Florida Keyz wrote:
Florida Coasters, if they are still in business, make such a
trawler.

I seem to recall that these are one of the Jay Benford designs already
mentioned. I have bumped into a few of these small ships. They had a sort
of crane on the foredeck on the starboard side, and the device could lift a
jeep-like vehicle on and off the boat.

I really like the idea of traveling on a ship such as this, (though I never
got the chance). Looking at these behemoths gives one the impression that
"coaster" is about the safe limit, with perhaps "inland coaster" a better
and more conservative description.

Incidentally I believe the descendants (nautically anyway) of one of the
original ICW explorers, Slade Dale of Bay Head NJ, have actively cruised the
ICW in such a boat. The first time I met them they were on Slade's old
boat. Later they showed up with one of the Florida Coasters. For those who
get the reference, these folks were most certainly from Bay Head, with all
the attendant implications.

--
Good luck and good sailing.
s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat
http://kerrydeare.tripod.com