# How important is top speed



## Kevin Turner (May 12, 2014)

I was chatting with a local (SE Missouri) fishing buddy who feels *an additiona*l 1-2 mph top speed is more important than durability (he runs a 0.80 OB Jet hull). 

What say the forum; speed or strength?


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## B.E. Nelli (May 12, 2014)

1 to 2 mph top speed sounds pretty slow to me! Haha, better check you aren't draggin the anchor!

I would take durability. Truman lake is full of a LOT of trees.


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## Kevin Turner (May 12, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=352048#p352048 said:


> B.E. Nelli » 1 minute ago[/url]"]1 to 2 mph top speed sounds pretty slow me! Haha, better check you aren't draggin the anchor! I would take durability. Truman lake is full of a LOT of trees.



LOL, thax for the catch! Edited "additional" 1-2 MPH


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## Canoeman (May 12, 2014)

The Miss up here has rocks,rocks and more rocks.. ill take durability over an additional 1 or 2 mph.


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## Seth (May 12, 2014)

The amount of work it takes to gain those few mph on the top end ain't worth it to me. I fish a lot and joy ride only a little so I'm more worried about how a boat fishes versus squeezing a little bit more performance out of it. If I wanted performance, I definitely wouldn't be running a .100 gauge Legend SS. One of my buddies went had a few Legends and then decided to try a Blazer with a perforated floor. It did run good, but he got rid of it and went back to another Legend SS for the same reasons I already mentioned. For a fishing boat, Welcraft/Legend SS has the best layout hands down for a river basser.


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## openseat (May 12, 2014)

Durability is the primary need. Just the decision to choose a jet over a prop, is to give up top speed in order to be able to run again another day. Depending on the individual circumstances, at some point the boat may be durable “enough” that this primary need is met however, and other considerations begin to come into play. Gaining only 1-2 mph wouldn’t be high on my list of other considerations.


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## bulldog (May 12, 2014)

The way I drive and fish, durability all day.


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## Ranchero50 (May 12, 2014)

I guess the real question is how much more durable is a slower hull? Is going from .080" to .125" going to make much difference when you find that one rock at speed?

I feel my .063" hull makes me more cautious than I would be with a thicker hull. But then again, with a thicker hull I'd be pushing it harder to get through the shallow spots.


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## juggernot (May 13, 2014)

I'd go for thicker every time if hitting submerged objects is expected. 1 or 2 MPH would be unnoticeable unless you were traveling very long distances at wot.


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## earl60446 (May 13, 2014)

Durable hull and reliable engine every time, as opposed to a lighter hull and performance tricks that might give me 1-2 additional mph.
That being said, everything in moderation is usually the best policy. Where I fish I hardly ever touch bottom.
Tim


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## BigTerp (May 13, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=352122#p352122 said:


> Ranchero50 » Yesterday, 10:27 pm[/url]"]I guess the real question is how much more durable is a slower hull? Is going from .080" to .125" going to make much difference when you find that one rock at speed?
> 
> I feel my .063" hull makes me more cautious than I would be with a thicker hull. But then again, with a thicker hull I'd be pushing it harder to get through the shallow spots.



Come on Jaime......I didn't think cautious was in your vocabulary??


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## rockdamage (May 13, 2014)

If you were to take one of those weldcraft SS (legend) boats and build it out of .080 it would weight about 150 lbs less. That equates into less fuel consumption, quicker planing times and better top speed. Another thing to think about is most boat manufacture's use a softer aluminum when building .100 bottom boats. Reason...... the amount of pressure it takes to press a 20ft keel in the bottom of the hull is increase exponentially when using the thicker .100 material (5005). The benefit of using .080 is the builder can use ( and does) a harder aluminum "5052" and still maintain superior strength. 
moral of the story is these boats are almost even up as far as durability when it comes to hull thickness. If you want a durable boat you must go to the 6XXX series aluminum in .125 thickness. Few companies build this type of hull and the cost is double of the tin can hulls. 

As far as legend having the best setups for river bass fishing...... Any local dealer can build the exact same setup as the weldcraft cookie cutter hulls. Blazer will build the same boat for far less money and you can design every aspect of the layout and before you let anyone tell you that one brand is any better than the other. Consider this, they are all flimsy tin cans with weld penetration of less than 60thousanths of an inch. One direct hit with a rock and they are all junk !!!!!!


