Tri-Hull Boats

[rebars1]

Re: Tri-Hull Boats

Are Boston Whalers considered tri-hulls?

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Tri-Hull Boats

I agree with you to a point RF, but I don't know what you mean by this? A V hull, or Deep V, giving you a hard ride? I do know most boats were either flat bottom, or "Semi-vee", back in the 60's, & early 70's. Meaning they were a V in the front but were flat bottomed at the transom, with either round, or angled (non-trip) chines, these boats were somewhat harsh riding in the chop. This was before the introduction of the true V, or Deep V design, (ending at the transom) like most boats are made nowadays, with maybe an exception of aluminum boats.
Glastron was one of the 1st boats to have a full V bottom, meaning V from stem to stern, most builders thought it too risky to build a boat so small with a V bottom, because of stability issues, usually they only ventured into making 18' and larger V bottom hulls (eventually all the other builders gave in, due to competion, and found ways around this) A true V bottom boat, or a Deep V bottom boat was, is, not very stable, especially in smaller sizes. If you saw one of these Glastrons back then, you couldn't help but notice a scary list to the side at rest when somone boarded, or got out at the dock. The tri-hulls filled the bill in between at that time because of better stability, on smaller size boats. This was also about the time the Cigarette Deep V ocean racer offshore boats were designed, & produced, because stability was not as much of an issue with these longer hulls, and they rode better in the ocean, they sacrificed some speed (about 15%), for a smoother ride, and gained some back because you could travel faster through the chop, and hold more speed, then a pounding, or flying, Semi-V raceboat. I haven't followed aluminum boats design to know if they make a V, or Deep V in aluminum, but I'd bet the smaller ones 16' and under are still Semi V's due to stability issues, again fiberglas tri-hulls are your best design for this size, & smaller.
Finally a boat with a V bottom at the transom, is a true V, or Deep V depending on the dead rise, anything else is a Semi V, or flat bottom.

I lived through these yrs, and payed some attention along the way. So much for my lesson of the day, I know, I know, I'm a windy old fart

Most all smaller V hull boats have bottoms which go flat or nearly flat at the transom area, it's how much of the rear hull is flat which determines the ride and handling. I've also been in several true deep V hulls which would beat your teeth out of your head for no apparent reason. Two that come to mind were my 1987 Bayliner Trophy 1910, and a 1978 Starcraft 22" SS V. Both had hulls which retained a V shape at the rear. The Starcraft hull had the least deadrise and rode fine till you got into the chop, then it got nasty. On the other hand, both of my older Starcraft aluminum hulls, which have far more flat area at the rear of the hull, ride great, which is the opposite of what I would have expected.
I had two trihulls which were just plain bone shakers, one was a mid 70's Thunderhawk, the other a 1980 MFG, both were under 20' and both took every wave or wake as if it were made of stone. My Starcraft Capri trihulls, (I've owned 3 of them), were all great and my I/O powered Duo was by far the best when it came to overall hull design but it was also by far the heaviest. The Duo was more of a deep v all the way back, with two forward outer hulls which ended about 1/3 of the way back.
If I was to pick a worst boat which I have owned, it would be the Bayliner, for a 19' hull, it was the most unstable, worst handling boat I've had the displeasure of owning. Two grown men on one side fishing would dip the rub rail to the water line, it was hard to get on plane without filling the forward livewell, and it was nearly impossible to track a strait line in a cross wind. It handled as if it were an inboard without a rudder.
The best boats I've had so far would be a toss up between three hulls, in fiberglass, I'd have to say my 1983 Renken 900 is pretty high up there all around, with my latest find, a 1965 MFG Edinboro being a pretty decent all around hull design. The Renken had pronounced outer chines which would keep it stable at rest while the deeper bow of the MFG cuts the water better and handles far better at lower speeds. The third choices would have to be any of the older Starcraft aluminum V hulls, those with the lapstrake hulls. I've owned several and they've all been great boats with light and stable being pretty high up on the list of pluses.

