Ride comparison....23' Formula to 23' Sceptre

[whistler]

Originally Posted by bgreene

how great these boats ride, so much better than Wellcraft V20 , and other similar rigs........

I don't have experience with the 23 formula hull, but I owned 2 Wellcraft V20's before the 23 Sceptre. The 2 boats are not comparable in terms of ride. I am sure the 3 extra feet has much to do with it, but the Seacraft can take bigger seas at much higher speed while still being comfortable. It just lands so soft! In the V20, I had to slow down to barely on plane in anything over 2' to keep it from pounding, while the same chop in the Seacraft is comfortable at 25MPH +. This is for similarly setup boats, both cuddy with outboard on factory transom and no tabs.

[Capt Terry]

Originally Posted by whistler

I don't have experience with the 23 formula hull, but I owned 2 Wellcraft V20's before the 23 Sceptre. The 2 boats are not comparable in terms of ride. I am sure the 3 extra feet has much to do with it, but the Seacraft can take bigger seas at much higher speed while still being comfortable. It just lands so soft! In the V20, I had to slow down to barely on plane in anything over 2' to keep it from pounding, while the same chop in the Seacraft is comfortable at 25MPH +. This is for similarly setup boats, both cuddy with outboard on factory transom and no tabs.

If you do a search you may find a Bushwacker story of returning from the Bahamas with Reiland in his 21' Unoho and one of my best friends in his Wellcraft V20, which I had been in many times. They ran into big seas. Both the 20' and 21' SeaCrafts did fine. But the V20 was built and rode so badly it had cracks in it nearly 6' long. I helped my friend pull/reinsert the inner liner so he could repair it. I was appalled by the contruction under the deck. As I recall the stringers appeared to be 5/8" with one layer of roving up and over them. The glass was cracked where the stringer met the hull. He added much glass to it, filled in between the stringers with foam which then was glassed over. It was a much "quieter" boat going through the rough stuff thereafter. ironically to this thread, he replaced it with a 23' Formula which I also traveled in comfortably a few times, but never in any rough stuff.

[Bigshrimpin]

I used to fish Wildcat area (50 mile run east of Boston) in my v20. Conditions that literally beat me up in the v20 don't slow me down in the 23. One of the best qualities of the seacraft is that is tracks straight in a following sea at speed. Following seas in the v20 are dangerous. Once you cleared the top of the wave in a following sea, your knuckles turned white. The bow digs in and send the boat shooting off to the side. It's not predictable.

[bgreene]

Wow....tough V20 info, but I don’t see the V20/21 as an offshore specific boat.
It’s an easily trailerable classic looking rig with a lot of fishing room, storage and performance to fish bays and ocean on reasonable days.
A lot of room for 20 footer.

My V21 rides much better with the trim tabs as I can keep cutting edge of bow down,and through the chop.
Before tabs- yup, pounded too easily. With 200 HO Etec, performance is great- I often cruise the ocean coast at up to 35 mph based on conditions, and tops very close to 50 mph.

As for the Sceptre - good to continue hearing how great the ride is - perhaps one in my future.