I want to build a river rat

[Nate Surveyor]

Jet ski motor, and impeller, on a big canoe.

Big fine mesh grate over the intake, so I can run over rocks, and gravel, and all she can suck up is sand. So what about loosing performance. I don't care. All I want is about 15 mph + on the water.

The local canoe rental place is always loosing canoers. If I had a big light on the front, I could run the river, and find them. And, tow the canoe, and carry the people.

Is this idea viable?

Post your thoughts.

And I want to start with a ski that is crashed, but has good motor & drive unit.

Which motor would be best?

I am not picky about brands, just want a workhorse for the river rescue team.

Thanks,

Nate

 

[timmyboy76]

lol...just was shoot'n s*** to girlfriend, other day at Bass Pro Shop, about get'n canoe for now, and put'n troll'n motor on back, so can do some fish'n/lobster fish'n...
Yah, hook it up, get 587cc off ebay, for couple buks..just nutha reason/way, be on da water...:cheers:

 

[Bent]

http://www.mokai.com/

pump powered kayak

 

[timmyboy76]

http://www.mokai.com/

pump powered kayak

lol....that things a trip..

 

[JESSECONSOPOLUS]

friggin 4 stroke on it, man that looks fun!!:cheers:

 

[Nate Surveyor]

Thanks all.

The Mokai is really interesting...

But, Mr. Bent, I could not find the "pump powered kayak" at the location you mentioned. If I log in, can I perform a search of that site?

Thanks!


Nate

 

[Bent]

the URL I posted is Mokei's website

It's a 8 hp four stroke honda spinning a small pump with vectored thrust.

Unless yo mean Nextlevel - that's not it. NextLevel is a home theater/home audio site I help co-moderate.

 

[seadoosnipe]

Rotax?.......

Nate, your idea of putting a rotax (500 series) in a canoe isn't feasible. A canoe's center of gravity would make it too unstable. If you put outriggers on it to stabilize it, it may work.

The best idea would be to have some type of cat, like one of those big plastic ones you can get from Academy Sports or Bass Pro shop, then create the housing for the pump, between the sponsons at a depth that is suitable. You'd have to have the combined weight of you, the motor and pump, put it on the craft and see where the draft mark is. If it didn't sink in low enough, then you might think of taking on ballast water in each pontoon to help lower and stable the craft for the weght (about 70 pounds fully dressed).

I have a small paddle boat that I put a trolling motor on for fishing. I removed the paddle and peddles and put the motor in the center, up front. You make me want to try something else.................:rofl:

Good luck. In inventive mind is an inspiring mind......keep us up to date on your progress.

 

[Nate Surveyor]

OK, Thanks Bent. I get it now. I was searching on nextlevel, for another "Pump Powered Kayak"

And, Mr. Snipe,

I have to confess, I was thinking of one of those REAL FAT canoes, and cutting off about the last 4 feet, and adding a "Thrust Station" that could be moved from boat to boat. This would allow me to mess with the entire sha-bang, and even attach it to the transom of a jon boat. All it would need is a good housing. And, for starters, I could salvage ALL of the bottom of a Sea Doo, or Any PWC. This would allow me to start, without alot of work.

I have done fiberglass work before, and for starters, we would not need it to look fancy. Also, I want to double the size of the intake. This way, the screen would not slow it too much, even if clogged some.

I'm even thinking of a filter station for the cooling system.

Nate

 

[seadoosnipe]

Project!

Well, it sounds fun........when it progresses, take some pix!

 

[kmack]

Anybody remember the old Discovery Channel show called "Junkyard Wars?"

On one episode, they buily a "river rat" of sorts using an old aluminum boat hull (V-type hull about 14' long). The motor they used was a 4-cyl from a small Ford like a Tempo. They used the steering and pump from a old jet-ski (I think it was a Kawasucki).

They strapped the motor in the boat, ran a drive-shaft to the pump which was mounted on the transom, and stuck an old recliner in the middle (right in front of the motor) with the steering hook-ups.

For the shows purposes, it ran really well. It won the competition at the twice the speed of the other boat. Looked cool as heck, too!! Made we want to build one real bad. That's why I keep it in the memory banks.....someday!

 

[roverjohn]

I just threw away the exact hull you are looking for. All I had was the bottom. It looked like a layout duck boat and was about four feet wide. Back when jetski's first came out a lot of people designed new boats using that power plant. If you look around you might find one like I did but you wont toss it in the trash.

 

[roverjohn]

I was at Cabellas and Bass Pro over the weekend and one of them had all their Jon boats on sale. I think the 1036, 10'long 36" wide, was $299. That might be a good place to start as it already has seats and would be stable enough to pole if you wanted. I think your idea of hanging the entire power source off the back of a wide canoe will cause balance problems and it will likely list a lot under power. Something wider will probably be better. I would not see much point in a cat as you would have to hang the drive unit into the water anyway so you might as well get the extra flotation a mono hull would give you. The Jon boat would have rails on the bottom which might allow you to slide over logs and such. Please keep us posted.