# Sponsons, without a tunnel....good or bad? Compression plate, same ??



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Yes and yes. I had Boyd’s Welding in Florida fab custom sponsons off plans I drew up and sent them and welded them on my hull and cut out a tunnel and fabbed that too. 1652 modified vee would run skinnier than it needed too. The pods will add stern lift and squeeze the water towards the prop and the compression plate will keep water around the prop, not cavitate and act as a big trim tab. You may also look at a Foreman heavy cupped three blade prop if you are serious. No sense in spending the money on just one mod, you need to do it right or you will not be happy in performance. Message me if you want to discuss more. This is firsthand experience, I did not hire a shop to design any of it and it all worked great. EdK fished off that boat a few times too. The transom mounted low water pickup is a Bob’s Machine Shop setup with a raw water filter I added to keep debris out of my motor. It was effective but I’d go with a Bob’s nosecone pickup if I did it again.


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## richg99 (Nov 28, 2009)

Nice work. From the pictures, it appears to me that you did not add a "tunnel" but rather a "notch" in your stern/transom area??? Is that so? The addition of the tunnel/notch is further than I think I want to go, but who knows? Would you mind sharing what it cost to do all of that? (notch and sponsons welded on)
thanks


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

Smackdaddy is a very experienced boater and rigger. 

Another option would be to sell your Lowe as is and buy another metal (or glass) boat with tunnel/sponsons. There are a couple builders with that design. Might be more cost-effective in the long run.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

richg99 said:


> Nice work. From the pictures, it appears to me that you did not add a "tunnel" but rather a "notch" in your stern/transom area??? Is that so? The addition of the tunnel/notch is further than I think I want to go, but who knows? Would you mind sharing what it cost to do all of that? (notch and sponsons welded on)
> thanks


I did add a tunnel that was 2 3/4” tall and as wide as the area between the sponsons. I initially built this hull for an outboard jet but once I realized I needed a 115hp to run efficiently I just bought a jackplate and sold the 90/45 jet and bought a 90 with a prop lower unit and ran it for a couple of years. It wasn’t cheap but not as bad as if I had a shop fab it all. Sponsons were $460 including shipping from Florida to Texas, the aluminum for the tunnel was left over from the full hull modification. I had about $25k in that boat soup to nuts (new custom aluminum trailer too). All the little things add up, especially fasteners and fittings. 
You can probably add a tunnel, hydraulic jackplate, sponsons and rigging for about $2k or so including welding labor. You’re probably better off selling yours and buying a hull with step pods and a tunnel.


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## Tx_Whipray (Sep 4, 2015)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Yes and yes. I had Boyd’s Welding in Florida fab custom sponsons off plans I drew up and sent them and welded them on my hull and cut out a tunnel and fabbed that too. 1652 modified vee would run skinnier than it needed too. The pods will add stern lift and squeeze the water towards the prop and the compression plate will keep water around the prop, not cavitate and act as a big trim tab. You may also look at a Foreman heavy cupped three blade prop if you are serious. No sense in spending the money on just one mod, you need to do it right or you will not be happy in performance. Message me if you want to discuss more. This is firsthand experience, I did not hire a shop to design any of it and it all worked great. EdK fished off that boat a few times too. The transom mounted low water pickup is a Bob’s Machine Shop setup with a raw water filter I added to keep debris out of my motor. It was effective but I’d go with a Bob’s nosecone pickup if I did it again.
> View attachment 21199
> View attachment 21200
> 
> ...


Slightly off-topic, but if you follow Chittum on Insta or FB, they posted pictures today of a new Laguna Madre edition with a Yamaha 70 with dual transom mounted water pickups.


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## K3anderson (Jan 23, 2013)

Tx_Whipray said:


> Slightly off-topic, but if you follow Chittum on Insta or FB, they posted pictures today of a new Laguna Madre edition with a Yamaha 70 with dual transom mounted water pickups.


That thing is so sick. I'd pay just to see what it can do.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Tx_Whipray said:


> Slightly off-topic, but if you follow Chittum on Insta or FB, they posted pictures today of a new Laguna Madre edition with a Yamaha 70 with dual transom mounted water pickups.


No but I’ve seen them on a lot of boats. Jack Foreman’s old skiff has dual pickups on the tunnel with a 50 Yamaha. The problem is floating grass and small shell gets in the water pump and thermostat if you don’t use an in line filter and with the filter it will get full pretty quick and shut you down when you are running somewhere you don’t want to! Been there. They are great in clean water but as we all know most of the year there’s floating grass and all kinds of crap in the water. I’m going with a Bob’s nosecone on my Maverick HPX Tunnel/ Yamaha 70 2 smoker and I’ll put money down it will run where that Chittum will. It may not jump up where a Chittum with a Tohatsu 50 will because it’s swinging a smaller diameter prop and I’m running a 14”.


