I did a quick search, but there were a lot of posts to sort through....soooo, I'm asking anyway.

I'm wondering what you guys have done on boats with tall sides and tall transoms, did you also go with a tall transom on the hunt deck, or can you go with a short transom? Is there any conflict with the different heights other than where the motor handle enters the boat? I'd assume the short transom motor is preferred due to the lower profile etc.

Am I missing any obvious reasons why I should have a tall transom hunt deck if I want a tall transom in the boat?

I'm assuming the motor will be a GTR

Thanks,

i have a short transom boat and a short transom on hunt deck and when I push the motor handle all the way down in an effort to lift the prop out of the water (to clear grass or whatever), I still hit the short transom in the boat. I would think a tall transom in the boat would only make it worse.

but i do have a mudbuddy and the handle length is longer, which may be different than a gtr

You can do it however this is a 24" side boat with short transom. Handle doesn't hit just gotta build it right

Thanks fellas, good stuff.

Dfou, thanks for the photos, they are helpful. Any issue/concern with backwash while out in bigger water with the transom built like the one you posted?

Could a handle be fabbed for the motor with a bigger bend in it to clear a little taller transom?


Sent using my bag phone

No worries about water over the transom with the huntdeck. A custom handle is always an option

One of the benefits of the hunt deck is that it allows the use of a short transom motor while eliminating water coming over the false transom when you drop the throttle from wide open.

That's what I thought, I just didn't know if anybody had problems with backwash in rough water or anything. Wasn't sure if there was a certain height you wanted on the transom to keep water out.


Sent using my bag phone

All depends on the handle.

We built a hunt deck a couple boats back that had tall transom with 23" Tall Sides and still had to notch the false transom for the handle on GTR 35

But here is one we built with 24" tall sides and short transom 27hp MudBuddy Mini and didn't really HAVE to notch it but did just to look a little better.

That looks good Willet. I've never been in a boat with a hunt deck, so I'm trying to get a feel for what I need. Many of them seem long, 18" or so, but the one pictured seems to be fairly short. Is there a stander rule of thumb for hunt deck length?


Sent using my bag phone

It's all about the particular motor - how it kicks up and how the handle sits when it kicks up. Like I said in previous post, this particular one pictured is a short transom MB mini 27 but when it kicks up the handle is still taller than the tall "false transom"

Gator tails need a minimum of 15" so that the area where the trim motor is located wont hit anything when it kicks up. We build ours at 16" for a gator tail - even gator tail boats are 16".

Doesn't mean you can't go longer there is really no point and it doesn't take up the space like a longer hunt deck does.

Most builders (factory or custom) put their first cross brace 10" away from the bottom of the transom. When you figure the angle for the transom plus 16" you end up right in line with that first cross brace. The only thing that is small enough to go there is a battery. If you have a tall transom motor you can make the top of the hunt deck high enough for the battery to fit underneath. Short transom there is no way for a regular battery to fit. You would need a lawn mower battery.

X2^ a short transom is to short to fit much under except a lawn mower battery. On a mudbuddy I like a 14" huntdeck. Gator trax does 20" and I've built em 20" it's just not my preference

Descent visual of what Willet was saying about the first cross brace

I am saving that picture, my next boat will have this. Looks good by the way.