What type of boat to buy??

[Zieg]

My brother had a 20' Shamrock center console in the late seventies. That boat handled WONDERFULLY. I loved that boat. At that time I didn't need the deck space that I crave now. The boat backed like a dream. In the 90's, in South Florida, I ran a boat for a retired college professor that was either a 22 or 23' center Shamrock. That boat handled like a bear. It had cable steering and a suicide knob on the wheel. I was suprised at the shortcuts taken in much of the hardware. I just didn't care for it the way I did my brother's. I felt they boath were a wet riding boat, much like, dare I say it here, (whisper) Boston Whaler.

 

[Nemrod]

Just to provide a different opinion, after sea trialing numerous 18-20 foot trailerable boats none rode dryer than the Outrage 190 we purchased and none felt as solid. It has no give, shake or rattle or flex and since it is a double hull it is as rigid as a chunk of concrete. The deep reverse chine also effectively deflects spray downward. Those are the facts.

N

 

[DIVERHERB]

Axl72, the area I dive is south central Florida and is the same conditions from here to Texas. I have dove most of the coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Have never felt unsafe in my CS just a little beat up at time when I should have stayed home.

 

[mddolson]

I bought a new boat this spring. I'm in Belleville, & needed a boat that I can trailer, to the St Lawrence & Lake Ontario. I like the space of a pontoon boat, but not the lack speed nor handling in rough water.
I wanted to be able to dive 4 divers comfortably,
Must be able to trailer with my Blazer (3500 lbs)
Must also be comfortable as a weekend cruise boat (my family are not divers).
Needs to be able to handle/maneuver well on Lake Ontario.

I settled on a 21 -1/2 ft deck boat.
Looks like a pontoon boat above water, is 8 feet wide.
Has full & half canopy and camper top.
Has a welded aluminum hull, & 135 Hp mercruiser I/O
Engine is 3 litre GM inline 4 cy, uses regular gas.
It has plently of deck space and railing to strap tanks & gear.
It dives 4 very comfortably & 6 if we just use single tanks.
Having a V hull it will get up on plane and do 28 knots.
It's great for lazy afternoon cruising around the Bay of Quinte.

It doesn't like big waves however.
we were on Lake Ontario a month ago, swells about 2-1/2 to 3 feet.
I wasn't paying attention, and got the nose straight into a big one and we all got a good soaking as it crashed over the bow.

Here's a of shots of here.
She needs a name though, any ideas?

Mike Dolson.

 

[Spearo]

There is a lot of use and new boats on the market today for much less than last year, gas and the economy my play a roll in it.

If you're looking for a long term boat and one that will not melt on you here are MY three pics: Boston W., Grady W. Robalo and Pursuit. There are two or there just bellow those and... then...there are all the others.

 

[veriqster]

No better example of how human stupidity can not be accounted for. I've been in the Newbury Port entrance on days when the Coast Guard would gladly offer a free tow to the inner harbor just to see you out of the water and I can say that the only difference in between swimming you way to the beach and winching you small sailboat on the trailer is YOU. You got to know what you are doing, you got to know the relief under the water, you got to now the currents, you got to play it safe.
The boat I used for diving last summer is a 17ft sailboat - gets crowded with two divers and 6 tanks but has a small cabin to keep some of the stuff dry.
I can not say anything about powerboats since I've never had one (currently looking to get one, that's why I got to read this), but, in sailboats, unless you a sailing a dinghy you have to try REALLY hard to capsize it - the more it heels the more wind it spills; unless you fly an unreasonably bid headsail it will tack into the wind once you start loosing control and so on. Sailboats are build to take a beating, they will stand there own in the ocean unless human interference hinders them. It amazes me how somebody could capsize a 28fter which most probably has a full keel or a deep fin keel with something like 5000 pounds of ballast and a vanishing angle of stability of at least 120 degrees.
Back to the original idea of the thread: Is a 22ft cabin cruiser (VERY small cabin, deep V hull) and a 70hp outboard a proper combination or is this a badly underpowered option. I am looking at getting out farther this season (10-15 miles) and looking for options (a sailboat is to slow for this).
Sorry for the hijack.
Hope nobody minds me resurrecting this old thread.
Regards.

Examples like this are always useful. Overloading a boat and choosing to cruise in the wrong conditions has nothing to do with the boat.

Last Monday night in Boston Harbor a 28' sailboat capsized ejecting all the crew. One of my colleagues happened to be the closest vessel and pulled three of them from the water. Other boats picked up the rest. They did not spill the sail in time to account for a strong gust. This sailboat would handle open seas better than any powerboat of the same size (in terms of sheer stability) yet the captain still managed to swamp it.

--Matt

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

70 HP on a 22' Deep V hull sounds underpowered to me.

 

[captain]

70 HP on a 22' Deep V hull sounds underpowered to me.

That's an understatement! Even twin 70's would be marginal with a load of divers.

 

[veriqster]

Assuming the boat planes right now at a speed close to 30mph and a load of 3 divers (captain included), 2 tanks each, what would be an adequate power plant for a deep V hull?
I do not go out if the water is expected to be choppy but I don't want to get in trouble if I ever look at the wrong forecast either (better have some extra juice then not enough).

 

[captain]

Assuming the boat planes right now at a speed close to 30mph and a load of 3 divers (captain included), 2 tanks each, what would be an adequate power plant for a deep V hull?
I do not go out if the water is expected to be choppy but I don't want to get in trouble if I ever look at the wrong forecast either (better have some extra juice then not enough).

What is "the boat". Generally a deep vee requires more power than a flat bottom or shallow vee hull. I have 250 HP in my 22 foot center console which is enough for any conditions. It is not a deep vee but 250 should be enough if it were. I would say 180 to 200 would be the minumn on any 22 footer except for a completely flat bottom. You don't want just enough power to plane it in good conditions. When going offshore you need enough to be able to control the boat when conditions get bad.