Hogfish Maximus and flat bottom boats
Hi , I've been busy since last posting here so will try and help some. I will give some more food for thought on this whole debate of shallow flat bottom boats. First off I have had a very successful career in designing and building ultra lite fly fishing flats boats since the early 80's with thousands of these skiffs built to date. So I feel I know a thing or to about shallow light weight boats.
My passion has always been very simple shoal draft sailboats.
I never got involved in promoting these ideas and designs in sail as I feel it is a very limited market. The truth is that everyone that is interested in these boats are in the same shoes as I am. On a budget. I designed and built my sailboats to fit my personal needs.
I needed shoal draft.
I wanted a very simple hull to build that would fit all my needs inside it.
These boats had to be functional first and looks last.
They had to be affordable for my budget.
I had to be able to build them alone and fast.
I have sailed on And with Jim Melcher on His Alert many times. I have a series of photos that I will post on my blog site of Alert and Hogfish sailing in company in the Bahamas. The Alert and Jim got me to really start thinking of shoal draft.
Bolgers ideas were a wake up call to me. Very inspiring.
The Alert could never catch or out sail the Hogfish on any point of sail. Both boats being very similar in size and weight. The Hogfish being heavier.
Jim built a black Skimmer in my shop in the keys during this time so I had lots of sailing in it. Saw the 2 x4 Chines.
The difference between Alert and Hogfish in going to weather was the luff length.
When he was reefed Alert had half the luff that Hogfish had.
This is the problem that Bolgers designs will have when going to weather with limited luff and in a seaway with lighter displacement and short luffed multipal spars.To over come a light weight shallow hull design you will have to go to a ballasted drop keel to help in keeping the hull upright to go to weather well.
Jim always complained about how light Alerts design was in construction, with the hull side panting in and out and the single skin of Dynel to protect the bottom from conchs and such he was always very careful where he grounded out.
Again I state here for all novices , Jim was an outstanding seaman and sailor and helped to put Bolger on the map. People take boats places not the other way around.i suggest everyone that has limited sea time to cross a channel or bay on a really lousy day and night with your loved ones before committing to build a boat.
I will say it again, the bow chine needs to be under water if you are going to live aboard. Anyone who says otherwise has no experience .
The original Romp is for sale in St. Augustine Florida on shore behind the Target store there. This is a very simple boat and would be like Alert in its motion the centerboard being the only difference. I did not like a lot of what Alert felt like at sea so went on to design my own boat. She was a great boat at the time though.
I have seen the Romp being built that was mentioned befor in Key Largo years ago.
I belive in building and designing to last for generations. My light weight designs get used very hard for 300 plus days a year traveling up to a 100 plus miles a day and all are still going strong.
I like a very solid strong boat under me so HFM is heavy but if you look at the list of what she is carrying not so much.
I will be sailing to the West Indies this December for the winter and then off to Panama and the Pacific for some future adventures. I offer anyone of you all out there that really want to build a boat like this to come for a sail with me and my wife. I will show you that all this silly debate is nonsense. We will beat to weather in what will feel like a gale to most and sail in and out of every harbor without the motor.
Email me at
spankthemermaid@gmail.com to find out where to meet up.
