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Recreational power boat choice

Hello. I am new to this group and to boat building in general. I have
read through some of the previous postings on this site to try to
gather some information. I have learned a few things, but would like
some advice as to which type of boat to build and with which
construction methods.

The boat I would like to make will be for day-trips only, so a large
cabin is not necessary. It might be handy at times, but it will not
have much influence in my decision. I will be using this boat for
water-skiing, and just enjoying the water in the summer. It should be
able to carry at least four or five people, but it does not need to
have sleeping provisions. It would be used in salt water. For
waterskiing, it would be used in fairly calm waters, but I would
occasionally want to take it out into the ocean (going more slowly).

I do not plan on putting a sail on this boat at all (maybe that will
be my second boat). Unless I come into some serious money unexpectedly
to buy a boat with an inboard motor, it should be powered by an
outboard motor between 40 and 100 HP. I've just gotten those numbers
from a friend. I'd like to be able to cruise at 40 - 50 MPH without
worrying about wearing a helmet and mouth guard.

I am trying to make up my mind on which specific type of boat to use
and hoped I could get some help from experienced builders out there.
I've heard of the plywood sheet boats, the traditional board type, and
fiberglass hulls. The plywood stich-and-glue sounds easiest, but I'm
wondering if there are performance compromises. The board type sounds
significantly harder if I have to build a steam box and perfect the
art of board bending. But it also sounds a bit more elegant.
Fiberglass sounds like it is stronger and requires less maintenance,
but might take a lot of practice and failures. Not that I can't deal
with that, but I want to be realistic.

So once I choose what I want to make my boat out of, I am trying to
decide on the shape. For speed, do I want a deep-V, moderate-V, flat,
etc? This boat will never be in lake-calm waters, keep in mind. It
will always be in salt water, with at least small to moderate waves.
So I don't want it pounding my teeth every time it bounces on a wave.
What type of design is best for these conditions?

And finally, could any veterans recommend some plans to purchase or
use? Size isn't so important as long as I can fit 4 or 5 people. If a
bigger boat can still work up speed, that's ok, but nothing huge. I
want it to be able to turn sharply and be manuverable, so probably not
a whole lot more than 15 feet. Also, it should be something that can
be car-town, so I don't have to worry about docking fees. I realize I
could probably buy a Whaler or something for my purposes, but I'd
enjoy building a boat. My budget isn't too tight, so don't exclude
anything too quickly for that reason. I'm somewhat skilled with
woodworking in general, and have most tools that I can imagine
needing.

Finally, I have made a reading list from some other posts here. Feel
free to add:
Sam Devlin's Boatbuilding
Build the NEW Instant Boats
Michalak's Boatbuilding for Beginners and Beyond

Recreational power boat choice

Thanks Jacques

I looked at that site, and I like the looks of the Garvey, outboard
skiff, phantom, and mongoose (all various sizes). Do you have any
personal recommendations? Would I be better with a "flat" hull or
should I stick to the V-hull? Or somewhat of a compromise between the
two?

I noticed that one of the boats, the Phantom 16 advertised a max speed
of 45 mph. Do you have estimates on any of the others? Even if you can
just guess at faster / slower / about the same. 45mph is probably
enough for me, especially with any type of choppy waters. But if a
similar boat goes a little faster, I'll be interested to hear that.

So I guess my biggest question is the hull type I should choose.

-Sean

Recreational power boat choice

Sean

I'm going through some of the same decision making processes you are.
A few other good books to read are David Gerr's books, "The Nature of
Boats: Insights and Esoterica for the Nautically Obsessed."
(excellent) and "The Elements of Boat Strength: For Builders,
Designers and Owners." (I have only browsed this book. More formulas
and detailed information than "Nature..". "The Nature of Boats..." is
an excellent book. The author's writing style is technical and witty
making it an enjoyable read. The reviews of both on Amazon tell it
better than I can.

Matt

Recreational power boat choice

Thanks to everybody for the info.

Jacques -
I understand where you're coming from. I guess I'm more concerned with
the hydrodynamics - the drag - than the speed. I could always put a
big engine into a boat that isn't meant to go fast - and get the same
results as a small engine in a fast boat. I guess I want to maximize
the engine-to-speed ratio. I want an efficient boat rather than having
to put a massive engine on it. I'll take a look on the forums and see
what the consensus is. Thanks.

Matt -
Thanks for the recommendations, I'll try to locate those books.

-Sean

I'm going through some of the same decision making processes you are.
A few other good books to read are David Gerr's books, "The Nature of
Boats: Insights and Esoterica for the Nautically Obsessed."
(excellent) and "The Elements of Boat Strength: For Builders,
Designers and Owners." (I have only browsed this book. More formulas
and detailed information than "Nature..". "The Nature of Boats..." is
an excellent book. The author's writing style is technical and witty
making it an enjoyable read. The reviews of both on Amazon tell it
better than I can.

Matt

Recreational power boat choice

In your first message, you asked for 40 to 50 mph.
You will only get that with a planing hull, there is no alternative. None,
zero: it must be a planing hull.
Speed in a planing hull is affected by weight and HP: there is no magic in
the hulls to make them go faster.
Since you have decided in favor of an engine as small as possible, the only
variable left is weight = you need a boat as light as possible.

"Bio" engines are diesel engines burning vegetal oil: they are heavy, the
oil is expensive and who wants an exhaust that smell like frenchs fries?
--
Jacques
http://www.bateau.com

"Sean" wrote in message
om...
Thanks to everybody for the info.

Jacques -
I understand where you're coming from. I guess I'm more concerned with
the hydrodynamics - the drag - than the speed. I could always put a
big engine into a boat that isn't meant to go fast - and get the same
results as a small engine in a fast boat. I guess I want to maximize
the engine-to-speed ratio. I want an efficient boat rather than having
to put a massive engine on it. I'll take a look on the forums and see
what the consensus is. Thanks.

Matt -
Thanks for the recommendations, I'll try to locate those books.

-Sean

I'm going through some of the same decision making processes you are.
A few other good books to read are David Gerr's books, "The Nature of
Boats: Insights and Esoterica for the Nautically Obsessed."
(excellent) and "The Elements of Boat Strength: For Builders,
Designers and Owners." (I have only browsed this book. More formulas
and detailed information than "Nature..". "The Nature of Boats..." is
an excellent book. The author's writing style is technical and witty
making it an enjoyable read. The reviews of both on Amazon tell it
better than I can.

Matt