JasonLester said:
I recently saw a pic or video of a small jon boat like that where a guy added PVC tubes to the sides for stability. Looked kinda weird but I guess it would keep it afloat.
here it is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANoSwwITLXY&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL22B8202301C604BE
interesting idea
Yep, kinda like this:
When I first built my jetboat, I fabricated these from 10 inch aluminum irrigation pipe (.050" wall thickness) They were pressurized at 15 PSI.
The reason they're not still on the boat is because there is no bow rise built into the hull of the boat. As a result, the front end of the sponsons is not upturned, like you would see on a zodiac or a RIB. So, when it's sitting in the water, it doesn't look right. Nor does it function as intended....
The Duracraft hull does have a natural bow flare, which directs water away from the boat when you hit waves. But, with the sponsons on there, when you hit a wave, it basically allows the water to go up and over the bow, filling the boat full of water. After taking a roller across the bow one day coming back through the inlet, and the boat being knee-deep in water, I removed the sponsons from the boat.
That, and the fact that they were .050" thick, means every time I bumped a dock, the tube would flex, and a big chunk of paint would flake off, making it look like crap, and constantly needing touch-up work.
Besides, with 1 1/2" thick polystyrene foam in the floor and in the gunwales, as well as having 4 bilge pumps on board that can pump over 2500 GPH, or roughly 30 GPM, I figure there's really no need for the sponsons.