Most Sea Worthy Hull Design For Trailerable Boats

[oddball]

F-350 Ford turbo diesel crew cab, duel rear wheel 4x4.

YIKES!..just put some pontoons on that theres your boat

happy thanksgiving to all

[gonzo]

I'm familiar with Dorado boats. They are sturdily built and ride well.

[Willallison]

Will : What do you think about an aluminum version of a Dorado boat ?

Why? If you have some particular love for aluminium, ok, but otherwise if this is the boat that best suits your needs (and I don't know for certain if it is...) then why not just take it as it is. Otherwise you'd have to have one custom built or find a manufacturer who build similar in aluminium.
Also, I suspect that the shape of the Dorado would make it very difficult to build in anything other than glass (or perhaps timber) as there looks to be many compound curves in its shape (in the bow flare for example)

Aluminium is tough - but it's also noisy, gets hot under foot in the sun - and doesn't like fish hooks and other steel bits and pieces being accidentally left in the bilge (aluminium is anodic and will corrode if subject to galvanic action). It certainly has its place, but personally I'd prefer a glass boat.

[oddball]

will you did forget to tell him aluminum is free I know I know..what do you mean "free" oddball , what I mean is save all your beer cans in the garage for 1 year then take them in have them melted and pressed and bingo you have your hull although it will only be 1/32 thick you none the less have your hull

happy thanksgiving all

Oddball : That F-350 is not all berries , sometime it seems it takes 40 acres to turn that rig around .

Will : I was under the assumption that aluminum is the best material for boat construction . I just don't know . Some say aluminum is best . Some say glass is best . All those that sell and make boats , say their boats are made the best .
I do know this ; boats require lots of maintenance and depreciate in value . Boats make a hole in the water that you pour money into . That is why I'm leaning toward building my own boat . At least I will know what I have when I'm done !
I hate to sound cynical but that is the way I see it .

Oddball : The 1/32 thick aluminum sheets would work if you could bond it to a foam core . Hummm ? Aluminum foam core laminate ! Probably been tried before and did not work for long .

[gonzo]

Any material has advantages and disadvatages. Boats that are holes in the water are usually a combination of bad design and owners who fill them with stuff. Commercial boats, in spite of their hard usage, make a profit. If you can keep it simple, mainteinance is minimal. I suggest you make a list of the least stuff you need. Then look for the boat that can carry it and performs as expected. Calculate a rough weight; an overloaded boat can be a problem.

I've been a fan of Dorado boats for several years. Their hull designs are tried and true, so rest assured that you wont be a guinea pig at your own expense. The real gem of the fleet is the 40 footer. Many of these are powered by single diesels of 400-500 hp with twin propshafts and transmissions, though I've also seen them with 3 and 4 outdrives. A great boat and good people to work with. Wish I had the cash to order one!

[gonzo]

I've worked on one with a Volvo diesel and outdrive/jack shaft setup. It is, of course, not too fast but economic. They are what I call hose-down boats. The cockpit liner cleans easily, a major advantage if you fish.

30 ft...BUT it is alloy and it is a lobster boat and it is for sale right at this moment and it would EAT the gulf any day of the week...

Course you might have trubble towing it at 65 ft - but more than likely you could turn the f350 around on the 40 acres of deckspace out back!

Just email me if your interested in her.....

Lets see...twin 750 turbo diesal fiats thru zf boxes swingin a pair of 1 meter dia props and cruises 22 knots, WOT is 28 knots, sleeps 6, air cond - colour ocean vision and everything else you'd expect. Oh yeah she has a hydraulic Lobster winch for those 'difficult to lift' fish!

Around $360K US and she's yours!

The gulf will never scare you again!

Cheers!

The Dorado is a very well built boat, easy to maintain and much more economical (fuel) than a deep V boat. I know of someone that routinely heads out 100 miles off shore on his Dorado 30 and he loves it.

[jprev]

The only problem is the waves keep getting in the way. Where ever you go, if you go offshore any reasonable distance your going to deal with high seas, wetness and pounding. It is a fact of life. The only sure fire way to reduce pounding is, drum roll please, to SLOW down. Works everytime. Saves your legs, your kidneys, fuel and wear and tear on the boat. And if the truth be known gets your there in only slighty more time.

That said, buy the massively overbuilt 28' x 9'-6" 22 degree deep V with the twin turbo charged diesels and expect to roll a lot at rest. The are zillions of them for sale here in Florida... Try www.boattrader.com

Well, maybe not zillions...

[DTVM]

Has anyone tried the Stolkraft hull design in your area?

I've talked with the Capt Mike owner of Capt Mike Charters, in Homer Ak he may be able to give some advice.

http://captmike.com/wildcat.htm

I was a commerical fisherman in that area for years and the 4-6 ft chop was a constant pain but we often had to run it to get away from the real scary stuff. We are planning the release of a design that may help you in the near future.

DTVM

[Stephen Gray]

Look at the Sea Sport web sight the 26 is not too shabby Why not consider diesel, considering where you are fishing. Also look at what everyone else is using.
Steve Gray
Rain Forest Boats

[linuxweb10]

I've been in a Dorado 40' going 34 mph through Gulf of Mexico 6' waves and was surprised at how well the hull just walked right thru them. The boat didn't creak or make other complaining noises. Trailerable. Great fuel economy (1500 miles). Good pricing basic fishing setup with center console runs $182K No wood construction -- nothing to rot. I was impressed.

[THERIAULTMARINE]

This might be what the doctor ordered...