50 knot commuter boat

This is my first post here though I've been reading this forum for years.

I'm looking for a very specific design for a very specific mission.

I manage multiple offices throughout the Midwest. I live on the Lake Michigan lakeshore, and also have offices located in coastal towns along the coast, about 90nm by water, as the crow flies.

To drive a car takes 2:15. I want to find a boat that will compete with that time.

So here's the mission:

50 knot cruise
2 persons capacity only
As comfortable a ride as is possible
An enclosed cockpit to use in colder months and shield from spray

My understanding is that I would want a narrow boat with L/B of 4 or greater, and would probably want something with as a reliable engine as possible.

I'm a sailor and I really don't like "go fast boats" but is that segment my only recourse?

Sure would be cool to take a boat to work.

 

An ultralight (LSA) floatplane? - although I have no idea of the operating conditions on and around Lake Michigan.

 

I'm actually already using a small plane to commute as I am a pilot. in fact that's working so well and so much fun it's a big part of why I'm thinking out of the box with alternative means of commuting

Max wave height is going to be 2-3s anything greater than that I'll just drive a car.

Ideally I'd like to find a hull and modify it to my use. I guess what I'm looking for is attributes that I should be looking for, or even hull models to emulate or buy outright.

For example, for ride quality wouldn't a very deep V be ideal? And then just keep the boat very light to keep the speed up? What about a trimaran hull? Something with a l/b of 6-8 with a flattish stern but a wave piercing hull with AMAs to stabilize?

 

There's nothing comfortable at 50 knots, though some are better than others, all will have considerable vertical accelerations and pounding in a chop. This is more a function of the driver, making the ride more acceptable for the condisions.. There certainly are many production boats that'll fit your needs, though possibly you'll want to add a dogger or cuddy of some sort, for the weather and spray. Forget about wave piercing and flattish sterns. A multi hull is an option, though not nearly as many in production to select from. A moderately deep V bottom, preferably monohedren will get you the best ride.

 

Since you are a pilot, does a wing in ground effect craft meat your needs?

 

that would be cool but you cant buy one, and the ground effect "zone" is extremely dangerous. go to low and you slam into the ground and die. go too high and you stall the wing and then slam into the ground and die.

 

I do think you can get WIG craft. True Blue Dolphin.

 

I stand corrected, you can buy one. I think however that is decidedly outside of what I had in mind, despite being one of the coolest things I've ever seen.

I like the idea of finding a well powered deep v used and adding some weather protection. Thanks everyone!

 

On the other end of the budget of the WIG there's the FIB (Flying Inflatable Boat), no spray and no pounding and also no cabin, maybe 40 knots or so...

Picture from Polaris​

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And there's the drug smugglers boats from the Caribbean which seems to do well over 50 knots, but don't know what they use for this.

P.S. - Oh... Polaris seems to have been very active on Wikipedia... - Polaris - - FIB - - AM-FIB - - Skin

 

Ah, some info about the drug smugglers boats from the Caribbean also on Wikipedia... - Go-fast boat

 

I'm posting this in case the reference to the Flying Inflatable Boat that was just made prompts anyone to look at this thread during a google search. Maybe someone researching it thinking of buying it.

DO NOT FLY IN A FLYING INFLATABLE BOAT. A close friend of mine had one, and he perished along with his passenger when the front bar broke causing a catastrophic structural failure. They fell 100s of feet to their death. <removed> My friend had a weld break lose on the front bar holding the wing to the boat. You can see the bar at the people's feet in that picture. If/when that bar snaps the whole wing goes up and the boat goes down; it opens like a mouth and ejects the passengers. Extremely dangerous.

I get that flying things are dangerous but catastrophic structural failure is unacceptable.

 

Ctmi, thanks for adding that FIB info, now let's hope that everyone who is considering to buy a Polaris FIB (Flying Inflatable Boat) will have a search engine that jumps into this page, and so will take this tragic breakdown into consideration.

I'm very sorry about the tragic loss of your friend and his passenger, my sincere condolences with this.

 

Oh damn, I've just searched for... . Polaris on Aviation Safety Net . .

P.S.

Note: some of those finds are other planes with Polaris in the type name, but most seems to be Polaris ultralight motorized hang gliders, from which most looks to be FIBs (Flying Inflatable Boats).

 

It depends on conditions on the water, it would be relatively easily to find a boat that goes that fast in slight seas, but it will be fuel-hungry. The boat that might be able to handle moderate conditions, with tolerable comfort, will be a step-up in size, and super fuel-hungry. Like 1 mile per gallon. Rough, forget it. Also, the prevailing winds come into it, head seas are likely to be the least manageable.

 

The brief seems to fit a smaller hydrofoil like the old Russian Volgas quite well. 50 knots is quite a speed though and getting towards the point where foilers start to have difficulty with cavitation? A sensible approach to maximum wave height would be required but in reasonable conditions this might be a route to smooth ride and decent efficiency.



Alternatively, one of these but I don't think they ever made it to production: