do I have enough boat?

[huntinlabs]

Hello all I am new here. I will be pcsing to eilson afb and I want to bring my express 1872 up with me it has a yamaha 115 prop on it. However I have heard both ways that I will be ok and that I need a new boat. What are yalls opinions on it? Thanks for any advice

[Jimw]

i wouldnt go out in big blue with it. Swop the prop for a jet and run it all over the place, rivers and lakes

[Old John]

Hello all I am new here. I will be pcsing to eilson afb and I want to bring my express 1872 up with me it has a yamaha 115 prop on it. However I have heard both ways that I will be ok and that I need a new boat. What are yalls opinions on it? Thanks for any advice

Not sure what an express 1872 is other than a boat about 18ft long and 6ft wide, is it a flat bottom?? if so Jim's advice was spot on.
put a jet on it and explore all the lakes and rivers in the Fbks area..

[huntinlabs]

Not sure what an express 1872 is other than a boat about 18ft long and 6ft wide, is it a flat bottom?? if so Jim's advice was spot on.
put a jet on it and explore all the lakes and rivers in the Fbks area..

That's exactly what it is a semi v all weld that's 6 ft at the bottom and about 8 at the top

[Rob B]

Post up some pics for a better look at what ya got.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Frostbitten]

That's exactly what it is a semi v all weld that's 6 ft at the bottom and about 8 at the top

I ran ran a boat very similar to yours while I was at Eielson. Take off the lower unit, put on a jet pump, and have a ball on the interior rivers.

[huntinlabs]

Here is a pic of it with my blind and without my blind.

[Anythingalaska]

Like the others said, put a jet drive on it and take it up the rivers and lakes. I would not be taking a boat like that out on the ocean unless it was glassy flat calm with no swell. For the ocean you need a boat with a deeper V to cut chop and swells. Flat bottom boats ride horribly on the ocean and plow into waves instead of cutting through them. Buy a 17 or 18 foot boston whaler and you will have a good ocean going open skiff. Plus they won't sink.

[Akgramps]

Swapping to a jet will require raising the powerhead ~ 5" and buying a jet pump (~2K). A jet pump will reduce the HP by ~ 30%. Power output will be ~ 80 hp at the pump. I ran a Yammie 115/80 on a 17.5' boat and it did fine, perfect motor for that boat. Since you already have the prop leg you may want to install a lift which will facilitate swapping from prop to jet. A good lift like a POWERTRAN will run 1K.

Plenty of info here on this type of setup/swap..

Some greenheads in AK as well....good luck

[huntinlabs]

I planned on adding float pods to it before I get there. And your saying with a jack plate I shouldnt need to change my lower unit out to a jet?

[Akgramps]

If you install a jet you have to raise the motor about 5". If you are going to use just the jet you dont need a jack plate, just some type of a semi-permanent transom extension. The jack plate (lift) allow you to raise and lower the motor to use it for both jet and prop.
Pods are a great idea, particularly with a lift, whoever builds them for you needs to understand a few things. From my experience they need angle up slightly. Depending on their size. I built a set a few years ago and they come up about 1". I think they stick out 24". Every boat could be different in this regard.

[huntinlabs]

Sounds good thank you. I may have them installed before I head up or I may just wait and have them installed once I get there