Stability?

[Edmac7]

Hello. I had a 92 Sea Ray 200 OV. My wife and I decided it wasn't what we were looking for. I like to fish. And she hated the carpet and lack of free space. So we like center console boats. My question is this. The last day we took the Sea Ray out it is terrible on Lake Erie in anything over 1 foot. Was this because of hull shape, boat length, 7'7" beam, or combination? I want something that rides decent and can cut through 2' waves. Please educate me. Thanks

 

[alldodge]

In simple terms, the boat is light and water is heavy. To get a good ride you need a heavy boat with a deep V hull. A thin boat is better then a wide one, because less water needs to be moved. The two foot waves and a good ride, will probably need at least a 27 if not a 30 footer, in the 10K pound range.

 

[tpenfield]

The Sea Ray probably had a very flat hull. So, not a lot of ability to 'slice' through the waves. Many of the mid-large sized center console boats will have a much beeper 'V' hull (probably about 24 degrees of deadrise) so they will handle the chopy and slop much better.

As you look for the next boat, pay attention to the deadrise specification of the boat in question. More will be better.

Deadrise and beam width tend to go hand-in-hand. Boats with more deadrise will tend to be more narrow for a given overall length.

The boat's length does have a roll in the ride, as a longer boat will traverse the waves better and not 'dive' into the valleys of the waves as much.

So, look for length and deadrise . . . the beam will follow suit.

 

[Edmac7]

Thanks guys.

 

[dingbat]

Good ride quality goes well beyond deadrise...

I technically have a 20 degree deadrise yet run circles around hulls with more deadrise.

Here is a good explanation of what goes into a smooth riding hull.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IspHP548MkU

 

[Edmac7]

Great video. Thanks. Lots of great info.

 

[tpenfield]

Grady White boats have designed their hulls to have a sharper V in the bow section than a traditional V hull, which allows them to have a flatter hull in the stern for improved lift. They market it as the Sea Vee 2 hull.

 

[alldodge]

Grady's are also heavier then some of the same size boats. Has similar hull as our Formula's

 

[JimS123]

We have enjoyed a 19' Bowrider I/O for 35 years. Deep V 17 Degree deadrise. Total weight about 2800 lbs. Many days on Lake Erie in waves that we didn't anticipate, but learned to live with. The boat sold last month and we now are using our 15' Whaler in the interim while our new boat is built. The Whaler is only 15' with a 60 HP OB and weighs in at about 900 lbs. Its NOT a Deep V.

We just LOVE our Whaler. In the past we would vary the speed based on wave height to keep her steady. With the Whaler I set the throttle at cruise speed and just steer.....LOL. I am so impressed with the ride quality.

There is more to a boat than deadrise. Our Whaler has a hard chine, and reversed to boot.

 

[Edmac7]

The Sea Ray was ok. But just very slow taking it back to dock. Taking it to plane would beat you up and was no good for the boat.

 

[Edmac7]

Put it this way the Sea Ray was nothing like our friends 21 foot Lymann. That boat plows through the water.

 

[JimS123]

Put it this way the Sea Ray was nothing like our friends 21 foot Lymann. That boat plows through the water.

Well now you're comparing apples to kumquats. Our Lyman was built for heavy lake Erie waves and it takes them all in stride.

In the olden days they designed boats to be used safely. As time went by people wanted more speed, so the HP and boat weight went up accordingly. Now, IMHO, in many cases you have crap hulls that surely go faster, but without any of the classic features.

Like comparing a Cessna (that can really fly) vs a Jet (that will drop like a lead weight) when the engine quits.

Nothing like a Lyman...

