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ddhawkfan
MMT Pro Member
Joined: Sun May 14, 2017 1:35 pm Posts: 71
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Longtail Suggestions
Hello everyone, hope your holidays are treating you all well.
I currently have a 1648mv sea ark (tall transom with a 03ish Kawasaki 29 longtail (short shaft - ya ya i know lol) So long story short, this thing is pretty well miserable to drive as you can imagine. So my question is this, I've been kicking around going with a Mudbuddy 35hp Traditional Longtail (I really don't need neutral why i'm negating the "super" longtail and figure just more stuff to break), anyone have reasoning why this is a terrible idea before I rob my piggy bank of $4,000? I really don't want to get into cutting down the boat since the hull is still pretty nice.
Thank you anyone with feedback!
_________________ 1648MV SeaArk 37 EFI Backwater SWOMP Lite
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Tue Dec 26, 2017 10:09 am |
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FRANKtheTAU
MMT 1000 Club
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2011 10:30 pm Posts: 1386 Location: West TN
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Re: Longtail Suggestions
Mud Buddy makes a good longtail. Friend of mine runs one and he has no real complaints. That being said, he is looking to upgrade to a Backwater.
I would do all I could to try and run motors from the different manufacturers and then make a decision. If you don't know anyone with a Backwater, call their shop and see if they have a dealer or something close to you.
_________________ 40 Backwater SWOMP Lite / 1752 Alweld Mud
6.5 Backwater SWOMP Lite / 1440 PolarKraft
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Wed Dec 27, 2017 8:23 am |
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ddhawkfan
MMT Pro Member
Joined: Sun May 14, 2017 1:35 pm Posts: 71
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Re: Longtail Suggestions
Thank you for the feedback. I'm really indifferent to sticking to this or that brand. I'd rather buy something worthwhile that I won't totally lose my tail on if I ever decide to sell later or just have constant problems with. I see in your signature you're running a Swomp 37 lite? I haven't seen that listed on the website, what's the difference between a "swomp" vs "swomp lite"?
Unfortunately I'm in Kansas and closest dealer is about 100 miles away for mud buddy and even further for backwater, I think the closest is in Illinois. Most folks around here have obnoxious land yachts or glitter bass boats. I get looked at awfully funny at the ramp, a lot.
_________________ 1648MV SeaArk 37 EFI Backwater SWOMP Lite
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Thu Dec 28, 2017 10:02 am |
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Gigafowl
MMT Elite Member
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 7:19 pm Posts: 6441 Location: Trinity Bay - Texas
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Re: Longtail Suggestions
Well first off a 35 LT is a beast to handle regardless of brand.... Other than hauling more logs upriver in a hurricane it won't do anything a 23 LT would do just as well....
If your thinking resale value a 35 SD will retain twice the value of a 35 LT because it is so much easier and more fun to drive as well as faster too....
Just be sure to buy the tall transom version of whatever you choose to properly fit your hull...
But on that hull I'd go 23 LT before 35 LT - and it is a bit short to properly balance a 35 SD...
_________________ Eat - Sleep - Hunt ! ! !
"It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end."
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Thu Dec 28, 2017 11:08 am |
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ddhawkfan
MMT Pro Member
Joined: Sun May 14, 2017 1:35 pm Posts: 71
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Re: Longtail Suggestions
I never really considered going down in engine size, guess that would save a whole mess of weight and about $1,000. I've really avoided looking at surface drives just because of their cost, while I'm sure that way would be a lot nicer/easier to drive/ect, I really just don't want to spend that much. I'll do some looking into those 23s. Thank you!
