# Finally on the water again.



## Chewie (Jul 16, 2014)

Well over a very cold winter my project is finally mostly done. 
After hitting a rock last year and having to have shoulder surgery and a lump still in my leg I decided to make some changes to my current setup. I cut the damaged bottom of my boat out and welded a new section in. My boat had a drain that that ran the length of the boat and I thought it was disturbing the jet in the turns. It would cavitate and I would lose momentum in the turns, not good. I also made all aluminum console that now sits about 3/4 up in the middle of the boat, and I mean my good friend and neighbor "Brad" made it and I just gave him an idea of what I wanted. I can weld aluminum but he's better. The old side console was in the rear and I couldn't see very well in the shallow waters. The river we mostly run is very rocky in places. I also retired my 1972 85 horse Johnson and bought a 1988 150 GT Johnson and put a jet foot on it. 
I had the console rhino lined and also the new section (inside) of aluminum we welded in. 
Sunday I finally got to test what we had done. 
The boat handles 100% better, no cavitaion in the corners, was awesome. With the new motor, fuel and 3 people (roughly 1000lbs) it planed in about 30 ft, I didn't think that was bad for a 2072 pig. It stays on plane at very low throttle so I'm pretty pleased. The top end was not what I expected but o well, I know it's never gonna be a rocket. It has the standard aluminum impeller.
Hopefully my pictures loaded. The pictures from the build are to big, the only pics that would load are of the test run. One of the pictures are at 1/2 throttle (i think the bottom one) and the other one is when I opened her up. I will try and figure out how to load the other pictures.


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## Chewie (Jul 16, 2014)

So far I could only get one picture would load.


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## Stumpalump (Jul 16, 2014)

Wow....you don't mess around do you? =D>


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## Canoeman (Jul 17, 2014)

Thats a beast!!


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## Chewie (Jul 17, 2014)

Here is a couple more, kinda shows what we did.


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## Jeeper (Jul 17, 2014)

Looks like you fixed the problems alright thats one heck of a boat you've got...what rivers you running in around indy the white or ? I'm north of you about an hour run the tippy and wabash...just wondered


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## Chewie (Jul 17, 2014)

Thank you, I think an 1860 would probably be better for what I use it for but they didn't have one in stock so I went ahead and bought this. We mostly run the white river from Broad Ripple to just North of Noblesville. I went to the Wabash once last year and met Harvey, Chris and a few others and had a good ole time. Pretty rocky north of Indy. I really think Alumacraft makes a pretty decent boat. I sure would love to be able to afford a Jetcraft Extreme Duty or a Firefish but a little to much money for me.


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## fishbum (Jul 18, 2014)

Interesting! I have a 1860 alumacraft
With that same keel down the middle and I have been suspicious that it was causing
me some issues. I have a 150 mercury on her right now and it runs ok but think that keel is an issue
I have been thinking about doing the same thing you did but maybe going farther,
Like cut out a 3-4' strip about 12' long
And putting a 3/16 plate there. Welding it to the sides of the ribs
And bracing inside! Most hits seem to be in the center!
The thing on your boat did you install the pods or was it factory? 
Been wondering how they effect the boat?
I have a 175 hp sport jet motor and pump I want to put in something
But not sure this is a good candidate.


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## Djknyork (Jul 18, 2014)

Nice rig for sure. How fast do you think your getting?


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## Chewie (Jul 18, 2014)

Their is no doubt it was affecting the way it handled. I took it out today and handled like a different boat than before. It was pretty damn nimble today for being so big. I was going through the same rocky place today that I did the damage last year. Almost hit the same damn rock but lucky it turned like it should. We went through that part with the sun in our eyes so I got lucky. It will fishtail a little bit now where before it would not at all. The pods were factory, as ugly as they are I wouldn't want to run this boat without them. I can run on plane about 1/4 throttle with the 150 and pretty sure it's because the pods. If you could fab that 175 sport jet in that 1860 it would fly, I think anyways. I wanted to put a small block inboard in this but it would have just taken to long. I just can't take that much time off work.
As far as top speed I don't know yet, I'm still trying to get the motor to run better. Ran pretty decent up river for about 10 miles. We sat for a couple hours and on the way to the boat ramp it ran like shit again. Plugs looked really bad so thats where I'm going to start. If I was going to guess the best it would run maybe mid 30's. I'll get a good GPS reading on it once I get the motor dialed in.
Wish I could afford a big 250 on the back, but I can't.


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## dhoganjr (Jul 19, 2014)

Excellent job on the fab work, should do great once you get it dialed in. I would think it would get about 40. The 250's are awesome engines once you run one. I think once you get to the 1860 and above range with a jet at least 150 is needed. I made do with the 115/80 for 12 years, it did good with just me and loaded light but with everything else it struggled.


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## fishbum (Jul 20, 2014)

Chewie, If you want a 1860 I will trade you!
Not motors but hulls!


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## Chewie (Jul 21, 2014)

I think I'll keep it for a while fishbum. If I didn't do all this work maybe so. It is handling pretty good now, if I can just get this motor dialed in I'll be pretty happy.


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