New Shallow Water Bay Boat design....?

I could use some feedback on this new design.....

It is intended to draft 4.5 to 5", planing hull, w/tunnel, for bay fishing on the Gulf Coast....

 

I saw it the other day on the Totally Texas Boating Forum.

It's nice to see someone come up with a design of thier own that is so clearly a new design, and seems to perform well. So many recent boats are so like each other as to be interchangeable.

It's also nice to see a t-top on a flats boat. If you aren't a dedicated fly fisherman, and especially if you have a family, it's really necessary to have a little shade when you need it.

How about some more performance numbers. Time to plane, depth required to get up on plane, real economy numbers. top speed with four fat guys and a bunch of gear on board.

That's one good lookin' boat, by the way.

Lance.

 

When I think of a "Bay" boat, I think of a boat capable of handling a 4-5 foot sea in the squalls that pop up & catch you out 5+ miles.
I like the design, but I'd call it a "Flats" boat. The low freeboard & flat bottom would make for a white knuckle ride out in a big bay.

 

http://www.flatscat.com/

Pericles

 

not sure

The reason I love my 16' Maverick flats boat so much is its sharp entry. I can haul *** on a choppy river and the ride is very smooth. I can't help but wonder if a 1' chop would pound the bow up in that little tunnel.

Flats boat:
http://www.newboats.com/product.jsp?ID=78318

Bay boat:
http://www.newboats.com/product.jsp?ID=78317

 

Rounded Tunnel

I've always heard that the best tunnel design on these fiberglass boats is a round half-pipe design, to reduce turbulence created by the corners found in rectangular tunnels. Not sure how that would affect turning performance, though... prop might lose bite suddenly.

I've run a tunnel boat with ice runners that would turn on a dime at any speed, but the ice runners were a real hassle if you ever ran aground - can't slide the boat sideways.

I've also often wondered what would happen if you put a vertical plate down the center of the tunnel, virtually splitting it in half longitudinally. That might reduce turbulence significantly; again, not sure how it would affect turning.

Many flats/bay boat builders have put a steeper deadrise on their v-bow to accomplish rough-water handling; however, a sharp v-bow with a flat-deadrise transom, or tunnel transom, has in some cases lead to a very dangerous 180-degree boat spinout if the captain is not careful with high-speed turns.

 

That is a very handsome craft.

I'll just say that for reference that my little hovercraft (flat bottom) on an inland lake turned out not to be the best fishing platform. This is because boat wakes would rock me pretty good, and sometimes waves/wakes only a foot high would come over the top of the deck. I found the craft rocking back and forth so much I thought it might tip over at times. However, and once again this was a flat bottom top heavy design not really intended for this use and a bit out of it's element.

Based on what I have learned in other threads, perhaps a retracable keel or retractable dagger board may help out shallow draft watercraft in rough seas which are at anchor.

 

I've often caught myself sketching a hull that could augment, but I keep coming back to a design that can handle a degree of abuse with the minimal amount of up-keep. No doubt a keel that could retract would be a handy trick to have on less than perfect conditions, but you could also make the point, why go through the expense of adding the wieght and the cost if only a hand full of days would require the use of that keel. I've also thought about sponses and transoms that could do something similar.

For the most part, this prototype has quite alot of time and effort invested into it, and is the predecessor and platform for some ideas I will be trying. The next prototype is an 18' cat hull with improved tunnel design, and ventilation inlets; should be out of the mold in the next couple days.

 

And it shows, it's quite a striking design with lots of curb appeal.