Choosing the Right Airboat is Important and Can be Something like Choosing a Car or Truck
It is a major purchase. There are a few things that you may want to consider as you shop for the right airboat. The following is a general outline of the topics that can help you decide what you really want.
You have to ask yourself these types of questions.
Cost Factor: New, Used, or Demo? Stability: Size of hull you require, which in turn will help determine the size of engine you require. Performance expectancy: What do you want your boat capable of? Water, ice, brush, dry ground or a combination of all?
Power Drive and Propeller Design:
Gear or Belt Reduction Drive? Props, multi-bladed vs single, composite vs wood. Reliability: All welded aluminum hulls with stainless steel seat stands or mild steel? Warranty: Materials and construction: do you want to build or assemble yourself?
Use quality Industry Standard Parts.
What Options would you like? Dual Alt Belts, High Output Bilge, Grass Rake, Battery Lockout Switch to name a few. What is the boat to be used for ? Trapping and Hunting, Fishing, Recreation, Work, Search and Rescue, Movie industry. You can build your own if you so desire, we offer the Airboater’s Builder Information Package for just that reason. Many people take great pride in building their own projects.Most people that do so, start with a hull and build from there. Some people use a standard boat hull and wish that it was wider. Some make their first hull out of plywood and fiberglass. Some enjoy the building of their craft as much as actually running the completed Airboat. We know one fellow, the world re-known Dr. Harvey Arnold of Moon River alias”The man on the moon” built his hull out of aluminum from an old Toastmastertruck, his airboat is a no frills machine but try to pass him out on the ice, good luck ! That boat goes like a scalded dog. Great little scoot ! Another person had an old chevy car engine and built his boat around it. One can not under estimate the inventiveness of mankind. We applaude the do it your selfer. We will supply all the parts or select parts as required. A Canadian Airboat can come as complete as you wish or “Turn the Key and Go!” Remember, Freedom and Adventure is just a Canadian Airboat away !
In order to get on the right track. The main thing is to get started. Which ever way you decide to choose, consider what you are doing and what you are getting into before you start, . . . as the old saying goes, What you see is what you get and you get what you pay for. There are four important things to keep in mind:
Power to weight Factor with reduced Friction = speed. Quality parts = comfort knowing you’ll always make it there. Good quality workmanship = dependability to make it back. Having made the right airboat choice = Endless novelty that never wears off. For now throw out the cost factor and think safety. This is the real cost factor.Here you have an aircraft that looks like a boat, goes as fast as a car, and . . . what? .. . No suspension? And all you HOVERCRAFT FOLKS sit still a minute…. Skidding along likea sled on ice and snow and water, then up on grass and dry land over the log pile, through Grandma’s hedge . . . . through Grandma’s neighbours’ hedge . . . . down the embankment and across the river! The thrust when you hit the water just as smooth as can be and towering misty prop wash, pretty exiting with leaves and branches and dust fallout that would like to settle on London in a few weeks, Phew, and all this just to get to some stranded critter needing help.
The general population can’t follow because they don’t have such versatility built into their snowmobile or their cabin cruiser or their truck or motorcycle. In this situation you are normally on your own. It is great to have a craft that goes so many places but some times this can have side effects. That may have been the true reason Cell phones were invented. We like to encourage that people use common sense above all. Travel in two or more craft if possible, or if you travel alone, don’t use low quality equipment and, at almost any cost, go around the hedge unless you own it.
Your hull design is important
So is your Virgin UHMW Polymer covering. Your life and your Best friend’s life is protected by the covering as you are 10 miles off shore crunching and tearing through broken ice in frozen water, with the elements against you, you want to make it home. The best airboating is done on the river. River running is great…but …watch out for those muddy river pigs, Betty the bolder with buck teeth nestled out of sight but waiting to strike like a swamp snake on a mission, and Beatrice the mudhole, full of frogs and logs, if you get tangled with her she tries to suck you down into her nasty mud dungeon. It takes full throttle to break loose and experience to keep clear of dominant quicksand. Look for clear running rivers with back Eddies that the big trout run in and Golden Eagles come to feed. God’s country. The still small voice that cries out from the wilderness. Now that sounds like home to me.
Have communications on board like a cellular phone or a two way radio is a good idea. New or used it is important to know your craft and the tolerance of the hull.
What is the most important part of a transport truck besides the operator?
The braking system. On an airboat, it is the hull. The hull is the Key to your safety. Running over Granny’s hedge can be very dangerous too. Sweet and gnarly old Grannies don’t always take kindly to thundering hearts leveling the hedge. The right hull can let you talk about it years and years down the road. A powerful combination will allow you to come right out of the water, and easily run on dry ground. The object is to get what you want out of your personal airboat. Any serious airboater knows, it is the operator’s responsibility to be a good steward of any motor craft and certainly an airboat. Once you categorize your needs, that will often determine what design is required to suit that need. This will get you into the right ballpark. If you size the airboat slightly larger than what you think you need, you will not feel the effect of the most common boater’s ailment. Two-foot-itus. At least not right away. Once you decide what hull is needed the rest of the boat comes easier. It is very rewarding to step into the right Airboat and enjoy the endless acres of fun and ice forgotten and unused by conventional craft. Imagine the Bonneville Salt flats covered with a sheet of thick glass and sprinkle it with graphite powder. This is what most Canadian Lakes offer for 5 months or more/year. When you see every body putting their boat away for the winter you know it is time to get happening on your personal airboat. Be safe, Know your limitations and Let it happen Captain. The land beyond the horizon is just an airboat away.