"Bruce In Bangkok" wrote in message
...
I wish that you could point me at a url showing this "speed pad" as I
can't seem to visualize it, nor can I find more then the words, i.e.,
has a speed pad. I am somewhat familiar with the hulls of both three
point hulls (the old speed boat hulls with the sponsons) and more
modern open ocean racing stuff, but the speed pad defeats me
Most modern high performance fiberglass bass boats made today have a pad
style bottom atleast to some degree. Fast Cat (tunnel) and a few shallow V
and pocket tunnel flats boats being the exceptions.
http://www.bwbmag.com/output.cfm?id=1122481 "When we think of a bass boat,
we typically envision a modified V hull, with a pad bottom, and more often
than not, an extended transom/built-in jackplate. Pretty cool stuff, right?
"
Kinda goes to the argument that it's a pretty common thing if that's what
"we typically envision."
Here is an aluminum one, but I do not like their design. Most are flatter,
although a lot of Rangers have a semi V pad like that. I mostly do not like
the sandwiched or layer construction for aluminum as it can trap water.
Their V pad might be the most efficient design for some setups, or possibley
the best compromise:
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6666162.html
Here is a picture of the inside the hull for one under construction. The
outside view would be much more defined.
http://media.photobucket.com/image/b...lassonhull.jpg
I am finding that there is an amazing dearth of pictures online of the
bottom of bass boats. I am finding myself headed out to the shop to take
pictures of the bottom of my Basscat.
Here is a view from the transom:
http://www.yumabassman.com/pictures/shelf-001.gif
And here is another from underneath. I played with the colors and the
contrast so that you could see it's a fairly long structure on the bottom of
the boat. About half the length of the boat.
http://www.yumabassman.com/pictures/shelf-002.gif
The boat in the last two pictures is not particularly fast as bass boats in
this size class go. Its being pushed by a factory stock Mercury 250 Pro XS
that dynos out at about 260-270 prop shaft horsepower depending on
elevation, temperature, humidity, etc. It's a 20 foot 4 inch fiberglass
boat and it weighs about 3000 lbs give or take depending on fuel, livewells,
gear, driver, and passengers, etc. I have GPSed it at 74+ MPH (statute
miles) with a pretty good load. With this particular boat I have been able
to average 60+ in 3 foot chop for a 30+ mile run in a tournament. There are
guys running a slightly different prop getting 78-79 out of this same hull
with what we call a "full tournament load." I picked the prop that gave me
the better hole shot. I also have a sloppy hydraulic jack plate on this
boat which I need to replace. I imagine it complicates my high speed
driving a bit. Similar lighter boats the same size will run high 80s and
there are a few pushing the century mark. I'm talking production 20 foot
class fiberglass "modified V" pad bottom boats with a factory configuration
250 Pro XS motor. Not a hot rodded motor or a blue printed hull.
Allison I am sure has several semi custom 20' glass composite pad Vs that
will break 100 MPH in his stable running similar horsepower. He holds
enough world records. He doesn't like the new 3 liter motors much though.
Too heavy for his favorite boats.
I am most definitely not grasping at some obscure concept as you seem to
imply. Skeeter, Ranger, Triton, Champion, Procraft, Nitro, Allison, Bullet,
Gambler, Blazer, Bass Cat, Hydrasports, etc all use a modified V pad bottom
design in some form. It is not a new concept. Its been around for atleast
25 years that I know of first hand. Our first pad bottom boat was a 20'
Hydrasport back in the mid 1980s. We ran an Evirnrude 235 race motor on it,
we never had the nerve to find out how fast it would go. It was fast
enough.
To my knowledge none of the manufacturers make a production boat with super
sharp edges on the pad because they would wear off quickly in typical use,
and the edges would break easily compared to a rounded corner.
The only thing that might be in question is my belief from the hearsay of
professional boat builders and speed junkies that a sharp edge on the pad
can somehow improve top speed. I've certainly seen the hulls that have been
flipped over and trued up and the pads with the razor sharp corners.
A single sheet stamped and formed might be able to achieve all that
wonderfulness. The only stamp formed aluminum boat I am aware of the is the
Tracker Avalanche and it is discontinued. I also think it as not a pad
bottom, and it was welded right down the keel to join two piece. LOL. So
much for wonderfulness.
Yeah, I threw of non supporting side information in there, but I think it
makes for a more interesting read.