 

[mr 88]

Yes more deadrise is better for taking on head seas. BUT there is always a trade off when it comes to this. With more deadrise your fuel mileage will decrease. When on a troll or drift it will rock a lot more . So it depends on what you do the most of. The farthest I go to my fishing grounds is 10-12 miles and most of the time 2-6 miles so I went with a boat that has 12* of deadrise and a deep V entry,it is a 28' hull . When its rough out I throttle back to 15-17 mph so it might take me 10 minutes more to get to where I want to be. When I get there I can troll for 6-8 hours in any direction without having to hang on to something 90% of the time. So that's my choice on the trade off, a few slow days to get out but most days I can cruise at 25mph and in the end don't get shaken up like a milkshake.Trolling bags will cut down the roll of the boat but again the trade off is your going to burn more gas to keep it at trolling speed.

 

[Edmac7]

Thanks guys I am new to all this if it is not obvious. The Sea Ray was my first boat. We owned it for 6 weeks and determined it wasn't the layout for us. We felt the the bow cuddy was wasted space. We are looking at a 2005 19' Trophy, 2004 204 Mako, 2004 Sea Hunt Triton 212, 1999 Proline 20', and a 2004 Proline 23'. It hard finding mid twenty foot center console. Any thoughts on ones mentioned?

 

[dingbat]

Grady's are also heavier then some of the same size boats. Has similar hull as our Formula's


Having a hard time seeing any similarities beyond the color white...lol

 

[alldodge]

Having a hard time seeing any similarities beyond the color white...lol

Sorry your having trouble

 

[mr 88]

Thanks guys I am new to all this if it is not obvious. The Sea Ray was my first boat. We owned it for 6 weeks and determined it wasn't the layout for us. We felt the the bow cuddy was wasted space. We are looking at a 2005 19' Trophy, 2004 204 Mako, 2004 Sea Hunt Triton 212, 1999 Proline 20', and a 2004 Proline 23'. It hard finding mid twenty foot center console. Any thoughts on ones mentioned?

Yes ,if it was me I would go for the 23' Pro Line,decently built boat , the biggest of the ones your looking and that should translate to a better ride in most cases,again depending mostly on deadrise and weight. CCs are not my first choice in the NE because of the weather,not a lot of protection or dry storage room. The Pro line is probably going to have enclosed head,the wife and kids will like that especially in the spring when Erie is to cold to jump in to for the women to relieve themselves. On a CC the open bow area is nice if your bass fishing and casting,but for trolling its a waste of space IMHO.

 

[dingbat]

We are looking at a 2005 19' Trophy, 2004 204 Mako, 2004 Sea Hunt Triton 212, 1999 Proline 20', and a 2004 Proline 23'. It hard finding mid twenty foot center console. Any thoughts on ones mentioned?

My choice would depend on the power.

Without knowing how it’s powered, the 23’ Proline being the biggest and heaviest would be my choice.

 

[b.gagnon]

I think you need to spend more time learning how to drive a boat properly. I'm not trying to be mean but every hull is a new learning experience and you need to put in some time! Did it have trim tabs? A 20' Sea Ray should have no problem in 1' -1.5' Chop! If you want to be comfortable in anything over 2' you are going to have to spend 2-3x and get a Regulator,Contender type boat... Nothing on your list will make you happy.

 

[JimS123]

Thanks guys I am new to all this if it is not obvious. The Sea Ray was my first boat. We owned it for 6 weeks and determined it wasn't the layout for us. We felt the the bow cuddy was wasted space. We are looking at a 2005 19' Trophy, 2004 204 Mako, 2004 Sea Hunt Triton 212, 1999 Proline 20', and a 2004 Proline 23'. It hard finding mid twenty foot center console. Any thoughts on ones mentioned?

So now there is more clarification. You didn't like the Cuddy layout and now want a Center Console.

In my last post I raved about our Whaler (also a CC). But that's not our only boat. Sure it has a lot of space and rides well, but its not an all-season boat. The windshield is narrow and is barely adequate for 2 people. If you have more passengers, some of them are going to be pelted with wind.

We use our CC mid Summer when its warm. The admiral won't go out in it if its the slightest bit cool.

Your Cuddy should be an all-season boat. Most of the ones you suggested will probably be lighter than your Cuddy, so ride quality will be worse.