Boat Plans: Racing / Recreational Tunnel Boat For Motors to 40 hp

Also Available: Cockpit Plans
Can be adapted to the Pro Tunnel

I built the original Dillon Pro Tunnel in the winter of 2009 and sold the bare hull to another member of our Twin City Powerboat racing club. Jeff finished and rigged the boat and quickly became a dominant member of our 35hp GT Pro class with six wins in eleven races and second place in the 2009 Highpoints Championship.

In 2010 Jeff only raced twice, taking a win and a second. Plus, the Pro Tunnel had two more wins with other drivers.

For 2011 a second Pro Tunnel joined the class (see Tony's build HERE), and Jeff was back for a full racing schedule. Tony did well in his first season of tunnelboat racing, and Jeff was the 2011 Highpoints Champion.

My goal in designing the Pro Tunnel was a hull that generates maximum aerodynamic lift in a boat meeting the GT Pro weight requirement of at least 650 lbs. (boat, motor and driver), and with an expected top speed of 45-50 mph. The result is a deep, low-camber aifoil body on a 41" wide tunnel of moderate depth. This is a wide boat with a tunnel that gulps air and rides it to nearly lift off the water.

The Dillon Pro Tunnel boat was designed for the 31.8 cubic inch Johnson or Evinrude outboard motor. This two-stroke, two-cylinder motor was manufactured in 20, 25, 30 and 35 horsepower versions from 1976 through 2005. It is the 30 and 35 horsepower models (they are actually indentical) that we use in GT Pro. More about GT Pro HERE.

Although a little smaller than typical, the Pro tunnel might also make a good Sport C racer. Sport C uses the two-cylinder, 40hp Nissan/Tohatsu, a potent little engine (really, a lot more motor than the 35hp OMC) that pushes top boats in the class to nearly 60 mph. A reinforced cockpit or capsule (neither is included with the plans) would have to be added to satisfy class rules.

However, if you are really interested in Sport C, see my Dillon Laker SC12 or the Dillon Sport C. More about Sport C HERE.

Of course, the Pro Tunnel would also make a fun and exciting boat for the non-racing high performance enthusiast. A wide variety of motors would be suitable, including the 25/30 hp Tohatsu which is used very successfully for racing in Europe and Australia. Whatever your non-racing purposes, I do not recommend using an engine that exceeds a weight of 130 lbs.

The Pro Tunnel is not a particularly difficult boat to build and should be well within the capabilities of anyone with a little boatbuilding experience, and even the well-motivated first-time builder.

See Customer-built Pro Tunnels

I design my boats on a "computer aided design" (CAD) program on my computer. Once the basic lines have been developed, I draw the plans full-size on a loft table to ensure all curves are fair. Corrections made in the loft plan are then carried back to the CAD drawings and the plans are finalized.

The resulting plans are NOT a set of blueprints or full-size drawings. The plans are (in part) a collection of digital scale drawings of all the major parts which the builder can print out on regular printer paper. (Pre-printed drawings shipped via postal mail are also available.) The drawings include all necessary measurements so that the builder can expand them full-size -- onto paper templates if desired, or better yet right onto the plywood.

The plans package, available via direct download or by postal mail, includes sixteen measured drawings; a scantling list; and some notes on wood, hardware and other materials needed to complete your boat and set it up for recreational boating or sanctioned racing. Also, I provide extensive online construction notes, including dozens of photos, which will guide you through the entire building process. And, I will be just an email away if you have questions.

The plans package is $55 US via direct download; or $65 printed on 8.5" x 14" sheets and sent via postal mail. You can pay online through Paypal (you do not need a Paypal account), or you may send a check or money order.