Frogwatch wrote:
From what I can determine, once a boat is on plane, it is primarily
the weight that determines fuel efficiency so a lighter weight boat
should give much better fuel economy.
BUT, as I have found with my Tolman which is very light for her size,
a lightweight boat is easily pushed around by a wave due to less
momentum. So, although you might consider a boat made from new
lightweight composites, would it be as seaworthy as a heavier one?
This is actually a practical consideration for me if I build a Tolman
Jumbo with slightly gretaer deadrise than the design. More deadrise
will make her pound less but will the lightweight make her less
seaworthy than similar heavier boats?


Build it out of plate aluminum with a deck and sealed flotation chambers
underneath. Drive slowly down the side of the road and gather up empty
aluminum sodapop cans, roll them out and weld them together.