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Random Quote: May the most you wish for be the least you receive (Shelton Adams) by Bailey Boat
Check this site http://www.northriverboats.com/
did a search on river jet boats and found several other sites. You might also look at the Go-devil type propulsion units. There are a few different ones on the market now.
"A bad day fishing is better than a good day in the office."
There are a bazillion jet/white water boat manufacturers in the PacNW....if they'll handle rocks and white water in the NW, they'll surely handle anything Louisiana can hand out.
Try Alumaweld, Coastal Craft, Duckworth, EagleCraft, Faralon, Hewes Craft, Motion Marine, Silver Streak, Wolf Aluminum Boats, etc.
The Canadian dollar may well make it useful to have it built there.
If you don't want to hear the answer, don't ask the question!
Had a 28' Almar made in Tacoma with a Navistar diesel and a Hamilton 273 jet pump on a jack shaft which I really liked. It had a .250 bottom and 190 sides. I also had an Almar 19 with .190 bottom and a 150 outboard. The inboard pumps are stronger then the outboards. Besides Almar, Woolridge makes a good metal boat and is a leader in impellers for outboard jets to get more power then the factory impellers. The Northwest is a long way away but they have been doing white water there for decades and using jet pumps and are most likely years ahead of most eastern builders.
Chuck B.
I responded to a similar question about aluminum boats a while back. Wooldridge now has a licensed manufacturer in either Mississippi or Alabama. They sent me some info & a video about a year ago. Search for wooldridge and you will probably find my old post with the phone number for the SE manufacturer. They may be a little cheaper than some of the other custom guys... not really sure.
Location: Quebec, Canada and Pirates Cove, OBX, NC
Posts: 17,813
Welded aluminum boats
Kingston Seasport makes the finest welded aluminum boat . . . built in Canada great exchange rate . . . custom built to your needs . . . Brian at 613-352-3322
He built my boat. See post on Miss-Be-Haven . . . some good pics
I personally have a North River jet boat and have been able to test its hull strength many times, including on at over 40 mph upstream, hit a submerged rock and went flying. No injurys to passengers and the boat ended up with a dent on one of its turning strakes and a few scratches, albiet rather deep ones. No problem for a guy with the ability to weld aluminum, just fill smooth and never no it was there.
The surface scratches are just considered beauty marks. No boat is tougher for its size than a NW built jet boat. Many good builders but the best are Northwest Jet Boats and North River jet boats. There are some to stay away from. Just e-mail me if you want/need more information.
I have a Duracraft boat that meets the specifications you mentioned. I own a 1874 Custom Bay w/tunnel and a Yamaha 115 Jet. I can run on plane in 6 to 8 inches of water easily, draft at rest is about 10 inches. It’s tough as nails and comes with a life transom warranty against ANY damage. They will build any config you desire. They have a web page that’s just OK, call them and they will help ya out...they did me right. I am sold on them.