I've owned two Glastron trihulls, they rode great but weren't the smoothest in that both which I owned exhibited a shudder or vibration at speed causes by what I figured was the way in which water was funneled back between the hull formations. In moderate chop, you just had to slow down or it would feel like you were sitting atop a jack hammer. This would happen when the water was foamy with light to medium chop and a full load aboard. It was fine with only one or two guys.

What I look for now in a hull is a steep V at the bow, a somewhat flat transom area which reverts to a full v quickly ahead of the stern.
When dealing with boats in the 70 to 80" beam widths, a full length deep V isn't practical or safe in my opinion and I have no wish to have to be concerned that others maintain the position on the boat so as not to spill the boats contents into the drink.

The Renken 900 was a full V hull but had a low dead rise at the stern. The best feature of that boat was its pronounced outer chines which run 3/4 the way of the entire boat's length and would rest on the surface when at rest. This made for a super stable fishing platform but detracted very little from the ride.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Tri-Hull Boats

ok, i guess i have a tri hull. hope it won't jar my teeth out in canada in eagle lake. just one patch of big water, rest is small inlets and 200 yard wide channels. just have to wait and see i guess.

Just don't hold a grin with your teeth held to tight together and you'll be just fine . Have you ever ridin in a Mitsubishi vehichle? Just about all of them that I've ridin in have a bad suspension system, you can almost compare the ride in a tri hull to that but actually the tri hull rides better.

Just my 2 cents if you have good padded seats in the boat you shouldn't have anything to worry about. I really don't see what the big deal is on how a tri hull rides.

 

[scipper77]

Re: Tri-Hull Boats

True my Mitsubishi Eclipse had a jarring ride, but as a sports car you kind of want that. You could take a curve at speeds that would flip most other cars.

So I know that tri-hulls are more stable but do they "handle" better? for example say I was cruising at around 35 to 40 MPH and I saw a log ahead of me at the last second. Would a tri-hull or a classic v-hull maneuver better?

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Tri-Hull Boats

True my Mitsubishi Eclipse had a jarring ride, but as a sports car you kind of want that. You could take a curve at speeds that would flip most other cars.

So I know that tri-hulls are more stable but do they "handle" better? for example say I was cruising at around 35 to 40 MPH and I saw a log ahead of me at the last second. Would a tri-hull or a classic v-hull maneuver better?

I'll never own a Mitsubishi but that's me. As far as avoiding a collision with a log with a tri hull......The tri hull's steering reacts just as good if not better then a V bottom in my opinion. We've dodged a few stumps, floating debri etc etc at the last moment without a problem. When making sharp turns to go around a bend the tri hull does well. It is always wise to pull back the throttle if you get into to tight of a situation, just like driving a car and slowing down to take on a curve.

 

[Bard1]

Re: Tri-Hull Boats

I don't like'em.... great river boat or small lakes,anything flat. But that's just me.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Tri-Hull Boats

...... I really don't see what the big deal is on how a tri hull rides.

Try taking one through a few miles of 3' chop heading into the wind. Even at minimum planing speed you can feel all your joints slamming together on every wave. If you don't know what I mean, you've never been in a bad hull design. It feels like being dropped about 4 foot onto a concrete floor over and over again on your back.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Tri-Hull Boats

Try taking one through a few miles of 3' chop heading into the wind. Even at minimum planing speed you can feel all your joints slamming together on every wave. If you don't know what I mean, you've never been in a bad hull design. It feels like being dropped about 4 foot onto a concrete floor over and over again on your back.

I've been out with my brother in his tri hull when the waves were white capping. As I mentioned we were not traveling at WOT. His anchor broke off durring the ride due to cheap rope mainly. I'm not in the best physical shape so just about any jarring of my back is painful.

