Swamp Shark

[traquer]

Pretty badass. Needs a V8 tho!

 

[MK1MOD0]

Very interesting boat. Seems highly capable and I can see where this would have an advantage over some jet designs in the serious swamp.

 

[caribbean20]

Appears similar to an Arneson surface drive. Same concept.

 

[Taboma]

Wonder what happens when that drive and prop start chewing through a Cypress Tree stump you tend to find in most swamps ? Or nail one at high speed ?

 

[MK1MOD0]

Appears similar to an Arneson surface drive. Same concept.

its not just the surface drive. It’s the entire boat. id like to see what the bottom looks like. I’m guessing some type of raised center tunnel to funnel the water to the prop. Something like a flats boat.

 

[traquer]

its not just the surface drive. It’s the entire boat. id like to see what the bottom looks like. I’m guessing some type of raised center tunnel to funnel the water to the prop. Something like a flats boat.

They say it goes 50 knots with that engine too, with room for more power

 

[HCP3]

Wonder what happens when that drive and prop start chewing through a Cypress Tree stump you tend to find in most swamps ? Or nail one at high speed ?

The patented Rebound System, which consists of actuators inside and outside of the vessel, allows the Swamp Shark drive to smoothly and automatically adapt to conditions. When the drive impacts a solid object, such as a log, stump, or other submerged hazard, it swiftly and smoothly “kicks up” so that the propeller will not be impacted (the leading edge of the skeg features a special radius designed to facilitate quick and smooth passage over any objects it encounters). The Rebound System then exerts reverse pressure to instantaneously return the drive to its normal trim position as soon as the object has been cleared.

 

[Backlash]

"Choot 'em! Choot 'em!"

This is a similar concept to the tried and proven mud devil motors that have been used in the swamps for YEARS. Just on a larger scale (Diesel), with the prop being placed closer to the boat like a stern drive. The mud devils position the prop much further behind the boat as the engine is attached to the front of the driveshaft which connects to an extended propshaft, finally to the rudder and prop.

I see where this may be beneficial, but I also know that a lot of Southern boys prefer their aluminum boats to be lightweight with a healthy outboard. An inboard diesel is not light and takes up considerably more space for a work boat. Don't forget, airboats are a lot more common in the Southeast too. So if they REALLY needed to get through some thick snot, they'd just use the airboat. At least that's what my Grandpa did.

Couldn't make it further north on the St. John's in the bass boat? That's OK, we'd just go back the next day in the airboat and go wherever we wanted. No problem!

 

[MK1MOD0]

The reason they are going with the diesel is, the military hates gasoline. This is a real problem with with a gas powered boat due to logistics.