Tunnel Hull Advice
 

Ok Guys I am very Familiar with Running Shallow Water I have a Prodrive & a Airboat. I am Interested in Putting Together a Tunnel but Dont Know a Whole Lot about them. I have a 3 Cylinder 60 Mariner with Tiller & Small Foot. I am Thinking a 18 X 42 Southfork Would Run Pretty Good. I Raced Drag Boats so I have Experience in Setting up a Boat For Speed such as Props & Jackplates. Please give Me yalls Honest Opinions of What Size Hull would Run the Best & Fastest. Also How much am I looking at Spending on a Hull Only. Thanks.

Welcome to the site !

Plenty of tunnel hull x-perts around here that will be commenting on your question...

Longer the hull the more power u can use. I new the land manager years ago for Miami that ran a 20' 48'' bottom with tunnel and up and down rapid jack 11'' offset with a unlimited Merc mod vp (Way over200hp).Had sum way managed to get 200 hp calon on it. Had to move steering about 5 foot off the front of boat. Speed was unlimited.I'm sure that this way more than u want but if I wanted one; the longer will plane out much quicker and manuver better also. Ice runner would be a must for many reasons: help with turning at high speeds and protect the bottom sum what. Good luck they can be alot fun . Diffently invest in a good push pole.

You are on the right track going with the southfork. They build the best factory tunnel on the market. If you can get away with it do not use a jack plate. Tunnels run the best with the lower unit close to the tunnel. If you do have to run a jack plate to get the motor height correct stay with a 4" setback. For a prop I would go with a powertech sw3. It is made for tunnels,has the gumbo cup already casted into the prop. They make it in a 4 blade too but in my experience they are too heavy and loose holeshot. http://www.ptprop.com/index.php?page...mart&Itemid=46

Him and his son both had big azzed motors. Together they had over 1000 gator tags. Them boats looked funny with them big motors on the back. Tiller driven 150's.

I wouldn't go with less than 18 ft with a tunnel hull. Shorter boats will give more squat on take off, dragging bottom in shallow water.

My podna just rebuilt a 1756 jon boat added a tunnel,new transom with 6" c channel,and front and rear decks. Put a 200 carb merc on it....crazy fast. It literally has instant holeshot,we got it up to 55 at 5,000 rpms with a 26 pitch 4 blade. The whole boat started tail hopping with throttle left. Gunna be a bad azz marsh boat. Wish I had some before pics this thing was bad off.

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...14353534_n.jpg

Go with a 20x42, better preformance than 18x42.
Figure $4,500 with factory floor and .100 material.

There is a nice 20x42 alweld tunnel with a 50 tohatsu on setexas.com for 7000. Boat motor and trailer are 2009 models.

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Alweld is a nice boat.....but there tunnels don't run worth a crap

I have the SWC4 and the boat meets all my expectations, it jumps on plane and will NOT cavitate no matter how hard you try and am jacked way up ... That said, I would like to try a 3 blade out for giggles...

Can you put a gas tank behind the rear seat? I looked at one a few years ago and it seemed like a gas tank wouldn't fit behind the seat due to the transom bracing.

Maybe a 6 gal....anything bigger mount it upfront by the deck. Better weight distribution anyway. Speaking of that,how does that 90 sit on the back? I got a 75 3cyl I would like to put on a tunnel. Was he able to mount it on the transom or had to use a jack plate to get it right?

Yeah mounting it on the transom is the way to go. Been wanting to get a marsh rig,got the motor for it now just gotta get a tiller for it. Think I might go a lil wider like a 1848.

Tunnel Hull Advice
 

Thanks for the Input Guys I was Thinking 20 x 42 also Beacause I have a 20 x 40 Crawfish Skiff with Prodrive That hauls a Load Well. Keep the Comments Coming. Hey Ray this is your Relief Nice Hang Out Yall Have Here.

They do much beter if you vent them:D. I run an 1844 alweld with a 3 cylinder, 45ci, 4 stroke merc, it is adequate. The water pump is a beast.

D

On the southfork tunnel, i cut out the side on my rear seat and slide the gas tank underneath it, its a 6 gal

Tunnel Hull Advice
 

Putting The Gas Tank in the Back seems Like it would Hurt Holeshot but Help Top End. I sthis Correct?

