RUSSELL
2010-03-19 03:39:46
I am trying to make up my mind between the two . Snooters would be much easier to rig and be ready to fish. Bow poles would proably be a cleaner set up but more costly with Fabrication expenses. I assume I would have a wider spread with bowpoles. Down south a lot of guys run the snooters with sixties and have no complaints especially while fishing in the nasty northwesterly that starts most everyday around 10 am. ANY experience or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Salty
2010-03-21 00:25:58
A good friend of mine and I just put on snooters and bowpoles respectfully. He has already taken his off and I have fallen in love with my bowpoles. While it has not happened to me yet I had a long time troller describe to me how wonderful it is to have four separate poles all banging in a good clatter. Pretty exciting to have even one bowpole and one main pole hammering at the same time.
RUSSELL
2010-03-21 05:44:53
Thanks for the advice I already put some snooters on they were cheap and easy. I will give em a shot but I am sure I will probaly end up with bowpoles some where along the line.
May be your son could build me a set now that you guys got them perfected on your hull , he can build the same ones and they should fit perfect on mine. I just hauled out last week and was pretty impressed with the hull the Colemans built. Theres alot more boat below the water than I thought .
Salty
2010-03-21 17:19:43
Russell,
I hear you about the surprise on how much is below the water, especially forward. You will like the ride when ballasted well. Bucks nicely but is a bit short for the 25 knot plus norwesters. Quarter on the stern is the worst for the ride. Hull speed seems to be about 7, gets there easily. Will go 8 plus but takes a lot more fuel to get that extra knot or so. I average about 1.1 gallons of fuel per hour over the course of the season trolling and running.
I replaced the fiberglass stern bearing housing a few years ago with a bronze bearing and am really happy with that change. I also put on a metal rudder instead of the fbgls one that came. Double check your a-frame fasteners. We just found some old galvanized bolts holding the aluminum together that needed to be replaced after thirty years.
Good luck!!