as low water power, give the OB a try. If the boat is floating with a little margin, you can use an OB

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Boat suggestions living on skinny water lake canal

heck... most smaller I/O boats would be fine idling in 2 feet of water

My twin engine 28'er has a draft of 30" with the drives all the way down and 18" tilted up...... while I wouldn't consider it an option in your situation, I've taken it into 2' with em tilted up more than once.

A 19'er should be fine for ur needs

 

[roscoe]

Re: Boat suggestions living on skinny water lake canal

The problem here, is you really don't know what the channel is like except for the place you stuck in your tape measure.

Does the water level rise or lower with tide, or season?

Is the channel littered with logs, rocks, sand bars, shopping carts, and tires?

Are there any hp or speed restrictions?

Are pwc or jet drives allowed?

One of the advantages of an outboard is that the engine can be completely raised up out of the water.
That means you can float over almost any waterway obstruction, and you can usually remove the lower unit at your dock if service is needed.
Another is that the boat will generally weigh 300# less.


Get yourself a 16" aluminum runabout with a 70 hp Evinrude or an 80 hp Mercury.

http://forums.iboats.com/boat-resto...ir/79-starcraft-ss-16-restoration-365995.html

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Boat suggestions living on skinny water lake canal

I agree about an aluminum boat. It's a shame that your needs are for skiing and family cruising. If you were a fisherman, you could get by with a flat bottom jon boat.

Unfortunately, I have no suggestion, because the jon boat is about all you've got available to get into such a tight space.

If you have a marina on the lake, keeping a boat there for your use might be your only option.

 

[rivermouse]

Re: Boat suggestions living on skinny water lake canal

How about a liitle river boat like I have or maybe big wide boat like they hunt gators with on tv .

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Boat suggestions living on skinny water lake canal

good idea on the old 16' starcraft--they are relatively flat, and light, and good for skinny water. Good for recreation, too.

 

[danpcrisp]

Re: Boat suggestions living on skinny water lake canal

Thanks for all the input. I think a jet drive (and pontoon) would be out of my price range. I will keep my eyes open for a tri-hull or older aluminum open bow. If anyone has any other specific brand type suggestions, I'd be interested in hearing them. Would something like this older Beachcraft with outboard work?

 

[southkogs]

Re: Boat suggestions living on skinny water lake canal

Would something like this older Beachcraft with outbord work?

If you can tilt the motor up just a bit (shallow water drive), then that boat would likely go through 2' of water.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Boat suggestions living on skinny water lake canal

Would something like this older Beachcraft with outboard work?View attachment 184718

maybe but it looks heavy and sitting low in the water-look at the waterline on the transom; you might want something flatter back there. and lighter. look at the pictures on carolina skiff's website

 

[danpcrisp]

Re: Boat suggestions living on skinny water lake canal

I don't see many skiffs (at least on CL) for sale around here. To get to a flatter hull, could I run a tri-hull w/ OB or maybe scrap the open bow concept and go for a true ski-type boat w/ OB, like this? Seems like this would have to run in pretty skinny water. And as I won't be taking it out of the water (except to trailer in winter), it's not like I'll be using it in other lakes to go fishing.

Beautiful 1978 Kona Boat

 

[southkogs]

Re: Boat suggestions living on skinny water lake canal

The Kona is worth lookin' at - and a tri-hull would work too. But honestly - I'm used to crossing a sand bar (regularly) that is only about 2' deep. I do that in anything from a rowboat to a 19' V-hull bow rider with a Mercruiser I/O. With a true 2' clearance I wouldn't get too wrapped around the axle on it.