need someone to put a tunnel in my boat

[SHANE704]

does anybody know of someone that knows what they are doing and can put a tunnel in my 1754 war eagle. preferrably (sp?) in south MS but dont mind driving for quality work. Thanks for any and all help...

[TODO]

im guessing it would be cheaper and better to sell your boat and get a tunnel from the factory. Unless im missing something there would be a lot of cutting and welding involved to convert it

[SHANE704]

ive seen several boats that have been tunneled that didnt come from the factory that way...

sell my boat (get $8500 if im lucky) and buy a new one jus like it with a tunnel ($14,000) - thats $5500.

Cut a 10-12"x3' rectangle out of my boat and re-weld some new stock in there...if it costs anywhere near $5500, Ill pass...

now anyone know of someone that could do the work?

[curcio13085]

ive seen several boats that have been tunneled that didnt come from the factory that way...

sell my boat (get $8500 if im lucky) and buy a new one jus like it with a tunnel ($14,000) - thats $5500.

Cut a 10-12"x3' rectangle out of my boat and re-weld some new stock in there...if it costs anywhere near $5500, Ill pass...

now anyone know of someone that could do the work?

what kind of hull costs $8500

[SHANE704]

i was talkin hull and motor

[lipsplitter39654]

i have some experience running tunnel hull boats. i think you would be better off to start from scratch if a tunnel is that important to you. i dont think you will get the results that you want. most tunnel boats are built around the tunnel and it is not really an add on. it may work but i would think long and hard before i let someone cut on that nice of a boat. last time i checked war eagle didnt make a tunnel so it may effect the handling and ride if you start cutting on the hull. if i did it i would take it to some where like lynn welding or i could get it down to gator trax for you. i wouldnt do it but if i did it would be done by the best aluminum welder i could find.

[SHANE704]

I have already got a hydraulic jackplate on the boat and have seen other boats similar to it with tunnels...i talked to ms marine and was told that they have a local machine shop put tunnels in boats when ppl want them....i was jus hoping to find someone that really knew what they were doing to do the work. I have researched it a ton and have learned alot about tunnel hulls like the need to vent them and such...

[JimAire]

Let us know how the performance was affected after the tunnel is installed. Thanks

[MudHog]

I have already got a hydraulic jackplate on the boat and have seen other boats similar to it with tunnels...i talked to ms marine and was told that they have a local machine shop put tunnels in boats when ppl want them....i was jus hoping to find someone that really knew what they were doing to do the work. I have researched it a ton and have learned alot about tunnel hulls like the need to vent them and such...

Sounds to me like you found the place to do it. I would seriously doubt that is that local machine shop doesn't know what they were doing, MS Marine wouldn't be sending them boats to modify.


You mentioned you already have a hydro jackplate. I would highly suggest a water pressure gauge for your engine. With a hydro jackplate AND tunnel hull, you can get yourself into some trouble. Not only a stuck boat, but you can jack that motor up enough to lose water pressure and overheat the engine.

[BAY KINGFISHER]

I was thinking the same thing Mud, maybe a low water pick up as well..

[kris Schaumburg]

yeah, depending on what you got, get a bob's nose cone and you can run that sucker in wet dew

[SHANE704]

thanks guys...i talked to the guy and he was very informative and said he has done numerous tunnels and puts sponsoons on them as well...his prices were pretty reasonable for the work involved. I have gone to questioning if i really want a tunnel or not...he made it clear that there are positives and negatives and you jus have to weigh them out to how you are going to be using the boat. im lookin for some input from anybody who has had a tunnel hull before....i run in some big rivers as well as the shallow local rivers, does running the boat in some choppy water affect a tunnel hull design? how much speed am i lookin at losing on a 1754 with a 50hp yamaha 2 stroke. i can bump 32mph as is...

[Kealhofer]

thanks guys...i talked to the guy and he was very informative and said he has done numerous tunnels and puts sponsoons on them as well...his prices were pretty reasonable for the work involved. I have gone to questioning if i really want a tunnel or not...he made it clear that there are positives and negatives and you jus have to weigh them out to how you are going to be using the boat. im lookin for some input from anybody who has had a tunnel hull before....i run in some big rivers as well as the shallow local rivers, does running the boat in some choppy water affect a tunnel hull design? how much speed am i lookin at losing on a 1754 with a 50hp yamaha 2 stroke. i can bump 32mph as is...

You are going to lose about 15% of your speed. Without the hydro jack plate you wouldn't be able to get anything out of the tunnel. I had a Gatortrax with a tunnel and used it from the La marsh to Ms river. I don't think you will gain anything with that boat. I say keep that money and spend it on something else. TOTAL WASTE OF YOUR MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SHANE704]

I said i DO already have a hydraulic jack plate on the boat

[sunnylab]

There aint no water in WAYNE COUNTY anyway.