Polly ?

[John C]

I know that there has been alot of posts on polly vs slick bottom. Has anybody switched from any kind of epoxy type bottom (Frog spit, steelflex, slick bottom), to polly on a glass hull and regret it? I have been running a 15x8 ft glass Apache hull with slick bottom for the last 5 years. I get about 2 duck seasons out of one application. The boat runs great the way it is, will going to polly change the way it rides much? Once all the holes are drilled in the bottom of the boat and the pollys on, its kinda hard to go back to slick bottom. But with the water level being down so low its scary seeing what has been uncovered, rocks, fence posts, pipes, stumps, all kind of junk. Polly just seems to be the safe way to go.

 

[SwampMatt]

My fiberglass hull once had Polymer on it. All the holes have been glassed over and it now has FrogSpit.

It is possible to go back. My hull may not be my favorite part of my boat, but it's not because of the repaired bolt holes. Whoever did the repair did a very good job.

You are going to add a LOT of weight with a sheet of polymer in addition to the bolts - and on fiberglass, washers and nuts too.

I often see Poly on the smaller glass hulls. It's not as much weight to add a small piece. I'm not sure how many big glass hulls have it.

I'm curious about what comments you'll see on this one.

matt.

 

[CRACKERSTYLE]

I had a sweet running glass hull with slick bottom. Handled great and ran the hill were most my buddies would get stuck (The Churchyard). I finally got tired of flipping it over and putting slick bottom on it (wish someone made some that last). The water was always low and I got tired of avoiding the sand and the gravel roads in the marsh. So I flipped it over one last time and put the extra wide polymer on it and bolted it down every 4 inches instead of 6 inches (didnt want any bubbles) Well you gotta give somewere and man my boat doesnt run the hill like it used (no brainer) we run hill all night long and I was struggling and the boat did not perform like it used to in the water. Now the boats I out ran out run me...(HEAVIER)..but I can drive over asphalt, logs, sand, gravel roads etc NO MAINTANCE. There is no WIN WIN situation. Do I regret it ...kinda

 

[goldhunter_2]

well this is a mix of boats . I have plain alum hulls go over the dikes no problem, I know guys that use frog spit and say they like it but I don't see it go on there next boat :?: the glass hull I got now has Poly and I love that stuff

just my two cents wroth

 

[harvey]

It really depends on you and what you want. I went from poly to silck bottom. I have few regrets. I always thought about that poly coming loose and flipping me. I love the performance and reduced weight that I have now. Paul Dixon built my boat---I can take it back to him---he pulls out the rigging, flips it over, sprays on a new bottom, and has me ready to go in a couple of days for less than $400. All sprayed on bottoms are not the same---the resins vary. I can unload on dry ground and usually turn the boat around easily by hand. You can run dry till you run out of gas. Poly will heat up and you will have to stop and let it cool; but, I'm not gettin' near those oysters or runnin' down the pavement like " you know who" :lol:

 

[COLD]

I can see the benefits of both! Are Kevlar prices still through the roof? I can see poly being a real good impact absorber but a layer or two of Kevlar and maby a layer of carbon fiber first might make it aluminum tough? 8)

I'm more worried about the dead heads, boulders, that kind of thing. Because I will be mostly running river I thought I would put a hard chine on it. That statement of running sideways as fast as it could forward reminded me of a sand rail I did for the mud. Thought also flying like doing final on a good cross wind! Loved practicing cross wind landings.

It's just handling is important! I imagine Waterthuder agrees! I have been doing BMW's to work for a while so I like to have fun driving! :lol: iT'S So much more than getting from point A to point B! 8)

 

[Olf Art]

Harvey, oyster beds are my biggest fear up here with no poly. So far I've been real lucky, but I don't try to go some places I know I could just for that reason.

I was real tempted to put poly on my hull this Fall while the boat was being rebuilt, but the holes in the hull and the weight of it is what stopped me. I hope I don't 'all of a sudden' regret not doing it one of these days.

olf

 

[Anonymous]

Hey Olf, flipping the boat over and patching a hole is no worse than flipping it over and putting on a new sheet of polymer.

No worries man, just ride

 

[crabby]

I run a 13'6 glass hull with poly, the boat is heavy no doubt you lose a lot, I think it's a sacrafice either way I'm glad I have it now with the water being this low .

 

[Daddy Dave]

I went from glass and slick bottom to aluminum and poly. Is there a difference?? Sure, for me, it's not having to look down and see lake on the chines after a morning's hunt. It's not having to go home early because another hole or rip is letting gushers in faster than the bilge pump can get it out. It's being able to run gator hunts on Okeechobee without worrying every time I hit a patch of exposed lime rock or a malelluca stump.

NO DOUBT...if I had been running glass and slick this summer...the boat would have gone down on any of a number of nights when unseen objects met my airboat hull.

There is a performance sacrifice with polymer, no way around it. But, my boat runs a lot better with its hull intact and polymer under it....than it did with gaping holes at the chine and much of the lake flowing through.

 

[crabby]

Your making a lot of sense, my glass hull is old full of patches, the only reason I'm still running it is the poly, I've been thinking about buying a new hull and I think I'm probably going to go the Aluminium route