BOAT MEASUREMENTS QUESTIONS

[okie]

Yesterday while installing running lights on my air boat and also having read the entries of how many times have you gone swimming. Curiosity began to nag at me about the size of my boat. When I bought it the measurements given were 14' x 7' 6" Fiber Glass Cumby Hull .

So yesterday I measured it. Length 14'3" from Bow to Stern, 16' from Bow to very back edge of Rudders. 7' at the center of the boat and 7' 6" across the stern, and 6' 6" across the Bow. At the center of the boat it is 22" deep, and at the Stern 25" deep on the corners. In the center of the Stern and about 5'6" wide it has a lip on it about 5 inches long out over the water. This lip is from the bottom of the boat to top of the lip measures 23" deep.

The bottom of the boat is very flat bottomed and with the outside of the bottom angled at about 45 degree's up to the sides of the hull and slightly rounded. It seats 5 people, Driver Seat is 64" high from bottom of boat,Center, in front of the Engine, The top of the 220HP GPU, 4 Blade Warp Drive 72" Prop., Engine is 62" from bottom of the boat. The Central Seat 2 person, measures 47" up from bottom of boat and is also almost center of the boat. The front seat 2 person measures 30" up from the bottom of the boat and is abut 5 feet back from the nose of the boat.

The weather has not been very cooperative here to put my boat in the water yet. Either freezing rain, or high winds, I have had this boat since Turkey Day Week. I am anxious to get this boat in the water, so while I am waiting for a good day. I thought I would ask. Find out as much on Air Boats as I can before I put my boat in the water, Then I will know more, and be Safer than not knowing anything.

My questions are:
1. Would this boat Roll over very easily?
2. How do you think it would handle waves from other boats?
3. How would it handle fast deep River water?
4. I read about this 3 foot deep hole in the water behind a boat on take off, What causes this?

Argument is the show of ignorance, and Discussion is the show of Intelligence.

 

[dantheairboatman]

The hole behind the boat is juts the boat settling down or taking off just like a bass boat. Start off in shallow water and get some stick time with just you in the boat. You have plenty high enough sides so you should be fine there. The motor is a little high but not a deal breaker. It looks top heavy but you will most likely be surprised ar how well it rides. The gyro effect of the motor and prop keep her upright. Look back when you slow down for your back wash. Don't turn sharp and let off the gas or while idleing don't turn and gas then let off or you will dip one side down and take on water :shock: enjoy and always do a preflight inspection.

 

[Whitebear]

I'll give it a shot.

1. You have a fairly stable glass hull of normal proportions for that length boat. Being a wide hard chine boat it will have less propensity to roll than a soft or rounded chime narrower boat will. All airboats will roll over though. Your is in the average category compared to most of the rest of the boats. There are wider boats and there are narrower boats. Generally that Combe is considered a stable platform for an airboat.

2. Handeling waves from other boats is more the operator than the hull. Having said that, when properly handeled it should do fine when running with other boats.

3. Fast deep river handeling again is more in the operator than the boat, but generally speaking most airboats weren't designed with high speed rivers in mind. We have some folks using them in river rescue and in tours I believe, but to me rivers mean rocks and rocks and speed are not friendly toward eachother. You really should have specialized experience and instruction before trying that.

4. As you come off of a plane or even on a plane for that matter, your boat and specifically the total weight displaces an equal amount of water. As you run forward that hull pushes a certain amount of water out of the way. That "hole" behind the boat is the space where the boat was and slightly further back and all around it is filling back in as the boat moves away. This can get folks into trouble when slowing and stopping in deep water as the inrush of water filling the displaced area builds a wave that can come right over the transom and fill the hull so quick you may or may not have time to jump on the deck and change the angle of the transom. That hole is your friend if you have to make a planing speed emergency 180 degree turn though, you can jump in it and ride right up out of it nearly in the boats own length. This is not something a novice operator should try until they have a good feel for the boat and it has become an old friend so to speak. Here there be dragons so be careful.

Hope this sheds some light. The real answers to your questions are in experience and running the boat and becoming knowledgable about how it handles. All the tech talk is fine but it wont let you FEEL what your boat likes and dislikes, that requires stick time, and the more the better.

Scotty :wink:

 

[okie]

Thanks to both of you, I got some better understanding,of what I've got in a boat. It does look top heavy, to me. That is one reason I was thinking about having the seat lowered but I think I will leave like it is for now, until I get some stick time. So I do know one thing you guys have backed me up on. That is to go easy and watch every move that I and the boat make. As for stick time I will be getting a lot of that when the weather warms up, we pretty long warm weather here when it starts, I will probably be on the water most of the time in about a year. I am that age o retire come August.

 

[Whitebear]

Sounds good man, just be careful we would lot rather read about you and your retirement here than in the Papers.

Scotty :wink:

 

[gatorfrog]

Always remeber to START STAIGHT :!: and STOP STAIGHT ,,,perfebly in shallow water or weeds.. if in deep-water...let boat slowly come down off-plane wich is pretty quick , as boat comes off plane keep giving slight gas and watch wake come up to back of transom power away from wake by blowinjg wave down some times till boat settles and bow comes back up. All else fails give her gas :!: "Aircraft Engines" like to torc RIGHT... put the BIG GUY in left seat!!!

 

[CONTINENTAL CRACKER]

IF YOUR BOAT IS LIKE MY BUDDYS COMBY YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY TO MUCH.IT SHOULD BE A REAL FORGIVING HULL,EVEN IF IT IS TOP HEAVY.IT SHOULD RUN PRETTY GOOD WITH THAT 220 GPU.I HAVE A BUDDY THAT HAS A 14X7.6 GILIO WITH A OLD STYLE 350 AND BELT BOX AND HEAVY RIGGINS AND HE DON'T HAVE TO POWER THE WAKE DOWN.THOSE BOMBY HULL ARE REAL NICE HULLS.