23' panga with open bilge design

[Davesea]

Here are some photos from a boat designed with an open bilge with a grate over it. Any water entering over the gunnel will drain to the center of the boat into the bilge. two bilge pumps will evacuate the water. Bilge is always accessible and visible. Lots of storage too and holds my 9' rowing oars.

Flotation is in the forward half of the bow platform, side seats (except for the small compartments with hatch) and in the stern side boxes. Sealed compartment floation is filled with 4" styrofoam cut to fit and coated with epoxy resin.

decks, transom and internal structure are Coosa board.

The boat is awesome in a chop, cutting through the waves. The more weight the better. I tow the rig with my Volkswagon Passat 4 cyl turbo and it does just fine. I use a tilt keel roller trailer which gives me access to most ramps here in the PNW that most other boaters can't use.

The bimini encloser makes a cozy, lightweight cabin.

Any comments?
Dave

[duluthboats]

They look like fun boats.
Gary :D

[Village_Idiot]

Are there scuppers above the deck / waterline? Don't rely on bilge pumps, as even a half-dozen of them won't keep up with a coupla good-sized waves coming over the gunwale. They are good for maintenance drainage, that is it.

I like Pangas, they are a good design. Although I think the Americanized versions are getting way too fat. Even many of the imports are still too wide for my personal tastes. But, they are better than much of what is out there...

[Davesea]

I guess it depends on what you are relying on the scuppers or bilge pumps to do.

The open bilge design is more concerned with stability than evacuating water. No scuppers I have seen, on 20' size range outboard boats, are capable of evacuating a couple of good size waves before the boat will become unstable and possibly capsize.

So in the open bilge design the water from the two good sized waves go to the bottom of the hull rather than on top of the deck so the stability is better than a sealed deck.

I agree the Americanized versions aren't really using the Panga narrow beam design. It is mostly for marketing I guess. What did you mean by "But, they are better than much of what is out there..."

[Village_Idiot]

Don't get me wrong, I like the open bilge. It is just that too many people rely on bilge pumps to do what they were not designed to do - i.e., pumping lotsa water quickly.

I meant that the overall Panga design is better than many of the other boat designs out there, speaking of open-bow 20- 26-foot outboard rec boats. Most are too fat, or designed to do just one task well. I am a multi-tasker, and the Panga is a multi-tasking boat. I myself run a custom aluminum boat that utilizes a hull design concept not unlike a Panga.

[Davesea]

I agree, nothing is really going to pump lots of water quickly but with the open bilge design that is not really a requirement. With bilge pumps, hand pumps and buckets the boat can be slowly bailed without having to worry so much about capsize. Although I was impressed the the two pumps bailed the swamped boat (showed in the photos) in 20 minutes.

I would really like to see an aluminum panga, I was hoping someday someone could copy the pictured hull in aluminum including the lapstrake. Would you post some photos of your boat?

[Davesea]

Gary,
This is a fun boat, I have used it for all sorts of things from hauling trash off beaches during beach clean ups, to moving gaggles of kids, to freediving. From San Juans to Hood Canal to Neah Bay. I plan to cruise up to Port Townsend this weekend to check out the wooden boat festival.
Dave

[duluthboats]

Hi Dave,
Re: Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival
I’ll be there most of the day Saturday. Dock space will be nonexistent if you don’t have something reserved already. I would love to see your boat, if I see it I’ll give you a shout. The weather should be nice so there will be a good turnout.
Gary :D

[NOTURS]

A friend of mine is rebuilding a 27 panga from Mex. He has been told that they tend to get tippy, what are your thoughts on this?

[Davesea]

The panga pictured is actually from a Trinidad design and they call it a Pirogue. IE canoe. So Yes Panga's are tender and will wobble under your feet which is a good feeling since it feels like a boat. My previous boat was a BW 18' outrage, total opposite boat. It was heavy, wide beam, required lots of HP (and fuel) and pounded in seas, but it was not as tender, not nearly. That seems is what most US boater want is a stable boat at anchor, so they feel like they are sitting at the dock?

Just because the Pangas are tender though does not mean they are less seaworthy. These boats service third world fishermen all around the world in all kinds of seas and they do it safely and efficiently. It would be helpful if some first world engineers would do the calculations to characterize their advantages.

[NOTURS]

Thanks for the reply Davesea,

My friend in question wants to know if his would be able to handle area of 3,000 ponds of fish. I have seen some pic's and read some articles ref- "fisherman from other countries " , with heavy payloads, no disrespest intended, but they also did not have shirts, shoes, and I beleive a couple of them had kids strapped to there backs. While pulling in many lengths of net!

[NOTURS]

It would be helpful if some first world engineers would do the calculations to characterize their advantages.

This would be nice

There has been a blow up of panga style boat in S-Fl area. andros is just another

The flooded pic says a lot, I like it

[Davesea]

Thanks for the reply Davesea,

My friend in question wants to know if his would be able to handle area of 3,000 ponds of fish.

I am not expert, but a 27' panga and 3,000 lb payload should be no problem. My 23' would easily handle 2,000lb. If he is going to have a huge payload, make sure he doesn't put a deck in the boat. Floor boards would work well and it would allow him to store his fish as low as possible when He had a large payload. Now tell me where this guy is going to catch 3K# of fish.....

[NOTURS]

Roe Season Almost here!!!!!!!!!! Thanksgiving day

14' 26 lb cast net

[Davesea]

Just remember, it takes mullet to make mullet

[Village_Idiot]

I would really like to see an aluminum panga, I was hoping someday someone could copy the pictured hull in aluminum including the lapstrake. Would you post some photos of your boat?

Sorry for the slow reply - has been a busy week! PM me and I'll see if I can dig up some photos. It is a mod-V flat-bottom with pocket tunnel, but built in the spirit of a Panga in that it is 26 feet long with five-foot bottom width, center console and wise use of space.