Best boat for running into chop/ head-sea comfortably?

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Best boat for running into chop/ head-sea comfortably?

Post by Guest »

Which design would be the best for being able to maintain a good consistent speed of say 20 kts into chop / a headsea - with comfort and no pounding being the main priority?

Been looking at the GS 28, PG 25, CS25, C21, Abaco 23 and the Mangusa 20.

Am open to other suggestions as well.

Center console layout.

Thanks

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BarraMan
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Re: Best boat for running into chop/ head-sea comfortably?

Post by BarraMan »

PG25, CS25 !

NOT the Mangusta 20, unless you build it with a wave breaker! :D

fallguy1000
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Re: Best boat for running into chop/ head-sea comfortably?

Post by fallguy1000 »

20 knots into what size headsea?

All planing hulls with lotsa definition at the hump do not perform well into a headsea at 20kts.

They will all experience quite a lot of pounding in larger headseas and very unlikely maintain 20kts

The Bertrams were one boat capable of steaming along pretty fast in most any seastate. But. The Bertrams are rather heavy fuel hogs. Their weight helped them keep their bows down in bigger stuff.

As for which boat I'd rather be in..whichever one has the most deadrise at the transom...and trim tabs. But..

All of these monocoque designs are meant to be light and easy on fuel. The sea tends to have her will more on a lighter vessel. It is simple physics.

So, first of all, more deadrise wins. Not sure you are doing 20kts in any of them in a headsea though.

As a caveat, I haven't been in them all to compare.

But I am looking for 17 degree dr at the transom for best overall performance and the cs25 fits that bill. I doubt the 20kts; these boats are too fuel friendly, but might run at 10kts, only my version of head seas might be different than yours.

One other thing about head seas is the boat slows down some and the ride can get wet. The flair of the cs helps keep that off better.
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Fuzz
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Re: Best boat for running into chop/ head-sea comfortably?

Post by Fuzz »

Dan's advice is good as are his questions. What size head seas and what size boat? Small and light boats are not going to be great into head seas. For me I have found longer and heavier do the job but they have downsides to them. I think your best answer will come from the designer.
That being said I sure would like to see somebody build an Abaco 23 :D

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Re: Best boat for running into chop/ head-sea comfortably?

Post by OneWayTraffic »

LB22 or one of the Pangas but not at 20knots. Not sure why you would want to be going 20knots into a formed sea anyway. Semiplaning would be much easier on the body.

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Re: Best boat for running into chop/ head-sea comfortably?

Post by barrelroll »

I live on the inside passage, we have a lot of 2-10 mile wide north south channels and usually get an afternoon north or south wind creating 1-3' steep tight afternoon chop. I usually get passed by a charter boat or 2 coming back from the halibut grounds while my little 17 footer is getting pounded to death at 10-13mph. The charter boats are usually doing 18-25mph back, pounding pretty good with spray over the top of the boat. Most of our 6 pack charter boats are aluminum 26-28' north rivers, raiders, or the like with the occasional glass boat like a seasport. Most of these boats have a 14-18 degree deadrise, usually twins in the 150hp range, and are somewhat heavy with full pilot houses and 8 people on board. Even these big built for west coast chop boats pound pretty good and you aren't going to get away from the pounding till you slow down or get much bigger.

Your best option might be a cat.

I'm half tempted to pull the trigger on a panga and put the 115 I have in the driveway to use. I think it's the best cheap/ simple/ quick option BBC offers for the seas you are looking at. Something like a CS may ride better though is going to require a lot more work and power to build.

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Re: Best boat for running into chop/ head-sea comfortably?

Post by fallguy1000 »

barrelroll wrote: Tue Jan 03, 2023 2:25 pm I live on the inside passage, we have a lot of 2-10 mile wide north south channels and usually get an afternoon north or south wind creating 1-3' steep tight afternoon chop. I usually get passed by a charter boat or 2 coming back from the halibut grounds while my little 17 footer is getting pounded to death at 10-13mph. The charter boats are usually doing 18-25mph back, pounding pretty good with spray over the top of the boat. Most of our 6 pack charter boats are aluminum 26-28' north rivers, raiders, or the like with the occasional glass boat like a seasport. Most of these boats have a 14-18 degree deadrise, usually twins in the 150hp range, and are somewhat heavy with full pilot houses and 8 people on board. Even these big built for west coast chop boats pound pretty good and you aren't going to get away from the pounding till you slow down or get much bigger.

Your best option might be a cat.

I'm half tempted to pull the trigger on a panga and put the 115 I have in the driveway to use. I think it's the best cheap/ simple/ quick option BBC offers for the seas you are looking at. Something like a CS may ride better though is going to require a lot more work and power to build.
This is a fun post! I've been out there and watched the Strait pound for 3 days of 6 footers.

Keep in mind who is paying the fuel bill on those big charters.

The Panga is a wet, wet ride in those conditions. Don't do it. Thank me later.

At least get away from the open skiff or get up higher off the sea.

Powercat all the way, but not mine; she is too hard to build,
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Re: Best boat for running into chop/ head-sea comfortably?

Post by TomW1 »

CS25 or Gs28X with the flared bow. 20kts is a pretty fast cruising speed in a heavy chop. Fallguys questions need to be answered as Fuzz suggested, especially what you consider to be a chop.

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Re: Best boat for running into chop/ head-sea comfortably?

Post by OneWayTraffic »

Panga with a pilothouse console then. Who cares if it's wet when the pilothouse catches it all?

barrelroll
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Re: Best boat for running into chop/ head-sea comfortably?

Post by barrelroll »

OneWayTraffic wrote: Tue Jan 03, 2023 3:30 pm Panga with a pilothouse console then. Who cares if it's wet when the pilothouse catches it all?
That's my thought, it would be pretty easy to add a simple pilot house to the cabin panga. Just need decent wipers.

I run an aluminum skiff with a windshield and full canvas enclosure. It's our first boat, the full enclosure was a requirement, if we didn't have it I think we would have given up on boating coming home soaked on 50 degree days. There's many days we come back and the boat is soaked from pounding through the seas. A side note on wipers after having a boat with 1 I wouldn't have a boat without 2, it's not fun riding in the passenger seat when you can't see.

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