Let's really talk SeaCraft ride characteristics !!

[Bushwacker]

Power Boat Reports, an ad-free "Consumer Reports"-type magazine that's no longer published, tested a 23 a few years back. They said it was the softest riding deep V of that size they'd ever tested! Hard to explain the SeaCraft ride if you've never experienced it, but here's a shot at explaining the theory behind the hull design. The relatively flat outer panels, which create lots of lift and eliminate the need for lifting strakes, make it more stable than constant deadrise hulls. The vertical steps between panels trap air, which reduces drag and cushions the ride. (The shot of my boat below shows the aeration created by the water flowing off the steps.) The lack of lifting strakes also means there are no flat surfaces to slap and pound. However, the 23 was designed by Bill Potter, a rank amateur compared to Carl Moesly, who founded SeaCraft, invented the Variable Deadrise hull, and started building boats when he was a teenager! (Check out the Moesly SeaCraft web site for a good overview of SeaCraft's evolution and early history.) The geometry of the panels on the 23 is different from all the Moesly designs, so I don't believe Potter really understood the principles of the VDH design. As good as the 23 is, I believe the Moesly 21 rides even better! I base this on my own experience as well as the following story from the Moesly SeaCraft site:

Moesly and some other builders with race-boat experience built some deep-V boats for the government in the early 60's that had to carry a certain payload with a specified engine/outdrive. They had a "shoot-out" on Biscayne Bay, and his 21 was the only one of the bunch that could get on plane with the specified load and power! In an attempt to "help" his competitors, he had them offload some people and sandbags to his boat, but they still couldn't get on plane. He then proceeded to try his boat with the extra load, and it still got on plane with no problems. Needless to say, he won the contract! Moesly claimed that his hull design, for the same deadrise, weight and power, was about 10% faster than the other conventional Ray Hunt type deep-V's of the time, which would have included the likes of Bertram, Formula, Donzi, etc.

A good friend of mine who is an avid diver bought a new 21 in 1965, used it almost every weekend for over 25 years, and made several trips to the Bahamas every year. A lot of 23's made that crossing with him, and he said that every time the seas got over about 3', the guys with the 23's would get on the radio "begging for mercy", asking him to slow down! (He didn't run that fast, typically cruising at about 20 kts.) I made 6 crossings with him in my boat, and after following him for about 2000 miles around the Bahamas as well as riding in that boat, I believe that story!

Suggest you contact a CSC member close to you and see if you can bum a ride sometime when the seas are appropriately lumpy! A ride in those conditions will speak much louder and more convincingly than any amount of talk!

[BA17]

The only complaint I have with my 23 is that it will hit "hard" if you don't have the weight centered. If you go over a wave with too much weight on one side the boat will lay over and it will knock the cobwebs out. Anyone else experience this?

[Fr. Frank]

The only complaint I have with my 23 is that it will hit "hard" if you don't have the weight centered. If you go over a wave with too much weight on one side the boat will lay over and it will knock the cobwebs out. Anyone else experience this?

Yes. In my 23' Tsunami, if I wasn't trimmed properly and quartered a wave of more than 2', the planing surfaces would hit flat and do a fiberglass belly-flop. Trim tabs fix that problem, though. I didn't have them.

[cdavisdb]

My 2 cents to a common question.

Can't comment on the 23, never been in one, but I don't see any reason it would be much different from other Seacraft hulls.

I've owned and/or run in 20-28 ft deep V boats since about 1972, Seacrafts, Seabirds, 23 Formulas, Bertrams, SeeVees and a few more. In its size class none rode as well as the Seacrafts. A few anecdotes.

In the 1980s I was a member of the St Pete Underwater Club, about as "go for broke" a bunch of spearos as you will find, who thought nothing of going diving way offshore in weather most folks would not leave the dock in. Our boats mostly ranged from 23-28 ft. The few 20s were all Seacrafts, because no other 20 ft boat could deliver the ride we needed or stay in one piece under the punishment. I owned a 20 Seafari most of that time and regularly dove 20-40 miles offshore.

For a decade or so I owned a 24 Seabird, 24 degree deepV, well known and respected, very good riding boat. It took me to the Bahamas many times. A couple of years ago I was fortunate to acquire a Moesley designed 25 Seafari, slightly longer, same weight and beam as the Seabird. There was absolutely no comparison in ride, like trying to compare a soap box derby winner with a NASCAR champion, just no relation. Trying to go to Bimini in 3-4 was slow cruel exhausting punishment in the Seabird. I hardly notice in the Seacraft. I haven't had a chance to try it but I think equivalent discomfort would be about 6 ft for the Seacraft.

Last summer I was able to compare with a couple of ~30 ft twin outboard deepV center consoles. Gulf Stream, wind 15-20 for several days, seas a solid 4 then 5 ft in places. Running straight into it, the CCs were jumping out of the water up to the props, everybody in the back and standing up. At 4 ft, I was sitting down amidships and running my normal cruise of 22 knots. At 5 ft I had to slow down to 18 or so, but kept my seat. Granted they were running faster than me, but they were a lot bigger and nobody in those boats looked happy while I was comfortable.

You can believe what you have heard about Seacrafts, its true.