Hickman Sea Sled Information

I've been interested in Sea Sleds since June 1991. Started my build thread October '19. I'm a little embarrassed at that delay.

Anyway, I've learned a lot of great stuff since then. Most of it wound up in my thread, but that's a lot of me taking pratfalls to learn anything concrete. Not everyone is that patient.

I intend to repost stuff here, or add links, images, and the like. Cut and paste quotes from emails.

No cat videos please, but sea sled related material is welcome.

 

A good starting point is the June/July 1991 issue of Woodenboat Magazine.

Then:
https://gerrmarine.com/Articles/SeaSleds.pdf

and

https://gerrmarine.com/Articles/SeaSleds2.pdf

 

Re-designed Hickman Seasled, video. https://www.boatdesign.net/threads/re-designed-hickman-seasled-video.40018/

Here's PAR telling folks the same things.

 

Tonydignity had a bunch of sea sled images in his gallery. Ironically, his last visit was right before I opened my build thread. Anyone know how to reach him, outside of a PM?

Edit: he's still interested in sea sleds.

 

From Robin777.

A brief description of his boat in heavy weather:
I did run for two seasons with outboards, 225 opti s

With the optis quite close together, and I mention this because the inverted V goes all the way aft on my boat.

When trimmed up it did porpois, Flat is what it likes.

Load carrying is interesting, Initially I had a very forwards mounted hard cabin on her and it did not like the weight forward like that.

You have seen the pictures of the soft top and how I changed it to be quite a ways back compared to original and I could never over load that boat.

My family packed enough food and supplies to camp out at our cabin on Valdez Island one year and we had two adults and 5 kids with all ...... of our gear onboard and full fuel tanks under rear seats and Nothing slowed that thing down.

we had 6ft seas and we were running at half throttle and stayed nicely on top at 22 knts. Opening up with all the kids onboard wasnt really an option but at 22 knts it saved the day because when we slowed down the kids started chucking their cookies with the rough water.

Sorry to not have more precise data, more anecdotal in nature.

 

So the inverted vee goes all the way back with that one, it would be interesting to see how different they are. I wonder if that is commonly done, I am thinking not. Interesting way the chamfer to the slab side was done there.

 

When Hickman was around 100 years ago, that is pretty much the way a lot of conventional planing boats looked, warped planes ending in flat or very nearly flat aft, I guess you would have to test them in parallel to see the difference in performance. You certainly can't just assume it would be the same relativity as between a warped plane mono and a reasonably veed monohedron.

 

Video of sleds in action.

 

Here's another. I've spoken to this builder for hours on end. Look at how the ram air pressure in the tunnel blows out sideways where the keels meet the water, around 13-19 seconds.

 

Interesting to hear of one around Valdez. I'll keep an eye out for it; I'm surprised I've never seen it, actually.

 

He moved it to Okanagan Lake a couple years back. It's ot in the water. Switching to surface drives.

 

Hi DC - Great job on the new thread!!! I like the labeling tie-in to the Hickman Sea Sled. Should I put up the basic pic file of the AR/AF?

 

Yes please. There's too much of me goofing around in my own build thread for it to be a proper repository of info. So this....

 

Cut and paste from an old thread.

My Father William L Maris, Of Mt Vernon And Anacortes Wa Built 3 Different Sea Sleds And Powered Them With Cut Down 12 Cyl Aircraft Engins From Ww-1. After A Pointy Bow Speed Boat Capsized On Him And A Person Drowned
He Found The Design For A Sea Sled In 1925 And Built His First On In The Garage In Mt Vernon Wa. Moved To Anacortes In 1926 Where He Built Two More Sleds Still Using Cut Cown 12 Cyl Ac Engins.
His Hull Was 21 Ft Long And 8 Ft Of Beam, Open Cockpit, Would Cruise At 50+ And Was Clocked By The Uscg At Anacotes At 76 Knots In 1931 Over A 1 Mile Course.
He Sold The Last Sled To One William Bessner Who Replaced The Engine With A Ford V-8 Truck Enging And It Would Only Go About 45 To 50 Mph, Bessner Sold That Sled To A Person At Lake Chelan Wa
He Cut Down Liberty-hall Scott In Line Engines To 4 Cylinders, Rebored Them, Cast Pistons Of His Own Design At The Local Foundry Run By Art Richmond, Singlle Screw, Untill He Got The Best Performance From The Engine. Used Two Screws Of Different Pitch For Either Hauling Loads Or Just Cruising.
Dad Eventually Built A Removable Cabin For Bad Weather Operations. Moved It On A 4 Wheel Trailer Made From Wrecked Automobile Front And Read Ends And Towed It With A 26 Moon Touring Car He Converted To A Pick-up.
No Photo's Were Ever Saved That I Can Locate.
Vr Bill Maris

 

From Air Flite