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My First Trip

W

Water_Gremlin

Member
This was my first trip in my recently acquired airboat. My boat rides a bit different than the old airboat I used to drive but still fun none the less. I was pleasantly surprised with the power of this boat, quite the upgrade from the ole 912 rotax on the prior boat. After the first 5 minutes I knew exactly what Alaskatours ment by the "Leonard Wheelie." :o

Enjoy the pic

IMG_3964.jpg
 
Great photo :cheers: Three questions : The resolution is great in the photo . What camera did you use ? Is that a brake set up on the boat or trim tabs ? What is a "leonard wheelie " ?
 
My camera is a Canon SX100 IS. It's an 8meg camera so I had to reduce the size of the picture in paint so it wasn't ungodly oversize, it's still a little big for my taste but I have the picture on other forums. I'll have to see if I can change the size in photobucket, again.

Those would be trim trabs. The boat is 16' x 6' and feels kind of like a surf board with the surfer at the rear of the board going through the water. I didn't have enough water to really test the trim tabs and haven't completely figured out the boat in the water. Hopefully the rivers will open up in the next few weeks. I bet the wider models really reduce the rear end sag.
 
We are in the same boat , I got home from Florida with mine in Feb . My part of Ontario has 4 feet of ice by then . I had my boat out for 20 min or so in FL . I've been getting it out on the snow , the only water it saw up here so far is when I broke though the ice on a fast river .What a creepy feeling that was , had to tell myself " this is a boat, you're not going to die ". Going to have to learn it again on water . Break up here might be in May this year .
 
WG ,
You forgot to tell Bob what a Leonard wheelie was ......... It when you get off throttle fast and the front of the boat comes up so HIGH you have to stand up to see where you are at... :D

Bob you gotta have a boat built by Alaska Airboats to get that joke........ :wink:
 
I just got home and watched your airboat vid and the 20 mile river vid . that's some serious ass hauling ! That is the jet boat hull made of to take that?
Bob
 
looks to cold for me but pic is awesome........
see its a beltdrive and 3 blade.. what ratio and type of prop?
i have a 16x6 with no reduction or no prop yet...
 
My buddy taped and edited all the photage, including all the videos on his youtube account. Here's another good video he made of me in my old jetboat last year. I quickly learned you cannot jump sandbars in a jetboat. :D You'll love it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amfcC5be1VA

It has a 350 sbc, CH2 2:1 belt drive and a 3 blade whirlwind masterblaster. The boat definately has some torque, not the hill running torque the guy in me says I need, but I was pleasantly surprised with the power overall. The duel steering makes the tiller and throttle a bit rigid but I will get used to it.

The 20 mile run in my buddies extreme shallow was a fun one. We ran a ground at high tide, once the tide turned it left us 200 feet from the water. Needless to say it was a long night. Surprisingly, his jetboat is incredibly durable, fast, and powerful!
 
Watch when I turn the corner at second 19 of the video, at second 24 I let off the gas and at 25 you see the bow start to rise. I'm going to wait until I have a couple more trips under my belt before I give the boat a thumbs up or thumbs down.

AlaskaTours said:
WG ,
You forgot to tell Bob what a Leonard wheelie was ......... It when you get off throttle fast and the front of the boat comes up so HIGH you have to stand up to see where you are at... :D

Bob you gotta have a boat built by Alaska Airboats to get that joke........ :wink:
Click to expand...
 
WG,
My duel steering was the same way DROVE ME NUTS,That's why I disconnected my lower steering and throttle. Hopefully someone will buy it because I have the Levitator on the way gotta have help with that payment.
 
I prefer a light tiller and throttle, oh well I'll just have to get used to it. I'm going to replace the water hoses, rotor, cap, wires, plugs, and maybe one battery and I'll be good for the year. Hopefully.

Roger have you posted your boat on craigslist? That might be a good option. Also the offer is still available, email me a flyer and I'll post it around town. Or you can send me a description and pic and I'll make one for you. pm me and I'll shoot you my email if you're interested.

I'm looking forward to a Knik glacier run. Maybe we could gather an airboat crew, I know tjm would probably go in his extreme shallow. I think a 20 mile run would be more fun. It's more technical, and not so wide open balls to the wall kind of run. I'm into more techinical runs, but trying the Jim Creek flats for the first time is ALWAYS fun. :D
 
cool vids when you where stuck on low tide was it in airboat or jet drive?

if you put wedges on the jet drive to tuck motor in farther at bottom the back of boat will raise up pushing the nose down its how i rig my shallow boats can start up in even shallower water without the pontoons on back
 
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