# 1993 Claycraft Marshrunner



## Dobre (Nov 19, 2019)

Recently sold one of my gheenoes to get into something bigger. I found a 93 Marshrunner based out of sulphur, LA. It's a fiberglass tunnel hull. I had never heard of them until I randomly found one on the local classifieds. Purchased the hull and trailer in louisiana for pretty dang cheap. Had front and rear platforms already so that was a plus. I new I wanted to remove the carpet eventually. After searching for a 40 horse tiller forever I gave up. found a 2001 25 merc for a steal and jumped on it. I was still uncertain on how heavy the boat was, what it drafted or if the 25 would even push the boat. On the first test run I was extremely surprised. We hit mid 20s with a torn up prop and found out that this thing floats in a few inches. So next I needed to find a poling platform and push pole. I purchased a TFO mangrove pole and am very pleased with it for the price. I then drove out of town to pick up a platform I found that I had modified to fit. So far I've fished it with a buddy twice and it floats and poles amazing in the marsh. I had a couple hiccups with the motor on my last outing but found the cause. So after the merc gets a full tune up I will get started messing with the hull. Its gonna need some fiberglass work. I will keep y'all posted


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## Micro Thinfisher (Jan 27, 2018)

Very nice no frills but cool little skiff ya got right there - true to MS roots.


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## GaG8tor (Jul 8, 2019)

I like it


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## GoGataGo52__20 (Jun 26, 2016)

Cool skiff man, looks very much like a salt marsh skiff. Should catch em up in Texas, and that's all that matters..


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## Dobre (Nov 19, 2019)

Thanks. Yea I thought it looked pretty similar to the smaller salt marshes too. im happy with it so far. 

Ill keep updating the thread as I continue to make changes. Right now im currently waiting for a water jacket gasket as it was leaking around the spark plugs. Also trying to fix this bad torque steer. ive adjusted the anode but it still is pulling right like crazy


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## KurtActual (Sep 25, 2017)

Hell yeah Matt, looks badass! Every time i see something cool like that near us, they never have a title.
Excited to see this thing!


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## Dobre (Nov 19, 2019)

Thanks kurt! Yea I've delt with a lot of boats with title issues. It sucks. Being that this one was from LA. The hardest thing to title was the stupid trailer.


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## FLynative (Feb 3, 2016)

I owned a Marsh Runner for many years. I lived in Lake Charles at the time and was the first around there that set one up with a poling platform for site fishing Redfish. I hung a Tohatsu 25 Mega on the back. It is basically a detuned 40hp. Great motors for the marsh. And yes it looks like the Salt Marsh was splashed from a Marsh R


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## Dobre (Nov 19, 2019)

FLynative said:


> I owned a Marsh Runner for many years. I lived in Lake Charles at the time and was the first around there that set one up with a poling platform for site fishing Redfish. I hung a Tohatsu 25 Mega on the back. It is basically a detuned 40hp. Great motors for the marsh. And yes it looks like the Salt Marsh was splashed from a Marsh R


im glad to hear this. Actually the few pictures i was able to find on google were them set up as poling skiffs. made me feel better about my purchase. For the price i feel like itll do the job just fine. Whats even weirder is that it seems like they all came with fully carpeted decks.

Havent done anything to the boat. mainly been getting the motor perfect.
the water jacket was leaking around the plugs and shorting them out. Ordered a new gasket and found the previous owner broke off a few of the bolts and glued it on. so i had to drill and tap new threads. no leaks now so far.


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## Dobre (Nov 19, 2019)

Took it for a test run this past weekend and the start assembly blew up on me. Didn't have any tools so luckily a father and son I spoke to at the boat ramp saw us and towed us back. Should get the new part this week. And all should be fine.


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## KurtActual (Sep 25, 2017)

Boat rich!


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

marsh runner looks great.


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## Dobre (Nov 19, 2019)

KurtActual said:


> Boat rich!


Lol I just happen to find some good deals over the years. 

Plan to start ripping out the carpet, re glassing the front deck, and painting the interior. Not excited for stripping all this glue off. Will happen next week probably. Getting these outboards tuned up first


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## Dobre (Nov 19, 2019)

Finally got a chance to strip the carpet off the decks. They used industrial grade glue which sucked to get off. The front deck was cracked so I reinforced it with 1708 and glassed in the supports again.
I went with tuff coat non skid for the paint and it came out pretty good imo.
Not the biggest fan of the color though.

View attachment 130250


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## GaG8tor (Jul 8, 2019)

Looks like it will do the job well


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## Dobre (Nov 19, 2019)

One of the dogs first trip in the skiff. He quickly learned to stop jumping out while poling around haha
I'm absolutley in love with this thing.

Anybody know what prop size I can upgrade too to get a little more speed?
On a 2001 merc 25 2 stroke.

I'm also searching for some slim gunnel fly rod holders that dont stick so far out.


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## Dakota Moore (Oct 4, 2019)

That's an awesome rig man. I'm looking for one now haha.

Look up O'Pros 3rd Hand Rod Holder. Watch the video on their page shows all the different ways you can mount it. You can clip it to go pro mounts so it should attached to your boat easy


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## FLynative (Feb 3, 2016)

Search the classifieds and craigslist in and around Sulphur or lake Charles Louisiana for the marsh runners. The 17’ models are great platforms to start with. And you can usually pick them up reasonably cheap


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

Cool little rig. Maybe backcountry16 will see this. He runs the same outboard (on a couple different hulls) so he probably has some suggestions for prop options.


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## KurtActual (Sep 25, 2017)

Dakota Moore said:


> That's an awesome rig man. I'm looking for one now haha.


One in MS. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1665895090219610/


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## Backcountry 16 (Mar 15, 2016)

Zika said:


> Cool little rig. Maybe backcountry16 will see this. He runs the same outboard (on a couple different hulls) so he probably has some suggestions for prop options.


Here you go this is what I have run on a 16 foot john, spear evergladez and currently a gladesman and will eventually be on a conchfish 16 the motor is a 04 hope this helps op its a mercury vengeance


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## Dobre (Nov 19, 2019)

FLynative said:


> Search the classifieds and craigslist in and around Sulphur or lake Charles Louisiana for the marsh runners. The 17’ models are great platforms to start with. And you can usually pick them up reasonably cheap


ive seen a few good deals after i bought mine. do you have any pics of your old one?





Backcountry 16 said:


> Here you go this is what I have run on a 16 foot john, spear evergladez and currently a gladesman and will eventually be on a conchfish 16 the motor is a 04 hope this helps op its a mercury vengeance
> View attachment 133310


thanks alot! looks like ill have to wait and save for that prop haha


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## Dobre (Nov 19, 2019)

Ran it for the last year and finally decided to rip the floors up. I could tell the foam underneath was waterlogged as the glass floor had some flex in between stringers. Also hoped to lose some of that water weight to pick up some speed. Was told from the previous own that this boat was not built with any wood which was true. I cut the floors out and pulled 150lb of wet foam.
After I had everything glassed back in the boat feels much more solid. Also freshened up the paint. Now this little 25merc pushes this thing at 28mph.


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## GoGataGo52__20 (Jun 26, 2016)

I dig the green carpet man


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