Sea Sled Design....Bay Sled

The Hickman sea sled bug has bit me as well. I have a 25' tritoon for the family, as well as a 18' Blazer bay center console. I started looking for a design to replace the Blazer Bay. I wanted something longer and as wide as I could get and still be trailerable. The Blazer Bay is great in the bayous and rivers but sucks in any chop. Last time I had it out in Mobile bay with 1' seas i would have been more dry if i was in the water! I need a boat thats easy to run in shallows and capable to run out to the rigs 10-12 miles off shore on a good day. And can stay dry and stable in Mobile Bay during light chop. So this is my design. Its based off the Bateau TX18 and HS18. My Bay Sled is almost 22' long, 8' wide at the beam. I added a small carolina style spray flair to help keep her dry. Im hoping to power this with my current setup from my blazer bay, which is a Suzuki 140. Let me know what the masses think..Its still in the design stage, more so in my mind as I'm trying to learn Delftship......

 

@DogCavalry you are being summoned.....

For reference for other readers here is a link to the TX 18 -
Texas Sled 18 Boat Plans (TX18) - Boat Builder Central https://boatbuildercentral.com/product/texas-sled-18-boat-plans-tx18/

Just one thought - the Hickman sea sled and the TX 18 both have inverted vee bottoms, but yours does not appear to have this?

 

It does have an inverted bottom. Its hard to see in these pics. Ill try to get a better version....

 

" It's a mania they have"

 

Here are a few more thats shows better detail

 

Oh Ken. That looks great. Looks like you got some inspiration from my bow.

What material? Will you use the TX18 build plans, with heier scantlings and your ow

Anecdotally, sleds had a hard time running on 1 prop, because the aerated water and bubbles they ride on comes out at the middle of the transom. But there have been some successful boats. Miss Lakeside, for example. A 26' boat with a single 29 X 31 SPP. Airflite's smaller sled ran beautifully on 1 outboard.

 

thanks for the kind words but its still a rough draft. I think there is to much angle on the transom, as I want to add a swim ladder. To do so I think it needs to be more vertical than what it is now. Material will be plywood/epoxy. I would love for it to be built simply as a stich and glue but I think it will be a mix of both traditional framing and s&g. The bow cam about as simple way to connect the flares from the sides. It gives it a tug type appearance. Plus a flat area for mounting recessed lights for night boating/hunting.

I have no idea on how to design the stringers or what height the sole needs to be. I'll take some of the ideas from the other designs like the Sea Jet and the Veep. Im having fun designing it, but I'm having a hard time understanding delftship. Wished there was an online course.....

 

Ken, have you seen the various tutorials on YouTube re Delftship?
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=delftship tutorial
I am trying to muster up enthusiasm to learn how to use Delftship - I am notoriously bad at any type of CAD. Am happier with a drawing board.

And if you have not yet worked you way through Dog Cavalry's epic thread about his Sea Sled build, then treat it like a mini-series, and budget time for some binge viewing - it is excellent.
Sea Sled madness. It’s in my brain. https://www.boatdesign.net/threads/sea-sled-madness-it%E2%80%99s-in-my-brain.63079/

 

I found DCs thread when I started my search a few months back. Originally I wanted a catamaran for the stability and width, but only wanted to run a single engine. Twins seem to be better suited for the cats while a single is best for sea sleds.

I have watched a few of the videos and a lot of searching for threads. I tasked my oldest son, and paid per hr for him to learn it via videos and manuals. He absorbed a great deal and between the two of us we are struggling through it.

Got a bit more done tonight..... not sure of the motor well. It might stay but was more of an exercise in what I could do or attempt to do.

 

The motor well would not be a positive addition to the boat. Best left as an exercise.

 

I didn't think so, but it gave me experience working with the program. Just didn't like the look anyway. Is your motor bracket integral with the bottom of the hull? Or is it above the bottom of the hull?

 

Outboards on standard mounts. I had intended to use a pair of turbo diesels, auto transmissions to aquadrive, seafurys out the transom. Too much interior space lost.

 

But think of that 29"prop on Miss Lakeside! First gear for the holeshot, reduction about 6-1 through the torque converter. Probably give you whiplash accelerating. Then second gear once over the hump, and the torque converter locks up. Then its about 1.5-1 for economical cruising. Third is for when you need to blow dry your eyeballs at 1-1.

 

You certain about the 29 inches on this lady? In the other thread you mentioned "two feet", which fits the 1700 rpms and 240 hp she is said to use.
But the double engined "Miss Demure" was presented having 29-inchers with 31" pitch to her 200 hp's, so it might be true. Any possibility to verify the numbers?

 

I went back to the drawing board and based of the HS18. Stetted to 21.5' with a 96" beam. Slowly getting the hang of Delftship to be able to get it to do most things I need it to..... Thoughts?