skinny water hull questions

I've been running a '01 Lund, with a manual tilt 25 Yamaha, for a few years and thinking it's time I treated myself to a new boat. I'm looking for a skinny water hull that can get me in and out of the huge mudflats strewn with oyster beds that become more of a problem at low tide. I have a push pole and trolling motor but due to strong currents or oysters neither are usefull at times.
Leaning towards a Seaark, either the 16 or 1860 mv Jon. With the info gathered from the net I believe I have 3 choices and need input from people who know because I have no experience with jet drives, tunnel hulls or for that matter jack plates.

1- 16-1860 MVJT ... A jet drive outboard with a tunnel hull is in my humble opinion the way to go. For most of us at some point money is a factor. Spending the extra for a 90 hp motor to get 60 at the pump could be a deal breaker.

2- 16-1860 MVT ... Tunnel hull designed for use with a prop motor.

3- 16-1860 MV ... Traditional hull, prop motor with a jack plate.

You might also consider an OBJ without a tunnel.

I have an inboard jet but that is more of a hobby than a boat!

Keep an eye on the weight of the rig if getting skinny is the primary goal. Sea Arks are built like tanks, the durability of them is great, but they tend to be heavier which will effect draft. If I remember correctly Sea Ark uses .125" for their hull, where a lot of other manufacturers use .100" which would make for a slightly lighter rig. Not trying to sway you away from the quality boat that is Sea Ark, just food for thought. Lots of old Alumacraft and Xpress rigs (.100") around here that have been beat on for many years and are still going strong.

I haven't researched the actual weight difference, because an extra inch or so of draft isn't really a factor for me. Again, just food for thought if skinny is the goal.

PsychoXP18CC said:

Keep an eye on the weight of the rig if getting skinny is the primary goal. Sea Arks are built like tanks, the durability of them is great, but they tend to be heavier which will effect draft. If I remember correctly Sea Ark uses .125" for their hull, where a lot of other manufacturers use .100" which would make for a slightly lighter rig. Not trying to sway you away from the quality boat that is Sea Ark, just food for thought. Lots of old Alumacraft and Xpress rigs (.100") around here that have been beat on for many years and are still going strong.

I haven't researched the actual weight difference, because an extra inch or so of draft isn't really a factor for me. Again, just food for thought if skinny is the goal.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the thought, I'll give the others a second look. According to the Sea Ark site the 16' uses .100 and weighs 475 while the 18' is .125 at 520 lbs. I'm sure that is a bare hull without a console or floor. The 16' Sea Ark is only 20 lbs. more than my 16' Lund which is .063.