A blast from the past

[Neal]

In 1958, when I was in the 8th grade, my dad and I started a plywood + fiberglass boat. It is about 20' x 8' with a small cabin. It is currently powered by a Ford 302 V8 inboard.

The boat has no strakes. Since all boats seem to have strakes, I wonder why this boat does not. It's my boat now but I do not have the original plans.

If I was to add strakes, how would I know how many and how large. And most of all, how would I attach them?

[boby boy]

I would simply leave the boat without strakes. this is because ataching them would be a pain you would have to attach them the skeleton and rip up some of the exterior unless you wanted to do it like a viking.

[CDBarry]

Strake design is usually done by looking at planing resistance changes due to the strakes using Savitsky-Brown.

Alternatively, in alum. boats, especially Bristol Bay seiners, they might be structural.

Many boats do not benefit from strakes and don't need them.

Don't worry about it if you like the boat now.