Smoooooth ride

[thurps]

Getting older and I am finding it a little harder to stand the ride of my sweetheart 13'4" Boston Whaler.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t308/thurps/boatsnow013.jpg

I know it's pretty subjective but what is the smoothest riding ocean boat in the 17' range. I would appreciate your comments.

Thanks, Kelley.

 

[JB]

Re: Smoooooth ride

I think you would really like a BW Sport or Striper 15, Thurps.

RED SKY was smoother than Sunshine III ('81 Montauk 17). Completely different bow/bottom shape than other Boston Whalers but just as maneuverable as the 13 and just as fast as the 17.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Smoooooth ride

Kelly, I never thought BWs were known for their soft ride. They are pretty flat bottomed. The softest riding boats will be a deep vee hull, with some weight to it.

The PowerCats are supposed to ride on a cushion of air, in rough water, giving a smooth ride. Although I have never experimented with these boats, I am sceptical of this theory. if you remember, in rough water the monohull racing boats routinely beat the cats. In smooth water, it is the other way around.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Smoooooth ride

In that class your going to get your smoothest ride out of a Cat. They will not be the fastest hull in the rough but they will be the smoothest.

My neighbor runs a 27' World Cat with twin 115 HP on the back. The boat does mid-30's with that power. The hull has some quirks but then again, what boat doesn't?

 

[The Famous Grouse]

Re: Smoooooth ride

I've heard consistently good reports of the ride quality of Regulator and Dusky center consoles. Sea Pro and Proline also tend to get good marks in this area.

Personally, I think there are a lot of options that will improve on the ride quality of your Whaler. I haven't been in a lot of Whalers, but the two I have ridden in felt like old aluminum jonboats. Yeah, yeah, they won't sink . . . though. Even if the owner shoots them to put them out of his misery.

But I think you might be suffering a bit of sticker shock if you're looking to trade up from the Whaler to basically anything that has good reputation as far as ride quality. That's just not a characteristic that tends to come cheaply.

Grouse

 

[thurps]

Re: Smoooooth ride

"I think you might be suffering a bit of sticker shock if you're looking to trade up from the Whaler to basically anything that has good reputation as far as ride quality. That's just not a characteristic that tends to come cheaply."

Frankly Grouse, I get sticker shock when I walk into a thrift shop anymore.