# Tunnel Hull Boats



## fish3rm8n (Mar 11, 2013)

Can anyone tell me the good and bad of owning a tunnel hull? How fast do they go?


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## fish3rm8n (Mar 11, 2013)

maybe post pics of your tunnel hull.


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## woody777 (Mar 11, 2013)

I have a G3 1860. The tunnel allows shallow running, but mine cavitates alot with tight turns. I get about 30mph tops.


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## Onetimepepto (Mar 12, 2013)

*Tunnel*

Depends on who made the tunnel as the speed and what size motor you run. I had a shadow with 200 that would run upper 70's but was horrible ride in rough water. Boat fished ok just the ride was not so good in the summer on lanier when a lot of boat traffic.


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## .HOLD EM HOOK. (Mar 12, 2013)

Made for running extra shallow with jet foot.  Tunnels water to foot.


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## tillman86 (Mar 12, 2013)

Yea I am looking at getting an 1860 prop tunnel myself with a 90 hp yamaha and float pods with a jackplate.  Do not know too much about the pros and cons outside of running shallow which is important to where I fish.   Any feedback would be great.


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## T.P. (Mar 12, 2013)

fish3rm8n said:


> Can anyone tell me the good and bad of owning a tunnel hull? How fast do they go?



Exactly what kind of tunnel hull are you referring to?


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## fish3rm8n (Mar 13, 2013)

I'm trying to decide if I want a tunnel hull or a bass boat.


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## jaybro28 (Mar 14, 2013)

I've got a Seaark 1660 MVT with tunnel designed for a prop, and pods.  I originally had a merc 4 50hp on it and loved it.  However the water was so low and so many stumps (lower Ocmulgee last summer) that I swapped to a 50hp merc jet.  

With the jack plate and the deeper prop tunnel I can get the foot up above the bottom of the boat.  Everything I've read says not to use a jet with a prop tunnel, but in my situation it works great.  I can get up on step in less than a foot and run in no more than 6 inches.

The only real problem I have is that it's darn hard to tell the difference between 6 inches of water and 3, which I can't run in (though I can slide quite a ways).  Consequently I keep a 12v winch in the boat now for when I end up high and dry.  =}

The boat hasn't been in any larger water like for instance Blackshear, since I put the jet on it so I don't know how it would perform under those circumstances.  But for skinny flat water, I can't imagine anything better short of an airboat.


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## jaybro28 (Mar 14, 2013)

Pic of what happens when you run outa water....


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## tillman86 (Mar 14, 2013)

Sounds like you have the best of both worlds being able to run a prop and a jet.  Now I am curious if it is possible to run a jet foot on a lot of the designed tunnel prop boats.  I appreciate the info jaybro.


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## fish3rm8n (Mar 14, 2013)

Thanks for the help


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## T.P. (Mar 14, 2013)

jaybro28 said:


> Pic of what happens when you run outa water....



Looks like you should have stayed to the left...


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## Wild Turkey (Mar 14, 2013)

Cant beat a sea ark. Great boat especially with pods.


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## joepuppy (Mar 14, 2013)

Jaybro, I believe I ran into you up above half moon landing back during duck season while I was scouting.You were crappie fishing I think. That boat is awesome from what I saw because you were moving on in that shallow river.


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## little rascal (Mar 14, 2013)

*I have always*

heard that too.


> Everything I've read says not to use a jet with a prop tunnel, but in my situation it works great.



But have seen some that do fine, and others that just won't work.

If I was gonna set up a prop tunnel, I would first install a vented tunnel. Then the jackplate, then the 4 blade tunnel prop(more cup). Then run and adjust for what kind of loads u might normally run. If you run different size loads often, a hydraulic jack might be best.

Tunnel advantages are, you can run the right set up with less motor(H.P.), you can run over shallow hard bottom, you can run over wet vegetation( a jet usually won't).
The vented tunnel will break the suction that makes tunnels squat or suck the rear end to the surface, allows more speed and less cavitaion in rough water. And means you can plane out in less water.
A properly set up prop tunnel can be an amazing rig.


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## jaybro28 (Mar 15, 2013)

T.P. said:


> Looks like you should have stayed to the left...



Good eyes!  There was deeper water on the left, but there was also a fallen tree from the shore to the island you can see that prevents going that way.


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## jaybro28 (Mar 15, 2013)

joepuppy said:


> Jaybro, I believe I ran into you up above half moon landing back during duck season while I was scouting.You were crappie fishing I think. That boat is awesome from what I saw because you were moving on in that shallow river.



That coulda been me, I don't crappie fish a lot, but I try everything now and again.  You have any luck with the ducks?  Seems like most duck hunters I talked too were having a hard time finding them last season (on the river).


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## jaybro28 (Mar 15, 2013)

little rascal said:


> If I was gonna set up a prop tunnel, I would first install a vented tunnel. Then the jackplate, then the 4 blade tunnel prop(more cup). Then run and adjust for what kind of loads u might normally run. If you run different size loads often, a hydraulic jack might be best.



Good post!  With the exception of the vent, that's exactly how my boat was setup before I repowered it to jet.

As a prop it got about 33mph gps wot, as a jet it gets about 25mph gps wot.  Of course I also added a lot of weight between those two comparisons so take that with a grain of salt.  As long as my home water is the river I'll be keeping it a jet.  We've talked about relocating to the coast and if we ever do that, I'll reprop it to use for the tidal creeks and flats.

I'd also definitely recommend the hydraulic jack plate regardless.


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