Tin boat racing? :-)

Last week I was out on my little 10 footer, and when I crank it wide open it REALLY scats with my MK 50 and one passenger. Unfortunately I haven't had my GPS aboard to check my max speed but I plan on it soon.

I was wondering if anyone used TWO motors sacrificing run time for speed, one set as a dead ahead forward thrust only, the other with the tiller enabled to steer?

Then I thought about Tin boat races. What a HOOT that would be! Have there been any Tin boat races?

What "classes" would there be? V hull, Flat bottom, antique, length, motor (Gas (max hp?) / Electric (max thrust?) ) restrictions?

I could see a Sports channel broadcasting a yearly tin boat race

If you want to see what some CRAZY wild tinboat racing looks like then on youtube: just do a search on tinny or tin boat and Australia. Absolutely wild. They use like 30 hp motors, souped up, on little 12-14 foot tinnies. Usually with one driver, and one assistant who distributes their weight according to what direction they are turning in, to stabilize the boat. On straightaways, looks like only the prop is in the water. Awesome!

Yes. Every duck season in Arkansas, but be warned: Those guys are ruthless and can ruin a boat in no time.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJXdNPFtG1o

Many of them get really serious about their duck boats. A few of them run in the mid 50mph range, with most in the upper 30's and low 40's.

Todd - that looks like Nautical Nascar on Turn Two !!!

Man oh man would I love to do that. I had a friend that raced really small hydroplanes with omc 75hp stingers heavily modified. 90 + mph on the water. I love speed on water and land.

turbotodd said:

Yes. Every duck season in Arkansas, but be warned: Those guys are ruthless and can ruin a boat in no time.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJXdNPFtG1o

Many of them get really serious about their duck boats. A few of them run in the mid 50mph range, with most in the upper 30's and low 40's.

Click to expand...

I've got the smallest trophy I've ever seen for getting second place at the DeValls Bluff annual River Days flat bottom boat race. Really just a fun thing racing around milk jugs but we took our flat bottom boats serious in Arkansas. Some guys never unhooked the boat from their trucks. You see them at Church on Sunday or at the movie.

gnappi said:

I was wondering if anyone used TWO motors sacrificing run time for speed, one set as a dead ahead forward thrust only, the other with the tiller enabled to steer?

Click to expand...

I tried two identical 40lb thrust minn kotas on my square back canoe one time... it actually went slower with the two motors in the water and at full blast. I assume it would have to be more powerful motors to make a difference, it seems the added thrust was not enough to overcome the increase in drag.

Trolling motors aren't propped for speed...plus there's the planing of the hull minimum number...a few other things

Stumpalump said:

turbotodd said:

Yes. Every duck season in Arkansas, but be warned: Those guys are ruthless and can ruin a boat in no time.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJXdNPFtG1o

Many of them get really serious about their duck boats. A few of them run in the mid 50mph range, with most in the upper 30's and low 40's.

Click to expand...

I've got the smallest trophy I've ever seen for getting second place at the DeValls Bluff annual River Days flat bottom boat race. Really just a fun thing racing around milk jugs but we took our flat bottom boats serious in Arkansas. Some guys never unhooked the boat from their trucks. You see them at Church on Sunday or at the movie.

Click to expand...

What boat, eng. and speed are you running for 2nd place?

Crazyboat said:

Stumpalump said:

turbotodd said:

Yes. Every duck season in Arkansas, but be warned: Those guys are ruthless and can ruin a boat in no time.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJXdNPFtG1o

Many of them get really serious about their duck boats. A few of them run in the mid 50mph range, with most in the upper 30's and low 40's.

Click to expand...

I've got the smallest trophy I've ever seen for getting second place at the DeValls Bluff annual River Days flat bottom boat race. Really just a fun thing racing around milk jugs but we took our flat bottom boats serious in Arkansas. Some guys never unhooked the boat from their trucks. You see them at Church on Sunday or at the movie.

Click to expand...

