Chine & Sliding?

[Zion]

I dissected my old aluminum v-bottom boat for materials.
I found the runners on the bottom of the hull were riveted unlike most boats "pressed in".
Scrapped up a lot of building material. The hull will be 10"x6".
Once I removed the runners ribs, braces and all I found I had a nice piece of flat aluminum 10'x6'
Flat except for the sides which have a natural curve up \_____/. I can push them down almost flat.
Since this is a low powered one seater used for hunting and fishing in low water only, Will the soft chine slide too much? It would save me a lot in time, materials and work to use the hull like it is
without doing a major alteration to the sides. It would save weight as well and look cleaner.
Since I will be tooling at slow to moderate speed most of the time it shouldn't slide to bad.
I could rivet short runners to the front to make it turn if needed.
Any suggestions?
I could also rivet long runners to the sides down the sides say 10"from the top of the hull.
Which is basically the bottom of the boat. I can do this before or after finishing the hull.
Any feedback?
Thanks
zion

[Duane Scarborough]

Zion,

I don't know for sure, but I think that you'd want a soft chine. I don't think that it'd slide too much.

Airboats have very little maneuverability at low prop speed. You've got to have a good bit of air flow across the rudder to turn. I think that a hard chine would make the hull want to keep going straight, but a soft chine would make it easier to turn at low speeds.

Here's what a MiniPro 116 chine looks like.



It's a little of both.

Duane

[Papee]

Flat is fast. Mine has no chines, they are harder to run than a chined boat. If you have never driven an airboat you will never know the difference. At low speed the would not be any difference, I can turn my boat around in just about the length of the boat. Spin in in a circle where it sets. Where you would notice the difference if you had run another boat is that it will slide out on you easier in a turn. On any boat you should set up a turn if you are going at a good clip. Before the turn you let off the gas and let the boat settle in the water then start making your turn while getting back on the gas. I've only spun out once when not doing it on purpose. The best thing to do when you get it going is try to spin it out then you know just how much it takes to make it happen and you are also ready for it when it does happen. Do this in low water. I'd like to do a lot to my boat but putting chines on it is not one of them.