Swamp boat (AngieYaz Sonic Underground reboot)

An swamp boat (also known as a planeboat, airboat, bayou boat, or fanboat) is a flat-bottomed Mobian watercraft propelled by an aircraft-type propeller and powered by either an aircraft or automotive engine. They are commonly used for fishing, bowfishing, hunting, and ecotourism.
Airboats are a common means of transportation in marshy and/or shallow areas where a standard inboard or outboard engine with a submerged propeller would be impractical.
==Overview==
The characteristic flat-bottomed design of the swamp boat, in conjunction with the fact that there are no operating parts below the waterline, allows for easy navigation through shallow swamps and marshes; in canals, rivers, and lakes; and on ice and frozen lakes. This design also makes it ideal for flood and ice rescue operations.
The airboat is pushed forward by the propeller, which produces a rearward column of air behind it. The resulting prop wash averages 150 miles per hour (241 km/h). Steering is accomplished by diverting that column of air left or right as it passes across the rudders, which the pilot controls via a "stick" located on the operator's left side. Overall steering and control is a function of water current, wind, water depth, and propeller thrust. Airboats are very fast compared to comparably-sized motorboats: commercial airboats generally sail at speeds of around 35 miles per hour (30 kn) and modified airboats can go as fast as 135 miles per hour (117 kn).
Stopping and reversing direction are dependent upon high operator skill, since airboats, like most boats, do not have brakes. They are incapable of traveling in reverse, unless equipped with a reversible propeller. Some designs use a clam shell reversing device intended for braking or backing up very short distances but these systems are not commonly used.
The operator and passengers, are typically seated in elevated seats that allow visibility over swamp vegetation. High visibility lets the operator and passengers see floating objects, stumps and other submerged obstacles, and animals in the boat's path.
==Manufacture and design==
Swamp boat manufacturers on Mobius tend to be small, family-run businesses that assemble built-to-order boats. Most swamp boats are manufactured in Erina, although they are also built elsewhere. Prior to the rise of the Robotnik Empire, most swamp boats were manufactured in Mobotropolis and in cities near swampy areas.
Modern, commercially manufactured swamp boat hulls are made of aluminum, titanium, Mobibedum, silver-alluminmum alloy or fiberglass. The choice of material is determined by the type of terrain in which the vessel will be operated; swamp boats intended for use in icy conditions will have sturdier polymer coated aluminum hulls while swamp boats intended for use in marshes will have lighter fiberglass hulls, for instance. Standard hunt/trail boats are 10 feet (3.0 m) long with a two- to three-passenger capacity. Tour boats can be much larger, accommodating 18 passengers or more.
Engines are either an air-cooled, 4- or 6-cylinder aircraft or water-cooled, large-displacement, V8 automotive engine, ranging from 50 to over 600 hp. Automotive engines tend to be less expensive due to readily-available replacement parts and less expensive high octane automotive gas. Since an opposed, 4- or 6-cylinder (O4 or O6) aircraft powerplant contains fewer moving parts than a standard automotive engine, it is easier to repair and weighs less. However, automotive engines can be repaired by more-common car mechanics and do not require specialized repair personnel like aircraft engines do.
Most of the sound produced by an airboat comes from the propeller, although the engine itself also contributes some noise. Modern airboat designs are significantly quieter thanks to mufflers and multi-blade carbon-fiber propellers.
==Safety==
As with any vehicle, the safety of a swamp boat is dependent on the training and skill of its operator and the use of safety features like seat belts and flotation devices/life jackets. Swamp boats should only be piloted by trained and qualified operators, and knowledge of operational safety is essential when operating a swamp boat.
The most common injuries suffered in airboat accidents are severe cuts, bruises, and broken limbs. Other severe injuries are not uncommon: 10 percent of injured people suffered neck and back injuries requiring surgery and long-term pain medication and another 10 percent suffered traumatic head and brain injuries.
Most airboat accidents—64%—are the fault of the operator.
The engine and propeller of a swampboat are enclosed in a protective metal cage that prevents objects, such as tree limbs, branches, clothing, beverage containers, passengers, or wildlife, from coming into contact with the whirling propeller, which can cause traumatic injury to the operator and passengers or devastating damage to the vessel. Safety cages do not always work perfectly, however: people have had their fingers sliced off by airboat propellers, and tree branches entering safety cages have wrecked airboat propellers and sprayed the operators and passengers with woodchips and other shrapnel.
Swamp boats are prone to capsizing and sinking because they are top-heavy, unstable, and extremely shallow draft. This makes them especially dangerous on the open sea or in rough or stormy conditions. Swamp boats with a "long-belt gear reduction drive unit" and an automobile engine avoid these risks because the long belt allows for the engine to be mounted inside the hull, which lowers the center of gravity and lowers the capsizing risk. Some companies and organizations have built airboats with low centers of gravity for use in windy or rough conditions or in rescues with obstacles like low-hanging power lines. Swamp boats can also be equipped with autoinflation devices, similar to car airbags or auto-inflating personal life vests, that can reduce the risk of capsizing.
==Ecotourism==
Airboat rides have become popular as a ecotourism activity in several locations including the Mobian Everglades and the Louisi bayou. A typical swamp boat tour lasts between 60–90 minutes and carries passengers at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. Most tour companies employ experienced captains who are able to point out alligators and other wildlife and flora from a safe distance. Most companies promote a very high chance of seeing an alligator on their tours.
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