# Cast and Blast boat ideas



## [email protected] (May 11, 2012)

4 years ago I had Beavertail work with me to build a Cast/Blast rig which became the BTX model.The Gatortail motor I tested on hull in Louisana needed more power and hull bottom needed redesign.I was offered a Cam kit to make 35 a 50.What I got wasn't and after 3 monthes of mechanical issues had BT replace with 50 2 stroke on jackplate.Great for shallow water but not for mud. Now I want to go with a hybrid duck/flats aluminum hull with surface drive.Any experience with this design would be appreciated.Builders that can accomplish welcomed.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Each one of the surface drive manufacturers have their own line of boats. Pick out the drive you want and then match it to a boat.

I have seen some drives on a run of the mill jon but the specialty boats are light years ahead.


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## jayb1 (Jul 22, 2010)

call backwater inc. and talk with dan,he is a really nice guy
and has a good ear.they build mud motors and boats
check out their videos on youtube. also they are building 
poling skiffs called skinny fly skiffs bossman boats are selling them under their name bossman skiffs
they are nice looking skiffs in the pictures.


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## rashouri87 (Jul 2, 2009)

i'm running a Gatortail 1840 with a 23 GTR and its a very well matched rig. I agree with ducknut though that I would match the engine to the boat, or at least find a builder who builds for the engine you want b/c the differing characteristics of each brand of motor warrant slight changes to the hull. good luck!


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## WhiteDog70810 (May 6, 2008)

All of the purpose built mud motor boats that I have seen aren't that architecturally complex.  There just aren't really any compromises available if you want a hull that truly exploits the benefits of a mud motor.  Beavertail, Go-Devil and Gator Trax all make solid boats that primarily differ on amenities and aesthetics.  I wouldn't reinvent the wheel to make an aluminum mud boat.  I am partial to the Go-Devil hulls myself just because I liked their construction when I saw them in person.

What was the problem with the Beavertail that led you to repower with an outboard instead of finding a mud motor that better fit your needs?

Nate


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

From his post Nate I think it was because he couldn't get the upgrade in motor to line up. 

As you stated to exploit the benefits of these motors and putting in on a hull like the BTX would be like buying an F350 lowering it and putting on 13" tires. Of course it can be done but it is not the optimal setup.


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## WhiteDog70810 (May 6, 2008)

When I first responded, I didn't know the availability of 50 HP mud motors.  I looked around for a stock 50 HP surface drive and found some scary big mud motors made by Mud Buddy... if you have the money.  The 5000 costs over $8.5K and the 7000 costs almost $10K!   Every other brand maxs out at 35 HP and uses twin motor set-ups for bigger boats.  If he has the sponsoons that Beavertail likes to use, he probably doesn't have room for twins. However the BTX doesn't have sponsoons, so twin 25 HP surface drives might be kinda cool.

Nate


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## jarededwards (Jan 27, 2011)

http://www.mudmotortalk.com/

Everyone I know who's tried both says stick with a round chine mud motor boat with a .125 true flat bottom and nothing else. GoDevil started the trend that's currently being won by GatorTail's belt drive with logical reverse and ProDrive's gear drive setup with wait for it... full power reverse.

Excel's F4 looks killer but they had problems getting the transom to feed good water to the motor on last year's 2011 model... supposed to have fixed that though.

Everyone says go 35 hp surface drive on anything over 15 feet these days but I've yet to ride in one. The motors rated higher than that are basically souped-up versions of the basic Vanguard that all the big manufacturers offer. The latest mudmotor technology is making these boats more and more interesting though... like the new Marine version that actually might not rust through in the salt in 5 years or less.


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## jdd1091 (Dec 28, 2009)

> http://www.mudmotortalk.com/
> 
> Everyone I know who's tried both says stick with a round chine mud motor boat with a .125 true flat bottom and nothing else.


X2


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