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New to airboating

A

abennett

Member
Hello,
I am stationed in the Outer Banks of North Carolina with the Coast Guard.
I don't have an airboat, but I am very interested in getting one. The Pamlico Sound is very shallow in places and is perfect airboat country. I have seen several in the area, but I havent seen any for sale. Does anyone know of any airboat dealers out this way? If there is anyone out there who lives in coastal North Carolina or Virgina, any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm not looking to buy right now, but in the near future. Thank you much,
Ashley Wayne Bennett, U.S. Coast Guard.
 
Welcome to Southernairboat - the absolute best airboat education available and it's free.

If you are looking to buy or run an airboat on Pamlico Sound, you will need stainless rigging and polymere protection on the hull bottom regardless of whether you choose an aluminum hull or a fiberglass hull.

Power options are limited only by your wallet.
 
Ashley, I am in the Charleston, SC area, which is not too far from you, relatively speaking. I am wanting to start building an airboat myself, or rather assembling it. I too have been looking for anyone in this area that runs and airboat. I know they exist because i have seen (or at least heard!) a handfull of them over the past few years. I live only about 8 miles from the upper Cooper River which looks to me like great airboat waters. I have fished and boated on the river a lot over the past several years and just recently got interested in airboating. I am not sure about NC, but here in SC, it is illegal to operate an airboat from the saltwater/freshwater dividing line SOUTHWARD towards the coast..in other words, no airboating in the saltmarsh. Even with that restriction, there is a lot of swamp and river to ride in...anyway..just wanted to say hello from nextdoor...Fred
 
fred wook, My in-laws live in ravenel just outside of charleston. I have noticed the nice marsh off hwy 17 when visiting them and always wondered if you could run airboats there.Would love to bring my boat up on the next trip.
 
Ashley, welcome.
Like Big Daddy said, preparing an airboat for running in saltwater is much different, but it's not anything that can't be done.

No chromed or plated parts in your boat ..... use stainless for everything from the screws that hold your deck cleats to the clamps on your mufflers. Plan on washing down with fresh water everytime you trailer the boat.
If you have any aluminum pieces on your engine (valve covers, timing cover, propeller hub, etc) you'll need to coat them with either clear engine enamel or a product that I like, Nyalic (Eastwood Company) to protect them from corrosion, and you can plan on re-coating them a couple of times a year if you want to keep them looking good.

Salt water runnin is some of the most beautiful boating there is, but salt is an enemy to anything mechanical. Not just airboats, but inboard and outboard power boats too.

I would definitely recommend that you buy a fiberglass hull, have it rigged with stainless tubing, and then coat or paint everything else that's not stainless or plastic. JMO.

olf
 
There are miles of beautiful waters near Ravenel. The state has defined the saltwater/freshwater line for most rivers and streams along the coast. I believe that hwy 17 is the line on several bodies of water in that area but i would have to double check to make sure. You should be good to ride anything to the north of that. The ACE basin (Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto river area is beautiful and connects many swamp systems (Four Holes Swamp is one of the largest). There are, however, some restricted areas do to it being a preserve. Nevertheless, there should still be plenty of area to ride. I am working on finding out the EXACT limits of this area since i plan on getting a rig together soon. I would love to hitch a ride on your boat if you ever get up this way....Fred
 
Fred, I'd enjoy seeing your part of the country one of these days. I fish salt marsh a lot, and I'm a big fan of the low country.

Anybody that's never seen those big Reds streamin across the water about daylight leavin a wake that looks like a small submarine, trying to root out some crab around an oysterbed in a low country marsh is definitely in for a treat.

olf
 
Thank you all for the warm welcome. I know all to well the effects of salt water. I am an engineer in the Coast Guard and I spend alot of time doing preventative maintenance on our boats, so the salt does not destroy them. Before I came here, I was stationed in Freeport Texas and being from Alabama, I have spent many a childhood summer on the redneck rivera. I run a locally built traditional wood, Hatteras style skiff with a 2 stroke suzuki 25 on the back. It's flat bottom makes it Ideal for the Pamlico sound, but she still can't do what an airboat can. Whenever I take the skiff out, I flush the engine with fresh water. This fall I would like to sell the skiff and begin my search for an airboat. I don't want anything too big. Perhaps something with a four banger. There aren't any hills on the outer banks, so I need something that can go over shoals and maby onto a beach. Thanks again for the warm welcome.
Ash.
 
ALL ALUMINUM HAS TO BE CLEANED SOME TIME OR ANOTHER.JUST LIKE ALL ALUMINUM TRAILERS.

11'7 ALUMINUM FULL DECK , 200 LYCOMING , STEAL FLEX , VERY INPORTANT POWDER COATED STAND AND STAINLESS STEAL CAGE AND RIGGIN.

I WAS IN WILMINGTON BEACH A FEW MONTHS AGO AND THERE WAS THE BOATS I JUST TALKED ABOUT FILLING UP WITH 93OCT.THEY WERE HEADING OUT FOR FLOUNDER GIGGIN.

REMEMBER THIS IS NOT AN OFF SHORE BOAT.THOSE BOATS WILL RUN OVER THE BEACHS AND UP IN THE GRASS AS FAR AS YOU WANT TO GO.

ASHLEY KEEP IT LIGHT , ITS EASIER TO GET OFF THE BOTTOM!!

GOOD LUCK BE CAREFUL, AND YOU WILL BE JUST FINE!!!!!
 
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