_________________ 1648MV SeaArk 37 EFI Backwater SWOMP Lite
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Thu Dec 28, 2017 2:17 pm |
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FRANKtheTAU
MMT 1000 Club
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2011 10:30 pm Posts: 1386 Location: West TN
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Re: Longtail Suggestions
_________________ 40 Backwater SWOMP Lite / 1752 Alweld Mud
6.5 Backwater SWOMP Lite / 1440 PolarKraft
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Thu Dec 28, 2017 3:21 pm |
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Glades Ranger
MMT 1000 Club
Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2011 6:32 pm Posts: 1490 Location: south Florida
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Re: Longtail Suggestions
Happy New Year! Just saw this, I want to second the Backwater line of longtails. I have had GoDevil and Mudbuddy longtails prior to BW, and BW is the best LT out there. I have a 1648 short transom grizzly with a 26.5 BW and though not ideal, it gets the job done. There ares plenty of veggies here, not much mud, usually shallow water and a hard bottom, so the LT is best for me. You might re-assess your need for any type of mud motor. A properly rigged conventional tall transom outboard can get to many places as well, for less money and better performance with that hull of yours. A friend struggled with a high transom seanymph 1652 for years with a 25 LT and finally cut down the transom- the difference was worth it.
_________________ Sailing in the sawgrass /1648 grizzly and Swomp 26.5 EFI
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Sun Dec 31, 2017 7:36 am |
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ddhawkfan
MMT Pro Member
Joined: Sun May 14, 2017 1:35 pm Posts: 71
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Re: Longtail Suggestions
Well after receiving fantastic customer service from MB... (6 weeks is long enough to wait on a response via email for me to decide your customer service isn't good, right?) And actually getting responses from Jake at BW, I've decided I'm leaning that way for sure.
Now the real question, 35 carb or 37 EFI? Step right in and give your opinions, pros/cons of either. I'm really not looking to do any mods anytime soon, just want something that runs well, is reliable and will push me up river dragging logs in a hurricane as stated by giga.
Thank you everyone!
_________________ 1648MV SeaArk 37 EFI Backwater SWOMP Lite
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Tue Feb 06, 2018 10:34 am |
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FRANKtheTAU
MMT 1000 Club
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2011 10:30 pm Posts: 1386 Location: West TN
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Re: Longtail Suggestions
EFI
_________________ 40 Backwater SWOMP Lite / 1752 Alweld Mud
6.5 Backwater SWOMP Lite / 1440 PolarKraft
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Tue Feb 06, 2018 11:16 am |
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GDLT31
MMT Pro Member
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 12:27 am Posts: 85 Location: Lady Lake,Fl.
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Re: Longtail Suggestions
My best friend just replaced his Kohler 25 hp Mudbuddy longtail with a brand new 26.5 hp Mudbuddy longtail .The 25 was 17 years old and it always got him back to the ramp.We live in north central Florida.Its 60 miles to either coast,between his and my boats they are run bad hard.Now you will like this his boat is a 1648 Sea Ark riveted model.The area we hunt is a old logging company,and the run is extremely rough with logs that hide just under the surface.I hope this helps.If you need any more information message me and I will call you.
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Tue Feb 06, 2018 9:05 pm |
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ddhawkfan
MMT Pro Member
Joined: Sun May 14, 2017 1:35 pm Posts: 71
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Re: Longtail Suggestions
Appreciate the reply, I probably won't be going the MB direction, if I can't get a simple email back basically asking them to sell me their product I couldn't imagine the nightmare if I had a warranty problem, maybe I'm being oversensitive on that but either way, fairly certain Jake at backwater earned my business with answering questions. Just need to con frank out of 5k.
_________________ 1648MV SeaArk 37 EFI Backwater SWOMP Lite
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Wed Feb 07, 2018 6:11 pm |
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BlueShamu
MMT Elite Member
Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2012 6:13 pm Posts: 5605 Location: D'town, LA
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Re: Longtail Suggestions
37 EFI Backwater.....nuff said.
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Thu Feb 08, 2018 12:10 am |
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huck Finn
MMT 1000 Club
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2013 5:42 pm Posts: 1913 Location: Conroe tx
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Re: Longtail Suggestions
_________________ Ole black water keep on rolling
18x54 Uncle J -GTR - with the koolaid Back H2o SWOMP 23 SS stage 2 15x36 GD Duck Skiff GATOR GATOR GLIDE PROSTAFF BACKWATER PROSTAFF http://www.gatorglide.com
Coupe rest in peace brother
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Thu Feb 08, 2018 2:13 pm |
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