My cousin and I were surprised by a storm that moved in quickly. This happened a while back. The waves built up fast and wind was unreal. We got out to one of our fishing spots with my tri hull and basically had to turn around and go right back to the boat house. Luckily my uncle had pulled his boat out and let me put my boat in his boat house. The ride wasn't bad at all, and I did't let up on the throttle. We got back just seconds before the rain started. Funny thing is there was a boat that was anchored out in the same area we was just at, and they didn't seem to be to worried about the freak storm moving in.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Tri-Hull Boats

I've had a few that rode as nice as any V hull and a few that would jar your brains out. The worst was an old Thunderhawk, that boat rode so rough it kept breaking the windshield mounts and dash supports. The previous owner had installed two aluminum pedestals, the one shattered at the base one day heading out into some wind. It put me flat on my back as the seat fell backwards. We were only going about 15 mph or so just up on plane in about 2' chop with some rollers. The bay was clear once past the breakers in the inlet.

 

[slasmith1]

Re: Tri-Hull Boats

as a dinghy my 10 ft glassply is great wouldnt want to get beat up in a tri-hull all day though.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Tri-Hull Boats

So I know that tri-hulls are more stable but do they "handle" better? for example say I was cruising at around 35 to 40 MPH and I saw a log ahead of me at the last second.

Well,,, I only pulled a quick maneuver like that once in my 73 SeaSwirl tri-hull, full speed tight turn,,, let's just say the boat was going more sideways than forward,,, sideways at my origional heading. Prop ventilated and the boat skipped across the lake like a stone or at least that's how it felt at 30MPH

 

[scipper77]

Re: Tri-Hull Boats

Well,,, I only pulled a quick maneuver like that once in my 73 SeaSwirl tri-hull, full speed tight turn,,, let's just say the boat was going more sideways than forward,,, sideways at my origional heading. Prop ventilated and the boat skipped across the lake like a stone or at least that's how it felt at 30MPH

Sounds like they don't turn on a dime unless the dime is floating on the water directly in front of the boat.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Tri-Hull Boats

The handling characteristics vary depending on the various hull designs. Some tend to handle like they are on rails and yet others skip around or break their grip with the water quite easily. I've also had a few which leaned outward in a turn much like a catamaran would. Those were scary in quick maneuvers.

The best all around tri hull I've had so far has been my Duo and my Starcraft Capri. I no longer own either but I moved on to something I liked better. I didn't sell those because they were trihulls, I let them go to make room for something I liked better. I actually miss the Starcraft, it was very light, had great room inside and rode nice. It was super stable and very easy to launch and load.
Being light meant that it needed very little power to plane and it was easy on fuel.

 

[MikDee]

Re: Tri-Hull Boats

Hey reelfishin, I think I know what you mean about the Bayliner. My stepson picked up an 89'- 19' Bayliner Capri, and on it's maiden voyage, I noticed it had the same issues you mentioned, leaning to the side too easily, & hard to get on plane, even with a Doel fin? It must have a similar hull design to your old Trophy.

Later on I picked up my 89'-19' Bayliner Capri skiboat, (similar to a Cobra) which happens to be a bit lighter, & lower, then his and noticed it has a flatter V design, & more built in strakes on the bottom. Mine planes out quicker, (even without any hydrofoil) and is very stable for a low rider (it's a good thing, because launching occasionally with my 2nd vehicle, an S-10 almost puts the splash well in the water ). It also becomes airborn easily at speed, because of the exaggerated skiboat design, but is a bit harder riding as well!

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Tri-Hull Boats

The Trophy had a pretty pronounced V hull with huge wide strakes or steps, but there was little in the way of chines to stabilize the boat at rest.
It had a Dolphin on it when I got it, all that did was take away top speed.
When you took off all out from a standstill, it would dip low in the stern raise the bow and plow water for about 1000 feet or so then begin to level off, eventually getting up on top of the water. Add a diagonal headwind and it may not ever get on plane and fight you all the way trying to keep a constant heading. It felt like I was driving a barge not a fishing boat. I had a Renken 900 which was about the same size, but not a center console which was much lighter and much better handling. That boat would get up on plane nearly instantly even with the original 90hp. I think the Bayliner would have needed about 200 hp to feel right but there was no way that boat would handle it.
I had a closed bow 1987 Capri, it had a flatter bottom but still had handling issues. It had problems getting on plain too with the original 85hp motor. After having the Trophy, and not having much invested in the Capri, I sold it simply not wanted to deal with it. A buddy of mine ended up with it, after several owners. He ended up with it about 4 months after I sold it without the motor. He bought a used 70HP Evinrude and I helped him rig that motor, after that it had no problem getting on plain. The Force was healthy but it was heavy and just didn't make the power like the Evinrude. I'm not sorry I sold it, it wasn't my kind of boat anyhow, but it just goes to show how much difference the right motor can make. I think the Bayliner hull designs need a lot of horsepower to function correctly. Both of mine were super clean, well kept and stored indoors boats. They weren't water logged or rotted like so many I see these days. They weren't all that old when I had them either.
A buddy of mine has the same Bayliner still today, he's happy with it, but it handles just like mine did. When he gets in any of my current boats he just swears I did something to hop up my outboards. He's stuck with his original 125 Force all these years. That boat was so unstable that I would have never taken it offshore or even out of sight of land. It felt that bad to me. Ant that's coming from a guy who has no problem running the ocean in a 16' runabout and an 18' cuddy cabin.

