Why no surface drives on small speed boats?

[hydroViper235]

If it works for big heavy offshore , why not small light boats? Not just mud shallow boats.
The concept seems really similar to outboard, just wieght transferred if you ran smaller engine.
This is the only shorter boat vid I could find

[NICE PAIR]

Long leverage arm from prop to pivot point, NOT small boat friendly. $.02

[Wayne Cammidge]

Long leverage arm from prop to pivot point, not small boat friendly. $.02

I would almost say the opposite.
Saw one years ago, where they took a boat that should have had a Stern Drive in it, and fitted an Arneson Drive instead.
No matter what they did, the nose plowed through the water.
The Prop would not lever up the nose
It rode like total ****

Boats need to be designed to Run Surface Drive and need lots of Natural Bow lift

[CharlieN]

Curiosity, what do you consider a small boat? Would a 20' suit?
I am currently building a '76 Glastron CVX20 that originally was an Olds 455 powered jet boat.
It is now going to be an L92, 6.2L all aluminum GM engine driving an early Harry Shoel's Pulse drive.

[hydroViper235]

Anything under 24 I consider small as far as surface drives are concerned. That's an awesome project, do you have a build thread?

[LakeFever]

Charlies build is awesome!

Small boat? Be neat to see a 2.5L lightweight surface drive build on a stream or something like that. I would think the weight of the big motor would be the biggest challenge for most of our <20' hulls around here. A lot of work to probably not go much if any? Faster than an ob? Probably all good reasons why

[David]

Powerboat Magazine had a piece on surface drives in June 1986

(1) Steering torque will spin the boat if the driver let's go of the wheel with a single engine
(2) Less steering control at idle
(3) Wrong angle of propeller drives the bow down

[transomstand]

Search for GEOO here. His 18 Donzi went 124 MPH with an Arneson.

[NICE PAIR]

Search for GEOO here. His 18 Donzi went 124 MPH with an Arneson.

I'd assume a LARGE pocket in the center of the drivers seat.

[transomstand]

I'd assume a LARGE pocket in the center of the drivers seat.

I saw the boat run a couple times and it was nothing short of stunning.

[NICE PAIR]

"Stunning" is a Great definition of an 18' Donzi @ 124, no matter what is pushing or pulling it. Wish I'd run across him 25 years ago!

[CUDA]

Put a Porta bracket on and surface with the right prop.

[Greg G]

Search for GEOO here. His 18 Donzi went 124 MPH with an Arneson.

Yep totally accurate. And note that this was an old school 18' Classic Donzi. The boat was named Mighty Mouse and once dialed in with the Arneson it was hard to believe how well George could drive it and how mind blowing fast it was. To bad it never made it to LOTO.

True Connecticut Thunder