River motor cruiser

[Cap'nCapsize]

G'day, I've been looking for a river boat for a couple of years. Ideally I'd just like to buy one but have been unsuccessful in finding anything close to what I'm after. My last (larger) boat was a Sonata 26, an excellent craft & had many great points I'd like to retain, about 5 things I'd really love to fix

Things I'd like to keep:
- We have many interesting waterways on the eastern seaboard (of Austraila) so trailering is a must, the max width here is 2500mm or 8'2". The Sonata was a cow to get on a trailer straight!
- I'm a sailor & like the yacht (sailboat) style interior. I'm looking for a cruising boat I could stay on for a number of weeks.
- Weight is an issue, you have to push & pull trailerable boats to get them on & off. Bare hull < 1000kg I think is reasonable (the sonata was 1300kg with 560kg of centreboard ballast, which won't be needed in a motor cruiser.)
- Shallow draft, the Sonata was 9" which was fabulous. We have many skinny waterways & being able to step off into ankle deep water reduces the need for a dingy.
- The poptop design. Low windage to tow & in a blow. Excellent ventilation, headroom, light & view at anchor.

Things I'd like to lose:
- Slamming into chop. The sonata is a true sharpie, flat bottomed all the way to the stem
- Direction less at low speeds. Maneuvering at low speeds in tight spaces with a cross wind was impossible. The only solution? come in backwards! Rocker fore & aft, no keel or skeg, centreboard up. She was a motored kayak! To be honest I'd like a twin engine (outboard) job, legs kick up out of the way for shallow anchorage. If one dies come home on the other. excellent maneuverability.
- Sails, if I want to sail I'll tow the skiff

Things I'd like to gain
- An under cockpit dbl berth. Excellent use of space I think.
- Ease of getting on to a trailer. The best way to achieve this I think is a straight sheer (like powerboats) & vertical rollers on the end of the trailer.

LOA is not critical, 7.5M or 24' would be a minimum. I'm after something along the lines of a vee bow sharpie. Hull speed is fine, I'm here to relax & enjoy the journey.

That'll do for a start, I'm hoping someone can suggest something I haven't seen yet. The best I've found is bluejacket boats & they're a long way off. Look forward to your suggestions.

[Pericles]

Here is a comprehensive list of boats to build.

http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/r/plansindex.htm

Pericles

[tom28571]

Cap,n I sent you a private email.