What boat, eng. and speed are you running for 2nd place?

Click to expand...

I ran a 16' no name with a merc 25. You had to have a buddy in the boat and mine was light and he knew what he was doing. This race had a lot of tight turns so our other trick was to run a two bladed speed prop. They don't ventilate near as bad as three blade props when you round a buoy. The river had a good current that day and since I grew up on a tidal river the timing thru the tight sections was all second nature. The guy that won was the son of the local boat mechanic Willard Harrison. Johnson 40 with a 60 powerhead. He made the time up on the straights and since he and his dad set up the coarse they built in a long straightaway to the finish. That boat flew. My other second place was the World Cup of BMX racing. Clevland Ohio 1981. I was the only guy in blue jeans, the only guy not factory sponsored and the only guy on an old POS. Today I run a desert car at Glamis CA to go fast. I have freinds that have spent over $200k plus on their buggies but they just don't get it. They all run 600hp turbo subi's or up to 1100 hp LS motors. I'm in a 10k POS with a 275 hp 2.0L LSJ Chevy Cobalt motor.
I spent my money on the right gears from the best tranny guy in the biz, $1000 dyno tune from the best dyno guy. It shifts and sounds like a rice rocket street bike. I paid a real suspension tuner to dial in the King coilovers. After spending two hours on the phone with the owner that makes desert tires I bought a tire grooving iron and cut my own tires. I adjust air pressure in 1/2 lbs increments and change often. I'm the only guy I know of that does not run 1:1 steering. I have a custom built rack that is 1:1.2. They wonder why I can drift and slide on what is basically a cliff face. It's because I can control the front end better. Just like a boat, if your a half azz mechanic and driver but tweek your junk to your own perfection then you will be fast and have fun. If there is somthing about any rig that you don't like then forget what the web says and fix it.

Stumpalump said:

if your a half azz mechanic and driver but tweek your junk to your own perfection then you will be fast and have fun.

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We think alike. I've been a racing something or other since I was age 8 that I can remember. I know I was racin' something or other before that too but I had an accident and lost a lot of my memory prior to 8 year old. Always did it on a strict low budget, and still do. Currently running an old Ford Maverick for bracket racing on the drag strip. Nothing to write home about, but it's won a TON of races. Another race tomorrow but this time I think I'm gonna try it in my daily driver 93 Mustang, 4 cylinders of FURIOUS shetland pony-power. I can't say horsepower because I think they're just shet's. What are they? 105 shetland power? Stick shift to boot. We'll see how this goes. Don't care, it's ugly as could be but I don't care.

turbotodd said:

Stumpalump said:

if your a half azz mechanic and driver but tweek your junk to your own perfection then you will be fast and have fun.

Click to expand...

We think alike. I've been a racing something or other since I was age 8 that I can remember. I know I was racin' something or other before that too but I had an accident and lost a lot of my memory prior to 8 year old. Always did it on a strict low budget, and still do. Currently running an old Ford Maverick for bracket racing on the drag strip. Nothing to write home about, but it's won a TON of races. Another race tomorrow but this time I think I'm gonna try it in my daily driver 93 Mustang, 4 cylinders of FURIOUS shetland pony-power. I can't say horsepower because I think they're just shet's. What are they? 105 shetland power? Stick shift to boot. We'll see how this goes. Don't care, it's ugly as could be but I don't care.

Click to expand...

I raced an old heavy $400 Hobie cat with original bagged out sails against a lot of great sailers on newer boats. One day after a typical 6 or 7th place finish the champ of the lake sailed by and asked how I did. I was obviously a little down but he mentioned 25 boats that were on the beach or marina. The ones not raced because the owners can't hang. He said "Mike you beat every one of them in every way." That made me feel great. Wound up marrying the girl that crewed for me for an even better win.

This is my idea of Tin Boat Racing!

I don't like the inefficiency of "jet" engines, I much prefer a propped boat, I'd love to see one of these bad boys with 150 HP outboard strapped to the stern.