On Sun, 11 May 2008 04:16:50 -0400, wrote:

On Sat, 10 May 2008 17:15:52 -0400, HK wrote:

On Chesapeake Bay, where I mostly boat now, pontoon and tri-toon boats
are rare

I would put a 20' pontoon in the same "rough water" class as a 17-18'
flats/bass boat.
I agree neither is up to boating in the Chesapeake. I always
considered 22' deep vee about the minimum there unless you were
willing to wait for the occasional slick calm day.
Pontoons do just fine on the Gulf side of Florida ... a lot calmer
than the C bay.

I had a 21'er used in the Bay a lot. The days when it was too rough for fun
were the exception. I'm hoping to get about the same amount of use, maybe a
little less, with the 18'er.

I once had a little 15' Boston Whaler CC. It spent a lot of Sundays
cruising around from Sandy Point to Annapolis.

But, there were very few days that I'd have taken a pontoon boat into the
bay, and I don't recall ever seeing one in the bay.
--
John *H*

On Sun, 11 May 2008 10:46:53 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 11 May 2008 07:20:49 -0400, John H.
wrote:

I once had a little 15' Boston Whaler CC. It spent a lot of Sundays
cruising around from Sandy Point to Annapolis.

But, there were very few days that I'd have taken a pontoon boat into the
bay, and I don't recall ever seeing one in the bay.
--
Most of my boating there was in the south bay, Point lookout, St
Georges Island and such.
When I had my 17' I stayed in the Potomac, Port Tobacco or Ft
Washington.
The bay has a unique chop that just beats the hell out of you if you
don't have a pretty big boat. You could be there in a pontoon but you
would stay wet. You would probably scoop up more than a few sea
nettles and throw them on the deck.

Those three foot wave days are pure misery in a small boat. Hell, they're
no fun in a 27'er either!

But, in a small boat the waves give a little more action to the lures when
trolling. That's the way to justify going out.
--
John *H*

John H. wrote:
On Sun, 11 May 2008 10:46:53 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 11 May 2008 07:20:49 -0400, John H.
wrote:

I once had a little 15' Boston Whaler CC. It spent a lot of Sundays
cruising around from Sandy Point to Annapolis.

But, there were very few days that I'd have taken a pontoon boat into the
bay, and I don't recall ever seeing one in the bay.
--
Most of my boating there was in the south bay, Point lookout, St
Georges Island and such.
When I had my 17' I stayed in the Potomac, Port Tobacco or Ft
Washington.
The bay has a unique chop that just beats the hell out of you if you
don't have a pretty big boat. You could be there in a pontoon but you
would stay wet. You would probably scoop up more than a few sea
nettles and throw them on the deck.

Those three foot wave days are pure misery in a small boat. Hell, they're
no fun in a 27'er either!

But, in a small boat the waves give a little more action to the lures when
trolling. That's the way to justify going out.


Three foot waves are a rarity on Chesapeake Bay.

What gfretwell was discussing was "...a unique chop that just beats the
hell out of you..." That typically is a one to a max of 2 foot chop with
close peaks.

On May 11, 11:23*am, HK wrote:
John H. wrote:
On Sun, 11 May 2008 10:46:53 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 11 May 2008 07:20:49 -0400, John H.
wrote:

I once had a little 15' Boston Whaler CC. It spent a lot of Sundays
cruising around from Sandy Point to Annapolis.

But, there were very few days that I'd have taken a pontoon boat into the
bay, and I don't recall ever seeing one in the bay.
--
Most of my boating there was in the south bay, Point lookout, St
Georges Island and such.
When I had my 17' I stayed in the Potomac, Port Tobacco or Ft
Washington.
The bay has a unique chop that just beats the hell out of you if you
don't have a pretty big boat. You could be there in a pontoon but you
would stay wet. You would probably scoop up more than a few sea
nettles and throw them on the deck.

Those three foot wave days are pure misery in a small boat. Hell, they're
no fun in a 27'er either!

But, in a small boat the waves give a little more action to the lures when
trolling. That's the way to justify going out.

Three foot waves are a rarity on Chesapeake Bay.

What gfretwell was discussing was "...a unique chop that just beats the
hell out of you..." That typically is a one to a max of 2 foot chop with
close peaks.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The Ranger... I knew someone with a Ranger once.. the Ranger would
just fly over the top of those...

On May 11, 11:42*am, wrote:
On Sun, 11 May 2008 11:23:55 -0400, HK wrote:
What gfretwell was discussing was "...a unique chop that just beats the
hell out of you..." That typically is a one to a max of 2 foot chop with
close peaks.

Yep, that's the one. I have boated lots of places but I have never
seen anything exactly like the bay chop. You can get something like it
in the mouth of an inlet here when the tide is rolling out and
slamming into a westerly wind. That can even get up in the 4'-5'
category. The trick is to hug the shore and run along the beach until
you get past the turbulance then vector across the waves. Once you get
out into the Gulf it is low rollers with a long period most of the
time.

