Tunnel hulls-pros and cons. You must be a subscriber to. Joined: Nov 9, Posts: 13, User Profile Private Message. How long do you want to ignore this user? What does the great outdoors board say on this subject? I am now of the opinion, from previous boats that I have owned, that I do not need a tunnel hull on my next boat.
My rationale is that the tunnel makes for a much less efficient hull and is simply not neccesary; I have spent the better part of ten years running flat bottom tunnel hull boats majeks, flatlanders, and haynies and, while immensly fun to drive, I don't feel that I need those capabilities anymore. My fishing has gone from It seems that a regular old style non-tunnel hull boat would be more suited for cruising and comfort and would still be servicable on the flats maybe strap a kayak to the back for the super skinny stuff.
I guess I am finally old enough where I prefer a nice ride to being able to go anywhere I want. Reply Quote 0. Joined: Aug 31, Posts: 11, I think you answered your own question. Joined: Nov 29, Posts: Yep, sounds like you answered your own question. Pros: You can get in and out of skinnier water. Cons: Rougher ride. Doesn't turn as well as V hulls. If and when you get stuck in skinny water with a V hull, you'll be dog cussing the fact that you don't have a tunnel.
Amen to that, been there more than once. I will say this: all boats can be stuck, and I will tell you from experience that when you stick a super skinny runner, you are in deep doo-doo I stuck my redfishline a few times and it was a bear to get out.
I am banking on my knowledge of the waters I fish and being a much better captain than I was in my younger days to keep me from being stuck too often. Of course, then next hurricane resets many of those obstacles that I have located Joined: Dec 3, Posts: 9, But remember Saltwater, if it were always easy it wouldnt be fun and you wouldnt have good stories.
Joined: Aug 21, Posts: 17, Tunnel hull kills your reverse. And while it's easier to get up and run in shallow water a tunnel hull actually increases your draft at rest. So 2 identical boats with no difference other than the tunnel hull might have the regular hull that floats in 8" of water but the tunnel might require 16" just a guesstimate.
Posts: , Pros and cons, but if you're not flats fishing all the time, it is a negative. I don't have a tunnel on my skiff. I just got a smaller lighter boat with less draft at rest.
It runs in 15 inches of water, and I can pole it in 8 inches, but it's nice having a smoother ride in the rough stuff, and you save a little money because the hull has less drag, and you can prop it for a broader speed range. Drive the boat in close enough, then get out and kayak or wade. Too true! Finn, Good point on draft at rest. Joined: Jul 19, Posts: 12, Maroon Out is a flat bottom with HP plus.
Tunnels do great in reverse I don't agree with the draft on rest. In theory that is correct but the boats are built different. Coastal Ducks , Feb 18, Feb 19, 5. Hey BPSHunter, tunnel hulls like said before are a unique critter. Yes they can run with a prop on them and the motor elevated for shallow water running. I don't know who the inventor of the tunnel hull was but Wooldridge boats was one of the first.
Wooldridge has pretty much taken them to a new level. I don't know what your budget is but if you want an almost indestructible boat that will run skinny water then Woolridge is one to look at.
They have tunnel hulls but they are not a car topper boat by any means. They are a heavy duty built to take the demands of todays sportsmen serious fishermen Feb 20, 6. Coastal Ducks is right!! One thing to remember is that you can run in less water than you can take off in. Be careful where you stop! My 22' tunnel will run in less than a foot of water but draws 14" when stopped. Gotta have enough water to take off in again! But I can get on plane in less water than a normal 19' vee bottom boat.
But my ride is not as dry in rough water. You must log in or sign up to reply here. Show Ignored Content. Share This Page Tweet. Your name or email address: Do you already have an account? No, create an account now. Yes, my password is: Forgot your password? Our editors have had firsthand experience testing boats with all of these designs in various sea conditions, and have found that each type has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Stepped hulls work on the principal of reducing wetted surface, which in turn reduces friction between the hull and the water.
A step in the hull is an abrupt change in hull-height running athwartships, from chine to chine, and ending with a notch in each of the hullsides. As the boat begins to plane, an area of low pressure is created immediately aft of this transition, drawing in air via the notches. Steps in one form or another have been around for more than a century, but it's quite difficult to create a step that results in both efficiency increases and good handling. Often with poorly designed steps, the introduction of air under the hull has the unfortunate side effect of reducing stability while on plane, because some sections of the hull are no longer supported by the water.
In the past couple of decades with the help of modern CAD design, however, many builders have overcome this issue. More recently, they have managed to take the concept one step further — literally — by introducing multistep designs that boost speed and efficiency to the tune of 10 to 15 percent.
Two good examples can be found in SeaVee's Z-series boats and in many Formula models. Another way to increase efficiency while also improving ride is to utilize a hull design that compresses air under the hull.
This can provide additional lift while also creating an air cushion of sorts under parts of the boat, which reduces wave impact.
The most common example is a powercat that has a "compression tunnel," which is widest at the bow and grows slightly narrower as you move aft. The biggest downsides to utilizing this design are the potential for a sharp "snap" roll which can occur when beam seas cause one hull to drop into the trough while the other rises on a wave ; misting out of the front of the tunnel, commonly called "sneezing," and tunnel slap when both hulls submerge all the way and the top of the tunnel slams against a wave.
In recent years, however, there have been several modifications to basic powercat designs, in some cases combining them, more or less, with a V-hull.
The Mako "Inverted V" hull, used on its line of small inshore boats called Pro Skiffs, is one example. We've found these boats do compress some air centered under the hull and, as a result, they run significantly smoother than more common semi-V hulls usually found on boats of the same size.
They don't suffer from a snap roll or sneezing. The handling takes a bit of getting used to, however, because the boat doesn't bank in turns in the same way as a V-hull. Bayliner's M-Hull design, found on its Element line, tilts more toward a traditional hull in the center but incorporates small V-shaped protrusions to either side, which pack some air while also enhancing stability.
0コメント