• If you log in, the ads disappear in the forum and gallery. If you need help logging in or getting registered, send request to: webmaster@southernairboat.com

Backwash

Southern Airboat Gallery Archives

New SONAR System
nice st.johns river bass!
Dixie-pup
New Jimmy White
logan at jolly gator
other side of new blade
Jim,

If you are REALLY lucky, all your boat will do is take on water when power is cut in deep water.

Usually, it takes on a LOT of water - as in ALL the water - when power is suddenly lost in deep water.

Nearly every airboat will sink at least once and most sinkings are caused by just what you talk about. That's why the need for a large volume / high capacity bilge pump and fire drill practice on passengers going to the port side front ASAP when power is lost unexpectedly.
 
Yep, the dangerous backwash is not the spit that enters the beer bottle after someone takes a swig. :lol:

That is one of the reasons I love those palm beach style hulls with the covered back third. They are alittle harder to swamp, but people can pick up a few bad habitats with those.

Two related questions for you fellows.

I have noted that Panther/Classic new hulls have slanted transoms and is supposed to cause the boat to ride up over the stern wave and prevent backwash (or that is what they say). Anybody have experience or comments on that?

Big Daddy - Second question is for you.
I know that fire drill move, but we always went to the front deck, why the port side? Is that due to torque?

And I have seen airboats with emergency shut off switches like outboards have. Nope, Never, or at least it will be over my dead body.
 
Take a look at the engine and rudder position in this boat:
panthermain4_r2_c1.jpg


Jim
 
I saw a hull with foam in between uper and lower fiberglass decks it was really heavy and the foam eventually got wet and hull was worthless.

the slanted back does help but you will still need to pay attention somewhat my new alumitech does lift up after the wave hits it but by then u need a jack hammer to get a straightpin up my butt.

The panther picture looks like most of the hull is decked over? might work but it still is weight and weight takes horsepower to move but I guess it is a tradeoff

a higher side but open hull will go a long ways towards keepin the boat on top and doesnt weigh that much more.

But you know there has to be something that makes drivin a airboat challenging or else everyone is gonna do it and what would us oldtimers have to talk about and teach the newbies. But I guess all things change.
 
I was told after I got my first narrow boat that wider and deeper is better.i sure believe that now.
 
On my boat, with an aircraft engine - left hand rotation - , the starboard rear corner is the torque side and always runs lowest in the water or hardest on land. Ever wonder why the starboard chine on most all aircraft hunt boats and hill boats is always the one with more patches?

Low sided boats are percieved to be faster, but even the hardest hunters are moving to high sided hulls- for example the great new Predator hull, made by Bobby Jones, Jr. Hard to sink on dry land. Easy to sink getting there across the lake.

My firedrills take the weigth forward and away from the torque side.

The one time my boat went to the bottom of Lake Cypress was when I hit a submerged illegal fence post, the fuel pump shut off and the passengers did not react to my command. My responsibility for sure, but a moments hesitation and - blub, blub, blub and a new engine.
 
Pat,

I had shut off switches on my 0320 boat for oil temp and pressure. But instead of cutting power I had it wired to a huge red light to let me know something was wrong. I know, I know just look at the gauges more often....but most of the time I was running with heavy loads and had to pay attention so I wouldn't sink or stick it. That’s why I moved to a 0540. But I would never have them cut power, that’s insane.


Kevin
 
I run a 11ft8 by 7.5 fiberglass with 26"deep sides and 21"deep transom it has a 350 with a rotator and a 6 blade turbo warp drive and every body that sees it says that it floats great.I can almost let all they way off the throtle and very little water will come over back. when it was driect drive i could let off the throttle and none would come over .but still want a bigger boat
 
I've been running a 12' Hamant & 4 cyl. Lycoming for about three years & can honestly say I've never got any backwash in it at all. The airboats I've owned in previous years have taught me to pat the gas just before it squats & these days I do it without even thinking about it, but I'm pretty sure I can let off completely & not get any water at all if I'm by myself. I don't think it would be enough to worry about even with a passenger.

Here's a picture of my airboat in the gallery:
http://www.southernairboat.com/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/373
 
I have a Diamondback boat with a chevy ZZ4 and I run deep water in the river most of the time and I get a little bit of water over the back every once in a while but not enough to worry about and zero water over the back in 3 ft or less but I have high sides also and the boat is 14 long and 7 1/2 ft wide.so far I have been very pleased with the preformance of the boat and the National Park service for whom I do Search and rescue for on the Chattahoochee river here in Georgia has been very inpressed,a big
improvement over the johnboats with the Honda jet drive outboards they have been using.
 
I also have a Diamondback with high sides and transom and I run alot of deeper water as well. If I have the fuel tank full, 100 gallons, it will take on a good deal of water in deep water when you let off but nothing to really make you wet your pants, with a quater tank it won't take on any. But everyone who rides knows the jump on the front deck drill just in case things get ugly!
 
Yep thats my boat only now I have a 30 in solid grass rake in front now
and that was some of the best money I ever spent.
 
I thought it might be yours. Since you're registered with the forum you're automatically registered with the picture gallery, so I moved that picture out of my gallery & into yours.
Thanks
 
Due To the recient post on this safety issue on cut off tethers, Tis is why I always thought cut off thethers were never installed on air boats for the simple reason of a malfunction of this feature and it was never installed on boats or talked about before. I have seen these fail for no reason on normal type boats in many cases for no reason or normally operator error ( simply operator accidentally pulling the cord out by a sudden movement in the case of intanglement)

I am not condeming the need for safety lockouts, but a simple loss of the pilot will release the pedal causing the engine to slow down at it's normal pace other than a accute loss of power than a complete shut down or caused by accidental disconnect that may occur more frequient than thrown from a boat.

Reason for is I have thought of installing this system and this is what I continue to think of back and fourth and why I haven't done it yet.

Your Thoughts!
 
my air ranger also has the tilted transom. i run the 0540 and only have 21 inch sides and transom. backwash doesn't enter the boat, it only pushes the boat forward a little. but, just as a habit for years now, i tap the throttle too....
 
Good thread... Because I work with fire departments in the north country and their airboat operators do not run like we do plus when they get a call the back wash is not the first thing on their mind. So I helped Alumitech develop a back wash guard. This is under the frame work for the rudders and it is open when you are running but closes when you let off the gas. It dose help stop the water that would come in under the frame . But I also teach the --- go to the bow NOW ---
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top