New guy, new to airboats

[irod]

this post was edited for content length.

[swampfox]

This is my opinion. But if ya don't care bout speed. These r my thoughts. Don't know ur budget either so here goes. Crate motors r relatively cheap. 2:38 gearbox. 3 blade prop. Find ya a 14 ft hull. At least 7 ft wide. Plenty of room fer that live well and will haul 3 with extra gear. Climb dikes and catch fish. Then after it runs break , out another thousand. A. I. R. B. O. A. T

[mojoe]

3 grown men and a 250lb livewell, plus an extra battery and a trolling motor in the airboat world is considered loaded down.

If you are genuinely only jumping dikes (easier that it looks) and running water too fish, a wide 13-14' glass hull with around mid 200 hp will do nicely. Ac or cm. If you end up running ANY more dry than that you will need a 300+ Hp motor to carry that kind of load without tearing it up.

A 13-14' glass hull with a DD CM will get you and a buddy anywhere you NEED to go to fish. But there will be places you WANT TO GO... If you are like the rest of us, watching the "Big Dawgs" go anywhere they want will eventually cost you quite a bit more money.

Welcome to the addiction!

[Olf Art]

My best advice? Read, read, read ..... the archives on this site (Search ... upper right) are slam full of all the information you'll ever need to get you started. Spend some serious hours there. It will be time very well spent.

[kwanjangnihm]

easy question first - what kind of a budget are you looking at? 5K, 10K, 15K, 20K, or unlimited funds ??

[odcjohn]

probly best boat would be a fiberglass deep side because new at it with a 520 conversion or 470 ac or sbc with gear box

[irod]

if anyone has a buddy with the 'perfect boat for me' for sale, by all means send them my way.

[Lwells]

I probably have what you need without an engine but I'm not down there to show you right now but if you will text me or call me then maybe we can figure something out. I have a wide body fiberglass . 859-585-9921 larry

[BigDaddyT]

Whatever direction you decide to go, please do yourself a favor and take someone knowledgeable with you to buy your first boat. I didn't do that and thought that I was getting exactly what I wanted. I was so excited that I overlooked several items that caused me a lot of grief. The fiberglass hull had cracks which weren't readily noticeable, and the engine ran but I was unable to test it on the water. The engine turned out to be shot so it is being completely rebuilt as well as repairing the fiberglass and steelflex on the hull. This has been an expensive lesson in trusting someones word to be the truth. I was told it was a turnkey boat. Maybe I misunderstood our conversation as it turned out to be a turkey..... I have learned my lesson and hate to see others fall into the same trap that I did. Best of luck on whatever you decide on.

[odcjohn]

second that ^^^^^^^^^^

[Krahammer]

Drew, I got my boat to jump dikes and bass fish where go fast guys can't go. I carry 3 others, a well and have a 24 volt trolling motor. That means LOADED down. Mine is an open GTO 14' hunter with 383 crate engine. Dyno sheet show 450 hp and 435 ft/lbs torque. It goes anywhere I want to go.

[irod]

awesome replies, guys.

word of the day: be careful of a 'turkey', instead of ''turnkey'.