 

[pole position]

Re: Tri-Hull Boats

Hello all, 1st post. I have a 1973 15 foot Atlantic Craft tri hull and I use it for fishing and crabbing Delaware Bay areas. It has a 50 horse Evinrude on it. With 2 people and gear it runs almost 30 mph on a hand held GPS. It is a very stable platform for my usage. The ride is ok unless it is choppy. But I for one love it.

 

[scipper77]

Re: Tri-Hull Boats

Hello all, 1st post. I have a 1973 15 foot Atlantic Craft tri hull and I use it for fishing and crabbing Delaware Bay areas. It has a 50 horse Evinrude on it. With 2 people and gear it runs almost 30 mph on a hand held GPS. It is a very stable platform for my usage. The ride is ok unless it is choppy. But I for one love it.

Welcome to I-boats. Good to hear from a new member.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Tri-Hull Boats

Hello all, 1st post. I have a 1973 15 foot Atlantic Craft tri hull and I use it for fishing and crabbing Delaware Bay areas. It has a 50 horse Evinrude on it. With 2 people and gear it runs almost 30 mph on a hand held GPS. It is a very stable platform for my usage. The ride is ok unless it is choppy. But I for one love it.

Welcome to iboats!

My 73 Starcraft Capri 17' came to me with a 50hp Mercury, it ran just fine and averaged about 31mph but could be pushed to 34-35 in light chop.
I chose to upgrade it first to a 70hp Evinrude, then to a 110 Johnson before I finally sold it this year after moving the motor to another boat. Many of trihulls are much lighter than you think, my Capri was well under 900lbs, I could lift the bow or stern off the trailer by myself without the motor on it. When I swapped it off it's original trailer, me a and a buddy just pulled the tongue off the old trailer and pushed it onto the new on without any help from the winch.

The one thing I did like about the 50hp was that it was light, I could lift that off myself with no hoist. The 110 V4 with power tilt and trim was a different story. If I hadn't had so many boats that I wanted to keep, I would have kept it, but something had to go. It was the least used and least versatile.
I more let it go due to the fact it was a bow rider than anything else.

 

[Fishstick]

Re: Tri-Hull Boats

I picked up a 69 larson shark tri-hull a few years back and fabricated casting decks fore and aft and a livewell aft. It was one of the best bass fishing platforms I've every owned. Very stable, and did everything a modern bass boat would do (with the exception of 70mph which I don't need on my local lake anyway) at a fraction of the cost. Sold that boat last year and missed it so much I'm rigging up another one on a 79 pierce-arrow tri-hull that I recently picked up on a divorce sell. Now on bigger water with heavy chop and miles to cross, I'll stick with a v-hull.

 

[204 Escape]

Re: Tri-Hull Boats

My first boat was a 1976 16' Sea Sprite, with a 100 h.p. Merc. No tilt/trim. I had it 3 years, and sold it to get married. (To second wife. Should have kept the boat). Was a tough old boat. Ran as well as it should, and took ALOT of abuse.

It was fairly smooth on rough water, and I don't remember it turning short, or long.
Was a fun boat, BUT, it was my first boat !!!!!!!!