Not if ya only weigh a buck-5 like braqet. Tunnels r all about balance - weight distribution. Get it right and they'll run like a spotted azz ape. My gaz is front left, battery rear right, have to balance ice chest and riders but it will get easier the longer you drive it.

Tunnel Hull Advice
 

Please Post Pics of your Tunnel Hull Setups I need Ideas. Thanks.

mine

I am considering going with a 20x44 will it perform better than 20x42? Also 80 Gauge is $1000 cheaper than 100 Gauge is it worth that much & ?

Does Anyone have a Pic of a Pointed Bow Southfork Tunnel I cant seem to find on there website?

i have the 18x42 southfork. i extended the front deck 2 feet and mounted my 2 batteries in the front deck and i can now open my back seat and it will fit 2 6 gallon gas tanks for longer runs if needed. it is no speed boat, but i run camfortable at 30 all day long with stock 40.

I am looking at a 2003 Southfork does anyone Know if if they are built the same now as they were back then? The Sides look lower on the Older Boats just wondering what changed and are the Tunnels still the same.

Spend it now or spend it later welding up all the cracks in your boat.

Only if your going run in rough water everyday. If its going to be a marsh boat, i would rather go lighter. Also, I've seen plenty of boats run just fine with cracked welds inside. Outside cracked welds not so good.

Do anyone Know the Answer to my Question about the Tunnels Changing?

No but if you call south fork, I'm sure they could tell you. The owner's name is gaylon and he is very easy to talk to. If their number is not on their website you can do a white pages search for south fork boats in lonsdale, ar.

I bought a used 18x42 southfork Tunnel. I plan on putting my 3 cyl 60 Mariner on it I know I will have to buy a prop I was thinking a 4 blade Power tech. Does anyone know what pitch would be a good fit for this Combo?

15" or 20" shaft? MF'er should run like a spotted azz ape. For speed 3 blade 14-15 pitch, heavy loads a 4 blade would be the shizzle. What are you going to do with the boat?

Motor is a 20" I will use it for Duck Hunting, Fishing, Frogging, Camp Boat. I was thinking 13 p 4 blade or 15 p 3 blade.

How High are yall running Your Motors? Prop Shaft in the Middle of the Tunnel?

Cavitation plate is even with top of tunnel at the bottom of the boat, I have my 25hp on an aftermarket t/t so it is set back 4" or so

Thanks Alot Shawn. Thats where I will Start.

17x44 with 40hp. and my cavitation plate is about 5" above tunnel

5" above the bottom of the boat or above the top of the tunnel?

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Top of tunnel, I would post pic but my phone is screwed up

Here's a picture of weedeater's boat.

That Tunnel Looks Shallow and the Prop Shaft looks to be Center of Tunnel. What kind of Boat is that dosent look like a Southfork.

Alweld

on my southfork, at the top of the tunnel, the aluminum continues outward past the transom another 1' or so, I bent that up some using a hammer to through water a little higher due to some ever so slight cavitating at times. It saved me from adding cup to the prop.

, hope this helps

Resurection!!!

Does anyone know what a 17 to 18 ft x 48 southfork run $$$ nowadays...contemplating a new boat

Btw I have a 3cyl 40 merc with 60 carbs to slap on the back of that mudda fricka...

$2700 for I think an 18x46 Southfork on a McClain trailer out the door in Mamou...

Check the place in Beaumont that advertises on SE Texas.com. I've heard some of the guys at work talk about them being pretty cheap.

Thanks guys! If its close to that sounds darn good to me....

I bought a 1848 two yrs ago and it was more than what Bluechip said and that was without a trailer.

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Could be very true..... I was just going off what a gentleman told me but you know how it is.....sometimes they tell you anything to make it sound like the deal of the century.

I do know that he made this purchase in the last few weeks but that could have been a 17ft price to.

How does it run and perform?

If you're looking for stability and room get the 48" bottom but if you're not get the 42" or 46". With a stock mercury 40 with a console plywood floor a big front deck and three big batteries it'll do 30-31mph. Not a speed demon but a comfortable ride. I had it in Biglake a Friday in the wind and never was concerned. It handled the waves very good. My only complaint is the tunnel on the 48" bottom is wider than the tunnel on the 42" bottom and to me it doesn't run as shallow. That being said I know the boat is heavy with all the batteries in it. I'm fixing to reduce some weight in it and hopefully it'll improve some.

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