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An Obvious Question

BoHawg

BoHawg

Well-known member
Well, I've asked this question of several of my friends and nobody seems to know the answer. Maybe some of you guys can help. The question is, why doesn't someone build an unsinkable airboat? I've seen 'glass boats with voids that would hold plenty of foam and not weigh hardly any more. I guess I can see why you can't really do it with an aluminum boat, but it seems to me like you could do it with a 'glass boat or a deckover.
 
Bo, you don't even need to use foam ..... that will actually absorb water over time.
You can use airbags, and they weigh next to nothing.

Good post.

olf
 
Bo, this is wild but after posting that article about the woman who drowned, I wondered why emergency AB's could not have the same type of airbags around the sides that the game wardens do. GOOD POST, GUY! maybe Faron or some other AB guys could come up with some ideas.

Joel
 
here is an idea i had but i dont't have time to fool with it. under the gunnell from the front side of the bow but not around the bow to around the aft and other side.attach a small rail system that you can take flexable pvc stich it together and stitch somthing on it to attach to the rail.co2 cartridges to fire off and inflate at water pressure or inflate pull cord like an auto inflate pfd.to quickly expand the pvc float out to either raise your boat after sinking or if you have the mind to pull the inflate cord to stop it from sinking.it would be light weight somewhere around 30 pounds at most just a guess.then after raising the boat if the battery still works or you can get a spare you can bilge pump it out or be towed to shallower ground.
 
and i forgot to say when you have done youre recovery deflate roll up tubeing add new co2 cartridge and reuse again and again.when needed.
 
I saw an aluminum boat back years ago that from the rear
looked kinda like a pontoon boat with a bottem between
the pontoons but no transom I don't remember how the
bow was configured, but it was different, at idle the water
was all the way up under the rigging never saw it on a
plane but i bet sliding backward would be tricky. I think it
was over around Deland, late seventies.
 
This is gonna sound completely whacked, but I've only had two drinks tonight .... honest. :roll:

You guys that have walk-arounds or compartments along the sheer rail of your boats could fabricate some airbags, and use the triggers that are in the automatic PFD's, the ones that fire when they get wet.

Obviously, because of volume a little CO2 cartridge isn't going to be enough to fill them, but they could be connected to an aluminum cannister about the size of an average fire extinguisher that would do the job.

It's doable, and I'll bet that if one of y'all on here were to put your younger minds to it you could develope a retro-fit system that would save an airboat for less than $500.

Then call Faron so he can offer it as an option ..... :) .

olf
 
Ya know, if you make airboats quiet, and then make them unsinkable, everyone will want one.

Maybe that's not such a good idea? :shock:
 
Glenn, if one of y'all wants to take one of these wild a$$ ramblings of mine and try to make a dollar with it, go for it.

At last count I think I've fielded seven ideas that I think could be moneymakers, but I believe Rick also knows that I don't want any part of the profit if it works. Public forum ..... just do it.

I would like a little discount if I buy one of 'em though. :)

olf
 
I have done Floatation and Air Tight Boxes and considered
"Pop-out AirBags"

However it's not for everyone, alot of paramiters change. Having the right boat with the right design for your terrain is crucial.


My motto is "If you can dream of it, we can build it!"
 
With flotation in the hull, would the boat be more willing to roll upside down after it swamps? With all of the high weight in an airboat with the motor and passengers it could make a swamped boat unstable. That could be more dangerous that dropping tail down to the bottom. It also may be a lot harder to recover the boat if it is upside down.

Just food for thought
Wilson
 
Mike at Floral City Airboats is currently building some new 0540 powered airboats for FWC and all of them have a "flotation tank" in them. It looks like a narrow fuel tank mounted on the bottom of the boat under the engine. As wide and tall as the fuel tank just not as deep front to back. They are closed cell foam filled.
 
Wilson, dropping to the bottom in waist deep water isn't what I think some of these guys were worried about. Dropping to the bottom in 150' of water is a different story.

If the bags were made to deploy on a short length of heavy line (like a tow strap) and the ends of those straps were anchored on either side of the cage, it's possible that they would keep the engine from going under and keep the boat upright at the same time.

Thinkin out loud again.

olf
 
I think Leo and I are on the same page here ..... trying to keep either the bow or the transom afloat is the objective, and his solution is simpler than mine. Actually, a permanently installed airbag, in-place under a foredeck and only inflated enough to keep it's shape (allows for expansion on hot days) will do the same thing and weigh less.

Trying to keep the entire boat afloat and upright looks to me like it would require a lot of gear. The objective in my mind is to not lose the craft in deep water, and have something to hold on to until rescue comes.

olf
 
Flotation doesn't have to be real sophisticated, or pretty to work.

My next door neighbor has an old Grumman square transom aluminum canoe. It's a fine little fishin rig. He keeps some old empty plastic bleach jugs in the compartment in the bow (he'd made a bulhead up there out of plywood), and has one or two ty-raped under a couple of the seats. We took it down to the dock one day and filled it with water just to see. It floats. It ain't pretty, but it works.

olf
 
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