Check out the race or the mouth of the CT River in the channel. In the
right tide the river can be a heck of a whirl..

wrote:
On May 11, 11:23 am, HK wrote:
John H. wrote:
On Sun, 11 May 2008 10:46:53 -0400, wrote:
On Sun, 11 May 2008 07:20:49 -0400, John H.
wrote:
I once had a little 15' Boston Whaler CC. It spent a lot of Sundays
cruising around from Sandy Point to Annapolis.
But, there were very few days that I'd have taken a pontoon boat into the
bay, and I don't recall ever seeing one in the bay.
--
Most of my boating there was in the south bay, Point lookout, St
Georges Island and such.
When I had my 17' I stayed in the Potomac, Port Tobacco or Ft
Washington.
The bay has a unique chop that just beats the hell out of you if you
don't have a pretty big boat. You could be there in a pontoon but you
would stay wet. You would probably scoop up more than a few sea
nettles and throw them on the deck.
Those three foot wave days are pure misery in a small boat. Hell, they're
no fun in a 27'er either!
But, in a small boat the waves give a little more action to the lures when
trolling. That's the way to justify going out.
Three foot waves are a rarity on Chesapeake Bay.

What gfretwell was discussing was "...a unique chop that just beats the
hell out of you..." That typically is a one to a max of 2 foot chop with
close peaks.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The Ranger... I knew someone with a Ranger once.. the Ranger would
just fly over the top of those...


Yeah, I'm sure it would. You go fast enough, and you become airborne,
but that doesn't mean you are getting a decent ride. That "Ranger" obeys
the same laws of physics as every other small planing boat. That means
in the hard Bay chop, it rides hard at speed.

On May 11, 12:16*pm, HK wrote:
wrote:
On May 11, 11:23 am, HK wrote:
John H. wrote:
On Sun, 11 May 2008 10:46:53 -0400, wrote:
On Sun, 11 May 2008 07:20:49 -0400, John H.
wrote:
I once had a little 15' Boston Whaler CC. It spent a lot of Sundays
cruising around from Sandy Point to Annapolis.
But, there were very few days that I'd have taken a pontoon boat into the
bay, and I don't recall ever seeing one in the bay.
--
Most of my boating there was in the south bay, Point lookout, St
Georges Island and such.
When I had my 17' I stayed in the Potomac, Port Tobacco or Ft
Washington.
The bay has a unique chop that just beats the hell out of you if you
don't have a pretty big boat. You could be there in a pontoon but you
would stay wet. You would probably scoop up more than a few sea
nettles and throw them on the deck.
Those three foot wave days are pure misery in a small boat. Hell, they're
no fun in a 27'er either!
But, in a small boat the waves give a little more action to the lures when
trolling. That's the way to justify going out.
Three foot waves are a rarity on Chesapeake Bay.

What gfretwell was discussing was "...a unique chop that just beats the
hell out of you..." That typically is a one to a max of 2 foot chop with
close peaks.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The Ranger... I knew someone with a Ranger once.. the Ranger would
just fly over the top of those...

Yeah, I'm sure it would. You go fast enough, and you become airborne,
but that doesn't mean you are getting a decent ride. That "Ranger" obeys
the same laws of physics as every other small planing boat. That means
in the hard Bay chop, it rides hard at speed.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Yes, yes, and yes... However, remembering I have little to compare
with, the Ranger did seem to set down a lot softer than one would
imagine looking at the general shape of the hull...

wrote:
On May 11, 12:16 pm, HK wrote:
wrote:
On May 11, 11:23 am, HK wrote:
John H. wrote:
On Sun, 11 May 2008 10:46:53 -0400, wrote:
On Sun, 11 May 2008 07:20:49 -0400, John H.
wrote:
I once had a little 15' Boston Whaler CC. It spent a lot of Sundays
cruising around from Sandy Point to Annapolis.
But, there were very few days that I'd have taken a pontoon boat into the
bay, and I don't recall ever seeing one in the bay.
--
Most of my boating there was in the south bay, Point lookout, St
Georges Island and such.
When I had my 17' I stayed in the Potomac, Port Tobacco or Ft
Washington.
The bay has a unique chop that just beats the hell out of you if you
don't have a pretty big boat. You could be there in a pontoon but you
would stay wet. You would probably scoop up more than a few sea
nettles and throw them on the deck.
Those three foot wave days are pure misery in a small boat. Hell, they're
no fun in a 27'er either!
But, in a small boat the waves give a little more action to the lures when
trolling. That's the way to justify going out.
Three foot waves are a rarity on Chesapeake Bay.
What gfretwell was discussing was "...a unique chop that just beats the
hell out of you..." That typically is a one to a max of 2 foot chop with
close peaks.- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -
The Ranger... I knew someone with a Ranger once.. the Ranger would
just fly over the top of those...
Yeah, I'm sure it would. You go fast enough, and you become airborne,
but that doesn't mean you are getting a decent ride. That "Ranger" obeys
the same laws of physics as every other small planing boat. That means
in the hard Bay chop, it rides hard at speed.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Yes, yes, and yes... However, remembering I have little to compare
with, the Ranger did seem to set down a lot softer than one would
imagine looking at the general shape of the hull...


There are lots of variables, as I am sure you know, that determine how a
particular boat rides or even seems to ride in particular sea-wind
conditions. Some are determined by where you sit in the boat.

In my former Parker, if you were driving from the cockpit, you would
hardly feel the impact of Chesapeake Bay hard chop. Really. However, if
you were driving from the cabin, where the wheel and controls were far
forward, you would feel the chop. The bow of the boat rose and fell in
the chop at high planing speeds, but the stern and forward to the
cockpit control station never left the water.

My 21' Parker center console and the 21' Parker pilothouse have the
exact same hull. My CC "seems" to ride better, because you're usually
sitting farther back in the hull and that part doesn't bounce. But in
choppy water, the bow does bounce at high speeds, and you feel it more
in the pilothouse. The boats ride pretty much the same.

Sit in the bow of that Ranger at high planing speeds in a chop and your
fillings will fall out. Sit behind the console and it is fairly smooth
riding.