Subject: tunnel mites
Date: 11-1-02
Glen-L
Thanks for the great plans. We decided to build two Tunnel Mites thinking it would be only 1/2 the work to finish the second one. It actually didn't save a lot of time but in the end we have a boat for each of us. It took three months to complete both of the boats working almost every weekend and many long nights after work.
The hull is made of Douglas-Fir and the decking is Okoume mahogany. The only major modification made to the plans was raising the dashboard 3" which also adjusted the profile of the coaming. We used push pull steering assemblies in place of the cable system. A 10" go-kart steering wheel, a tractor seat from Fleet Farm, and two used control boxes later we were on the water.
As for performance, one has 95' 15hp Mercury, and the other has a 63' 20hp Mercury. We have only had them out once and the temperature was hovering around 32o, but we managed to stay dry. The 20hp outruns the 15hp by a little, and with a little tweaking over the winter that should increase. Both handle the chop great and ran around 30mph.
Now we wait till next spring.......
thanks again
jason and joe
Minneapolis,MN