Should I angle the windows in or out?

on our boat the front

windows are "racked aft"
like that :http://long-cours.62.over-blog.com/article-capots-hublots-plexis-77840881.html
because my wife don't like "racked forward" (I still asking of the front windows , sorry for my English)
But fot me the "racked forward" have some advantage : less sun on the surface, less rain and the principal for me at night no reflexion on the windows of the lights of engine panel , souder, gps etc
On the windows you just see the dark and not lot of parasites lights ... but always my wife decide

 

Perhaps bring the wheelhouse profile and windage down by heavily cambering the roof....with headroom only under the center of the roof..

 

Squeezing a quart into a pint is not easy. Former comments re. big cabin on a small boat & stability issues, plus windage is a good warning to heed. Plus, that large cabin top may invite storage/clutter (kayaks, 'toys', etc) which could be really 'interesting' stability issues. And the appearance.... ? Hmmmmm

 

I suspected you where attempting to do this, twist an 18'er into a 25'er.

That boat has only so much hull volume and a dog house is about all you can get, stuffed up into the eyes of the boat. A fully enclosed pilothouse is frankly an absurd consideration on a boat that likely has a 16' LWL. You can have a small dog house, with enough room for a skipper and skinny friend standing right on his hip, but that's about it.

Lead in the keel is the worst thing you can do. She's going to have enough burden to contend with.

I'm not saying you can't do this, but that's it's ill conceived on a craft of these general dimensions. You'll need twice the motor to go half as fast, the wind will constantly push you around and you can forget about efficiency, possably the ability to even plane off. So, if your goal is a mini houseboat, that doesn't do much well, except have a roof over your guests, then the concept works. On the other hand, if you would desire some boat like qualities underway, you'll need to revise your "models" about what this particular hull can offer.

 

I appreciate the comments very much I read Par's titanic reference and have to admit, there are too many similarities in the "go Fever" and " It's worked ok for us so far" mentality.

So we are starting to make things smaller and bring in the roof line so it is only head height, or just under, requiring a stoop and has a large crown.

The v berth will be trimmed down along the lines of the picture at least.

This is todays efforts thus far.

Wil be using west system

 

You will noy be able to see were you are going once the bow rises.

 

Sure, I'd forgot about the bow rising because we have a 20 hp and as such the bow doesn't rise ( maybe a few inches only ), however I do want to increase the hp so it will plane, so thanks for that, also if it was in a swell or seaway.
I will cut down that front piece of wood so it angles downwards towards the bow.

By the way the 20 hp has been great for 12 months boat does 7 knots.

 

When in the pilothouse, you'll be sitting, so why the standing headroom? I've seen many try to make a silk purse from a sow's ear, but most just end up with a fuzzy hand bag. A standing headroom, fully enclosed pilothouse, with V berth too, just isn't practical on a 16' LWL. Don't bother trying to make it plane off, you'll need a few hundred HP for that. Live with trolling speeds of 6 MPH on a 20 HP.

 

I think that a seriously oversize cabin you have planned.

How do you think it will perform when you have the equivalent of 4 people standing up.

18 x 7'6 is just foot is just too small for that size cabin

 

Windows angled out on the top frequently allow night running with out reflections from gauges and electric toys on the window

LOTS safer!

 

I would not go with a large cabin. A bend over cabin with less crown. I would build as light as possible and incorporate a lift top or pop top, hard or soft sides that can be raised when not underway.

Even in a decent size lake you won't be walking around in that boat as you would a houseboat or even a pontoon. So, why standing headroom when underway? You could lift a top on your tilt'n hilton trolling around in calm areas.

You still going to trailer the boat? A high top won't be fun on a light boat. Your forward slanting windows may provide some lift at 60 mph and a cross wind with a 40mph gust will get your attention.

 

It will be trailered and it currently will tow at 60 mph or 100 kph though I prefer sitting on 80 however the point of portugese bridge on the highway I had overlooked.
The thing is I have 3 children and a wife who love being inside the boat, Leaving me and another son who like being outside. I also love the camping aspect, pretending it's a big boat etc.
I also though do like things that work so the design is being reworked.
We have a fairly extensive estuary system here on the gold coast australia through to an area called jacobs well it's all fairly protected, that said there is a direct access to the ocean which is used by most locals to get out to the reefs, it would be a shame to make that an unwise idea.
I sourced the foam today for sandwich and can make the crown roof, I was wondering about sandwich walls as well.
I am thinking about the aft section being not stand up with a small fishing area at the back.
Maybe some bunks either side, with an ability to sit on the roof and the roof at the back only being high enough to encompass some bunks.
The only head high area being the steering helm and maybe a head/shower on the port side of it.
Propane/LPG gas stove could go outside on the lower aft section.

 

How about just a hard top with a rear hatch, cover the back with a hard flat top across from the top of the sides. You can use the aft top to sit outside, put a rail around it, just sitting on deck. You can have an aft cabin underneath to crawl into with a bed. Put the kids in a V berth. Porta pottie and a camp stove. The whole thing would be no higher than the top of the windshield...basically. I wouldn't go to the trouble really, just get some good canvas and some bows and go camping.

 

Ok Ive heard enough. Im going to tell you the truth.

The cabin you have suggested is too big, the boat will look silly. The expense will be more or near the cost of selling and buying a bigger boat. It will look funny.

The windage will be like a sail and not only tow bad but roll at sea.

As said you will need 200HP to plane.

 

You never know, it could turn out beeyouteefull.