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polymer thickness
- Thread starter futura
- Start date
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Depends on what you anticipate hitting and how hard you are gonna hit it, is there ice, rocks, logs, sand or is it simply wayward canoes we are taking about here.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Wayward canoes ?? :lol: ! I ain't touchin that one .... no sirree!
K.
K.
Airboatcapt2
Well-known member
You should get UHMW Black 3/8 Polymer.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Futura, you said the Wabash River ..... are you in Indiana?
Ken
Ken
Ron Miller
Well-known member
If the Wabash River that you are talking about is in Indina --and you are up here in the north country then you definatly want 3/8 on the bottom and 1/4 ---10" up the sides to protect the sides when braking through the ice.
All of our rivers have rocks that you will find when you least expect to; and most of them do not move or role when you find them ---So you need to protect that hull so you can get back home safe and sound.
All of our rivers have rocks that you will find when you least expect to; and most of them do not move or role when you find them ---So you need to protect that hull so you can get back home safe and sound.
marshmaster pat
Well-known member
I would go with the thicker polymer unless I was running only was and well known grass flats. However, with tropical storms and Hurricanes, shoot propane tanks, hot water heaters, logs and everything else gets moved around out here and even worst in LA.
Flew over the marsh north of where Holly Beach, LA was, it is now all out in the marsh, a line of debris that looks miles long. Sad to see the Cajun riviera all gone. Drank lots of cold ones there and talked to lots of gals.
But back to the thread, so even in the marsh I would go with the thicker polymer. Know a guy that hit a ancient marsh buggy abandoned in the marsh and I barely missed a tractor that is stuck in the marsh. Apparently got stuck by in the 1970 and just enough remains that you can recognize it for what it is.
That little bit extra thickness sure seems to provide alot of extra protection.
Flew over the marsh north of where Holly Beach, LA was, it is now all out in the marsh, a line of debris that looks miles long. Sad to see the Cajun riviera all gone. Drank lots of cold ones there and talked to lots of gals.
But back to the thread, so even in the marsh I would go with the thicker polymer. Know a guy that hit a ancient marsh buggy abandoned in the marsh and I barely missed a tractor that is stuck in the marsh. Apparently got stuck by in the 1970 and just enough remains that you can recognize it for what it is.
That little bit extra thickness sure seems to provide alot of extra protection.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Futura, Ron Miller made a good point about putting a 10" wide piece of 1/4"down each side too. Just a little more insurance for the unexpected, because I know the Wabash sometimes has a lot of driftwood and such in it after the Spring rains.
How deep is the water you run in that far North of Indy? Down South that river got real shallow in places in the Summer. We used to be able to wade it and run trot lines in July and August.
Ken
How deep is the water you run in that far North of Indy? Down South that river got real shallow in places in the Summer. We used to be able to wade it and run trot lines in July and August.
Ken
bigkavr
Well-known member
For up north, the thicker, the better. I'm running 1/2" Polymer on the bottom and 3/8" up the sides... Ice and rocks are "unkind" to the poly.. Also, the thicker the poly, the more "cushion" is available to absorb the kinetic energy of a immovable object hit.. Believe me, I know what I"m talking about here with immovable objects..... Right Sniper?? 
futura
Member
Big Feather. the wabash can get down to 3-4 inches in the summer on the rapids with limestone bottom but you can find deeper holes that can be 10 ft deep thats were the cats like to be unless the water is up then they venture out, Used steel flex on the bottom this year and the shoreline will take it off in a hurry, have some pretty good good scratches the the bottom but nothing severe it is 1/4 inch no stress aluminum. Boat in storage for the winter but will try to find supplier in my area for 3/8 if i cant will need to find a way to have it shiipped to me. A lot of fema trailers are built north of me so maybe ill find one of them to haul up some poly when they are going to pick up a trailer.
big feather":3vk3ju36 said:
A
Anonymous
Guest
Futura, That is a very cool new picture !
Faron, who is a very respected builder here in Florida, earlier posted that you need to specify UHMW Poly when you order it. It's a much tougher material than some. Don't settle for anything less .... an airboat that nice is certainly worth it.
I understand the rocky, skinny water you run in sometimes on the Wabash. You can be in 3" water one day, and two days later after heavy rains, 3 feet. Pretty old river though, and some great cat fishin'.
Ken
Faron, who is a very respected builder here in Florida, earlier posted that you need to specify UHMW Poly when you order it. It's a much tougher material than some. Don't settle for anything less .... an airboat that nice is certainly worth it.
I understand the rocky, skinny water you run in sometimes on the Wabash. You can be in 3" water one day, and two days later after heavy rains, 3 feet. Pretty old river though, and some great cat fishin'.
Ken