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

I'm dying to do the nosecone but it would kill the warranty on my fairly new motor...


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## Vertigo (Jun 3, 2012)

If you need sponsons, a custom tunnel, trim tabs, and a compression plate to run as shallow as you need, you'd probably do better to sell your hull and get one of these. 

https://www.millersboating.com/2018-seaark-1872-mvt-inventory.htm?id=2177735&in-stock=1

Mine runs with the jack plate full up with no need for sponsons, trim tabs or a compression plate. On plane I draw about 6", maybe less depending on weight, water depth and bottom type.


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> No but I’ve seen them on a lot of boats. Jack Foreman’s old skiff has dual pickups on the tunnel with a 50 Yamaha. The problem is floating grass and small shell gets in the water pump and thermostat if you don’t use an in line filter and with the filter it will get full pretty quick and shut you down when you are running somewhere you don’t want to! Been there. They are great in clean water but as we all know most of the year there’s floating grass and all kinds of crap in the water. I’m going with a Bob’s nosecone on my Maverick HPX Tunnel/ Yamaha 70 2 smoker and I’ll put money down it will run where that Chittum will. It may not jump up where a Chittum with a Tohatsu 50 will because it’s swinging a smaller diameter prop and I’m running a 14”.


https://bobsmachine.com/product/shallow-runner-nose-cone-kit-20-350-hp/

Is this what you're talking about? I'm intrigued and probably about to spend more of my kid's college money.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

devrep said:


> I'm dying to do the nosecone but it would kill the warranty on my fairly new motor...


I’ll sell you my spare 2008 Yamaha 70 2 stroke...perfect compression!


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

SomaliPirate said:


> https://bobsmachine.com/product/shallow-runner-nose-cone-kit-20-350-hp/
> 
> Is this what you're talking about? I'm intrigued and probably about to spend more of my kid's college money.


Yes I already bought the nosecone and kit, aluminum filler, zinc chromate primer, Yamaha paint, clear coat and I’m about to sand blast my lower unit and weld it on. Nothing will stop me but an oyster reef or stray duck blind after this!


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> I’ll sell you my spare 2008 Yamaha 70 2 stroke...perfect compression!


mighty be a bit much for my boat. I have a 50 on it now and it's over the official rating.


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Yes I already bought the nosecone and kit, aluminum filler, zinc chromate primer, Yamaha paint, clear coat and I’m about to sand blast my lower unit and weld it on. Nothing will stop me but an oyster reef or stray duck blind after this!


I think I'm down for one as well. I'll be able to run on plane in my front yard on a wet day after this.


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## Tx_Whipray (Sep 4, 2015)

I’m going to put one on mine after my Louisiana season is over. Correction...I’m going to pay Smack to install one


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Sorry to derail your thread Rich. Sponsons and a compression plate will help even without a tunnel.


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## Tx_Whipray (Sep 4, 2015)

Smack, are you going to plug and fair over the factory water pickups on your lower unit?


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Tx_Whipray said:


> Smack, are you going to plug and fair over the factory water pickups on your lower unit?


Mine has the plastic plate with holes in it and one thru bolt. I’m welding it shut and then grinding it down. It will look factory.


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## Matts (Sep 2, 2015)

You might check with Boatright marine. In 2001 I bought a Weld-craft 1854 with tunnel/sponsons and had Glen trick it out with hydraulic jack plate, rubber floor and poling platform. If Smackdady can do it, that sounds great too. I can’t say enough good things about my 16 yr old weld craft or working with Boatright. Back to your original question, my new Mosquito has sponsons, a foreman prop and now a Shaw Wing compression plate with no tunnel so we will see. Folks claim this set up will run quite skinny. If not, I’m going back to aluminum


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## richg99 (Nov 28, 2009)

Lots of good comments and suggestions here. I haven't been back for a bit, but the conversation kept on going. That is GREAT, IMHO. 

Just a stupid question about the "low water pickups"....to the uneducated in this area.(ME)..it looks to me like someone just drilled larger holes in a nose cone?????


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

richg99 said:


> Lots of good comments and suggestions here. I haven't been back for a bit, but the conversation kept on going. That is GREAT, IMHO.
> 
> Just a stupid question about the "low water pickups"....to the uneducated in this area.(ME)..it looks to me like someone just drilled larger holes in a nose cone?????


Weld-on nosecone (I already bought the nosecone and supplies for my 70) I’m welding mine on all the way around and welding the intakes shut with an aluminum plate. The hose taps into the water pump just like the bottom one but the difference is the water is pulled off the nosecone through 5 small holes instead of one big one. The top photo is a finished install. Aluminum EverCoat epoxy is used to fair and make the lower unit transition nicely. 





















Transom mount low water pickup (my last boat with a 90) the water i takes are plugged with aluminum hex plugs and the water pump housing is drilled and tapped to thread in a 5/8” hose barb. I could run the motor out of the water and never lose water pressure.


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