Deadrise Rant About Small Boats

[workinpr0gress]

Let me start by saying, It's tough talking boats with a lot of poeple. Most people believe they know and understand everything. Thats why I am glad that I picked up my old SeaCraft and joined this site. Because you CSC guys understand boats and so much of the boating population doesn't. A couple guys were knocking SC's on another site because of beam and deadrise..blah, blah, blah.

People are always bringing up deadrise like it's the only factor in a boat running well in a sea as compared to another. I personally know of a couple people who have bought based off of a couple degrees and a couple who have turned there nose up at a particular boat over a couple degree's.

People get to hung up on the numbers and the look out of the water, especially on a smaller boat. I will say running a lot of deadrise sometimes can mask or amplify some inherent flaws in a particular boat. Obviously a flatbottom Carolina Skiff or older Whaler isn't gonna run in a sea like lets say a Regulator or Contender. But if you take a few similar designed boats and run all of them it's likely you would'nt end up liking the deepest one. It's been my expierence, especially with smaller boats there are a lot of other factors people don't even talk about. Is it a heavy boat? Where does it carry its weight? How beamy is it? What is its running attitude? How much of the hull when cruising has daylight under it? How sharp is the entry? How deep is the forefoot? Do you run the boat from the sweet spot or do you feel every ripple in the water? Does it throw much spray( to much spray is usually inefficent design/lost hp and more fuel) Is the boat loose or glued to the water? Is there a nice fluid transition from entry to the aft?

IMHO generally a lighter slightly narrow beamed hull with a nice sharp entry to knock the waves down. With a variable deadrise so the hull isn't stuck to the water rides unbelieveably especially with the bow of the boat being a little light to respond to waves. Let's be realistic if its a 18'-20'ish boat it rides over waves for the most part not through them. Why fight it, get a boat that embraces it.

It's not just small boats either. For example. I went to the boat yard to visit my buddy at the end of the Summer who runs a classic 70's Jim Smith 60'. He was hauled out and next to an old Topaz. A smaller boat guy was walking around the yard with his teenage son looking at all the different Sportboats that were hauled out. He payed the Jim Smith no mind at all, all he could talk about was how wide and deep the Topaz next to us was. I think it was an early 80's 44. The whole time I'm thinking to myself the Smith burns much less fuel, runs much faster on less horsepower, rides night and day different even on a calm day, lets not even talk about a rough day. So the dad strikes up a conversation with my buddy and I while we're goofing around with some new covering boards he just glued down. So my buddy starts to explain a little about bigger boat hulls ya know 40' - 80'. The Smith is 16' longer and probably still has a 2 foot less beam so of course its not gonna have the same kind of deadrise. First off it's got an extra 16' to transition the water and secondly it doesnt need it cause its so light and carries it's weight in the right spot. Sometimes ya just get tired of answering certain things. You wish you could just take someone on a simple boat ride and watch them, GET IT! Just my .02 rant. Thanks, Bruce

[BigLew]

You wish you could just take someone on a simple boat ride and watch them, GET IT! Just my .02 rant. Thanks, Bruce

As they say, Ignorance is bliss!... And, we should be happy about that.

The best SeaCrafts have long since gone out of production, like many of their quality bretheren. So, if price is determined by supply and demand (and it is), can you even imagine what our beloved old SeaCrafts would cost if EVERYONE knew what they are capable of???? Mums the word. Refer to our love of SeaCarft as a fetish and then we'll have them all to ourselves... aaaahh, just our own bit of Heaven on earth!

[pl99]

You cant beat the Ride................. Feel your pain.....

[Trayder]

good post, and agree 110% I do not understand why it is hard for some people to understand things can be better through design. Often times some should look past specified dead rise and or weight and go for a ride

I also read a winner the other day about someone not willing to consider older boats, SeaCrafts in this case, as they were convinced older fiberglass hulls were not structurally sound and would fall apart.....Was not even going to touch that one but did think about offering the guy a great deal on this Bridge I have for sale.

[workinpr0gress]

good post, and agree 110% I do not understand why it is hard for some people to understand things can be better through design. Often times some should look past specified dead rise and or weight and go for a ride

I also read a winner the other day about someone not willing to consider older boats, SeaCrafts in this case, as they were convinced older fiberglass hulls were not structurally sound and would fall apart.....Was not even going to touch that one but did think about offering the guy a great deal on this Bridge I have for sale.

thanks... i think it was the same thread ...normally that stuff doesn't peeve me ...but lately i've been dealing with a lot of dingbats...my fuse is extra short...lol

[FELLOW-SHIP]

Great post Bruce. Yes it is great to talk to some one that really understands boats and I’m still glad I got my 23 CC for all the reasons you stated.
It seems to me that Depending on the Size and purpose of the boat the things that are most important change. Flats and bay boats love a gentler dead rise. Trailer boat designed for off shore boating like a different approach all together and this is where our variable deadrise with longitudinal steps work the best. Then there are the “in water diesel fleet” that weight versed beam and length and many other factors make a bigger difference. I wish SeaCraft would have explored there Class of Boats to it’s max especially between 26 to 34 footers. To me the newer 25 footers are not a new design just a cheap way of expanding the 23’ and the 32 footer just never took off the way it could have / should have. I don’t think they put enough time in testing and thought they could just make a bigger foot print boat and get the same results as the got in the 20 through 25 foot size boats. Any which way I am glad I got mine and if I were to go with a bigger boat I would probably have to look elsewhere although. But in the back of my mind, I bet is you could find a older 32 SeaCraft and re do it to be a pretty good boat by making the stern look like the SeaVee or the Contender and put a live well back there.

FellowShip

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Just for the Grins

Official Antique Classic SeaCraft Owner