Bert Langley
08-23-2002, 09:27 AM
Hi folks;
I have been a long-term lurker on the forum. Not that I don't have opinions, I have just stood in awe of the vast amount of knowledge and experience (not always the same thing)that I have found here. I like small boats, tending toward canoes and small skiffs. Just finished a strip built canoe and starting another. I build them out of tulip poplar, both because it is cheap and because I like tha way they look. I usually give them away to carious charities to auction, that way I get to keep building.
Anyway, I am looking for a design for a very specific application. SWMBO loves several of our North Georgia Mountain lakes. We kept an I/o bowrider on one of them for years (this was HER boat). For several reasons we sold it and are now looking for a replacement. It is no longer an option to keep the boat in the water, it will have to be trailered. This means a 125 mile trip, mostly on small mountain roads. I want to keep the weight down as much as possible.
SWMBO absolutely HATES bouncing through chop and powerboat wakes. She has back problems that this can greatly aggravate. She does love quitely cruising along the lake shores though. Putting together what she wants and what I want I come up with these necessary features:
Comfortable ride. Speed is not important. I am leaning toward a displacement hull, not a planing hull.
Low power and quiet operation. Probably want to go with a 20hp or less outboard in an insulated well. I have no experience with inboard power and remain fixed on the simplicity of a low power outbard for this use.
Length in the 17-20 ft. range and weight of entire rig, including trailer around 1500 pounds.
It has to look good (this is my requirement).
BTW a sailboat is not an option. The winds on these lakes are just not consistent enough to make sailing a pleasant excercise.
After looking at a lot of designs the short list includes:
Handy Billy- Almost what I want, except for the planing hull.
Selway-Fisher (www.selway-fisher.com/) has several
designs that might work (actually I want one each of all his designs):
Indian Runner launch- strip buit designed for steam or electric power but a small outboard could work. This is a really handsome boat.
Rufus- finished as an open launch this is the design I am leaning toward right now. It is a salty looking boat, that I think would finish out just right. Unfortunately I have yet to be able to find anyone who has finished on that I can talk to regarding its performance.
So what do you think? Give me some opinions and suggestions on other designs I have not considered. Building method is not important, but remember this boat will live on a trailer and I want to keep the weight down.
I have been a long-term lurker on the forum. Not that I don't have opinions, I have just stood in awe of the vast amount of knowledge and experience (not always the same thing)that I have found here. I like small boats, tending toward canoes and small skiffs. Just finished a strip built canoe and starting another. I build them out of tulip poplar, both because it is cheap and because I like tha way they look. I usually give them away to carious charities to auction, that way I get to keep building.
Anyway, I am looking for a design for a very specific application. SWMBO loves several of our North Georgia Mountain lakes. We kept an I/o bowrider on one of them for years (this was HER boat). For several reasons we sold it and are now looking for a replacement. It is no longer an option to keep the boat in the water, it will have to be trailered. This means a 125 mile trip, mostly on small mountain roads. I want to keep the weight down as much as possible.
SWMBO absolutely HATES bouncing through chop and powerboat wakes. She has back problems that this can greatly aggravate. She does love quitely cruising along the lake shores though. Putting together what she wants and what I want I come up with these necessary features:
Comfortable ride. Speed is not important. I am leaning toward a displacement hull, not a planing hull.
Low power and quiet operation. Probably want to go with a 20hp or less outboard in an insulated well. I have no experience with inboard power and remain fixed on the simplicity of a low power outbard for this use.
Length in the 17-20 ft. range and weight of entire rig, including trailer around 1500 pounds.
It has to look good (this is my requirement).
BTW a sailboat is not an option. The winds on these lakes are just not consistent enough to make sailing a pleasant excercise.
After looking at a lot of designs the short list includes:
Handy Billy- Almost what I want, except for the planing hull.
Selway-Fisher (www.selway-fisher.com/) has several
designs that might work (actually I want one each of all his designs):
Indian Runner launch- strip buit designed for steam or electric power but a small outboard could work. This is a really handsome boat.
Rufus- finished as an open launch this is the design I am leaning toward right now. It is a salty looking boat, that I think would finish out just right. Unfortunately I have yet to be able to find anyone who has finished on that I can talk to regarding its performance.
So what do you think? Give me some opinions and suggestions on other designs I have not considered. Building method is not important, but remember this boat will live on a trailer and I want to keep the weight down.