Will it work without a tunnel?

[pekinboy05]

I have a 18 foot duracraft with a 50 hp yamaha and i was lookin in to putting a jet on it... Will a flat bottom boat work with a jet or do i need to have a tunnel??

 

[grahamh]

Re: Will it work without a tunnel?

I think it will work, but I'm hardly an expert with outboards with jets on them, someone else will probably give you more solid advice...

 

[Kevinmcm]

Re: Will it work without a tunnel?

You do not need a tunnel unless you can not get motor low enough to have your foot at the bottom of the boat. It needs to be flush, if you can achieve that, all is good!

 

[jcupo6]

Re: Will it work without a tunnel?

I use to have a basstracker with a jet. My hull did not have a tunnel but it still preformed well.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Will it work without a tunnel?

The hot rig on the trout tailwaters around here is a flatbottom with a jet foot because they're so handy in shallow water. What you want to do should be fine. The main thing to remember is keep an eye out for moss and other fun things that can be sucked up into your motor. If that happens you got big trouble, pard. Where are you from?

 

[pekinboy05]

Re: Will it work without a tunnel?

I'm from North Carolina I fish alot in blewett falls and it's very shallow. I have a 18 foot 7 1/2 foot wide duracraft and I only have a 50 hp yamaha on it... I care absolutely nothing about speed but i've read alot on here about it and i'm wondering if my motor will get me up on full plane with a jet.. let me know what you all think? Also i forgot the name of it but what is the thing that you put on the transom that makes the back end float higher?

 

[tdrudd87]

Re: Will it work without a tunnel?

I was thinking a 50hp jet would be iffy on a 18'. It may work, how much power on tap do you have with the prop drive? If you are on the low end of getting on plane fully loaded, it may not be a good idea.

Thought about just getting a 90hp jet? That seems like it would be about right, its what a guide in AK was running, and that was 4 of us plus him in a big aluminum flatbottom. That was a blast!

Terry