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## Seth (May 13, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=352216#p352216 said:


> rockdamage » Today, 19:16[/url]"]If you were to take one of those weldcraft SS (legend) boats and build it out of .080 it would weight about 150 lbs less. That equates into less fuel consumption, quicker planing times and better top speed. Another thing to think about is most boat manufacture's use a softer aluminum when building .100 bottom boats. Reason...... the amount of pressure it takes to press a 20ft keel in the bottom of the hull is increase exponentially when using the thicker .100 material (5005). The benefit of using .080 is the builder can use ( and does) a harder aluminum "5052" and still maintain superior strength.
> moral of the story is these boats are almost even up as far as durability when it comes to hull thickness. If you want a durable boat you must go to the 6XXX series aluminum in .125 thickness. Few companies build this type of hull and the cost is double of the tin can hulls.
> 
> As far as legend having the best setups for river bass fishing...... Any local dealer can build the exact same setup as the weldcraft cookie cutter hulls. Blazer will build the same boat for far less money and you can design every aspect of the layout and before you let anyone tell you that one brand is any better than the other. Consider this, they are all flimsy tin cans with weld penetration of less than 60thousanths of an inch. One direct hit with a rock and they are all junk !!!!!!



I didn't know that about the different grades of aluminum. As far as the price of the Blazer with the Legend layout, I have never priced a custom boat. It may be something I will look in to in the future when I am ready to upgrade though. I'd love a boat with that same layout, but with a perforated floor instead of carpet and few other minor changes.

Does the horsepower ratings decrease for a Blazer in the same hull size? I'd be looking at an 1856 or 1860 with a 175 or 200hp non HO Etec.


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## Brian J (May 19, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=352044#p352044 said:


> Kevin Turner » 12 May 2014, 09:10[/url]"]I was chatting with a local (SE Missouri) fishing buddy who feels *an additiona*l 1-2 mph top speed is more important than durability (he runs a 0.80 OB Jet hull).
> 
> What say the forum; speed or strength?


Strength hands down. An old friend and river rat once told me, "speed don't matter, you can only fish one hole at a time anyhow". Of course it was kind of tongue and cheek and he had one of the fastest boats (a Riverpro) on the the river.


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## dhoganjr (May 19, 2014)

Strength, been running the same .100 guage Alweld hull for the last 12 years. It shows it's wear but it has been over boulders, chunk rock, logs and gravel bars more than I care to say. Never owned an .080 guage so I really can't compare them. 

Yes the 250 Pro XS gives it the speed, but I mostly cruise between 35-40 mph getting about the same fuel usage as the 115. I don't like feeding her very long at WOT. :shock: at the gas pump.


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## Kevin Turner (May 20, 2014)

> Strength hands down. An old friend and river rat once told me, "speed don't matter, you can only fish one hole at a time anyhow". Of course it was kind of tongue and cheek and he had one of the fastest boats (a RiverPro) on the the river.


Man, I sure do miss that ole bugger. He bought the very first RiverPro....

EDIT: Brian, what do you think Tom would've done the first time Sapper passed him with his OB RiverPro?


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## SPACECOWBOY (May 20, 2014)

I am rarely going over 35 mph ,make my boat strong,the river is full of hole making stuff.



> OB RiverPro?


 anyone have a pic i would love to see that!


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## Wood_Duck (Jun 10, 2014)

I run a .080 but at the time it was the boat that fit my budget, plus its just a light 1546 so it won't hurt as bad hitting something as a heavy hull. I have to watch for some ledges here and there but for the most part I don't run anything too extreme and a few contacts with bottom haven't resulted in anything aside from paint scratches.


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## fender66 (Jun 10, 2014)

Just made a comment to my fishing partner last weekend about how I'd like to get another couple mph on the top end. Followed that up with I WANT MORE...MORE...MORE......

Why is it that we always want more? I'm blessed MORE than I deserve and still want more. Guess that's the way of the world and kind of sad.


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## Seth (Jun 10, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=355294#p355294 said:


> fender66 » 21 minutes ago[/url]"]Just made a comment to my fishing partner last weekend about how I'd like to get another couple mph on the top end. Followed that up with I WANT MORE...MORE...MORE......
> 
> Why is it that we always want more? I'm blessed MORE than I deserve and still want more. Guess that's the way of the world and kind of sad.



I will probably be saying the same thing with the 150 after I run it for a year. Going from the 115 to the 150 is a whole new beast though so I am content for now. :LOL2:


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