To tunnel or not to tunnel?

[Pivo]

Hello all! I apologize in advance if this question has been previously addressed (could not find it!). I live in the northwest and run mountain river (fishing). I’m looking for a lighter weight 18’ jet boat for fly fishing. I need to transit at least 12” water or slightly less. I’m looking at a Lowe 1860 (80 hp jet) without a tunnel and a 18’ G3 CCT (90 hp jet) with a tunnel. The Lowe is a fantastic deal but I’m a little worried that it will not get me where I need to go. Given all other things being nearly equal, any thoughts on the difference in depth capacity between the two set ups? I realize the tunnel will go shallower - but how much shallower? Worth nearly $10k for the difference? Thx in advance!

 

[Joatmon]

Here is my two cents. As a long time fisherman and boater I think you have the right idea getting a boat to get into "skinny" water. We call it skinny instead of shallow in Florida. You should compare the draft spec of the two boats. I have a skiff for fishing with a 4" draft which theoretically means the boat sits 4" from the water line to the bottom of the boat. Of course fuel, gear, motor and crew weight make increased the draft. I love it that my Scarab is jet drive because I can go into skinny water which is common where I boat. Even in the Gulf. My skiff is outboard and I added a jack plate so I can get into even skinnier water than I could without the lift. I can raise and tilt the motor as needed through 10 inches of water. Draft plus load plus engine prop in the water distance. I owned a tunnel hull once. The sponsons were the furthest in the water have the highest draft not the tunnel. To me the tunnel design is for speed where air under the boat lifts. You are not looking for speed.

Compare the boat's draft and power drive depth required in the water. Jet drive offers the shortest power drive draft but you could suck sand and rocks off the bottom into your pump which gets expensive. You may want to compare with a skiff type boat with a 60 hp outboard with a 8" lift jackplate. The outboard will have tilt and lift to get high without sucking in sand or rocks.