Who makes or made the best sea boat under 40'
Crawfish
2015-03-18 17:31:52
Let's hear who has made the best sea boat 40' and under. Is it a heavy northern wood fan tail? Is it a double ender? Is it a modern wide down east lobster boat? Is it a monk style steel boat? Could it be a cold molded plywood hull ? Who makes the toughest most comfortable heavy sea boat around ? What design has proven to be the safest working platform? Who makes the all around best small boat?
SalmonSeeker
2015-03-18 21:38:43
I'll bite. How about the early FRP boats from VEGA Marine or Uniflite?
Crawfish
2015-03-19 03:16:50
Uniflite made the navy hulls that a lot of guys got surplus right? I think they were made in WA state. Don't they come in a few different sizes up to 50'.
Vega marine was out of Channel Islands or somewhere in Ca if I remember right? Weren't they a part of Willard Boats at one time?
Crawfish
2015-03-19 03:26:04
For little boats in a tight chop the 26' Radons the urchin diver's used to fly around in seemed to pound in and out to the grounds well. They would go out in 8x6 all the time with 20 plus knots of northwest. The tape around the cabins would always be cracking on them but man they just went. I think they told me they stayed on step most of the time.
SalmonSeeker
2015-03-19 14:11:55
Uniflite made some heavy hulls , but for a brief time, I think around 1978 to about 80?, they changed suppliers for the fire retardant used in their FRP formula and had blister problems. Well documented, so just avoid the affected years and you have a tank. Willard contracted with Vega for production for Willard designs. Those were mostly Pleasure trawler,s canoe-ended, based on NW salmon trollers and 6-8 commercial fishing boats based on the same design. Vega also designed their own commercial fishing boat. These are a square stern design. The 1976 Bluefin renamed Hunter Bay and my 1975 Comanche were two of those.
Threec's
2015-03-19 20:53:56
I am extremely Happy with my 76 Palmer.
Crawfish
2015-03-20 20:38:39
Do you have any pictures?
What length/draw/beam?
Threec's
2015-03-20 21:12:01
I do not know how to add a photo here.
Salty
2015-03-21 16:26:41
I love my custom fiberglass. 37 overall.
Once and Future
2015-03-21 20:19:47
I am curious about these "Bluefin" boats. Can anybody direct me to a picture?
SalmonSeeker
2015-03-22 16:27:42
If your referring to my mention of the Bluefin in my last post, I was referring to the Vega troller F/V Bluefin. There is a similar boat listed right now on http://www.alaskaboat.com/boat.php?bid=ll056 . It is set up for pot cod and longlining.
My boat the F/V Comanche is the same registered Length and Beam but 2' deeper draft. The Comanche was most recently used as a lobster boat and is being refitted for trolling as we speak.
Once and Future
2015-03-22 19:04:26
@SalmonSeeker: Oh ok. Yes, an elusive memory for me is back around 1980 a very respected fisherman, who had just bought a brand new Sunnfjord, was heard (by me) to proclaim the only boats to buy were either a "Sunnfjord or a Bluefin". At this point, I cannot nail down what he meant by a "Bluefin", but it seems apparent he was referring to a hull prototype.
SalmonSeeker
2015-03-23 00:24:14
@Once and Future: There were only two Bluefin Boat MFG's that I an aware of. One is in AU and makes only aluminum boats, The other that I believe may have been the object of his comments was an East coast Mfg. in RI. The made a series of good sea boats starting in the 80's that were up to about 27ft. These were widely regarded as good sea boats by the sport fishing crowd that went after Tuna offshore. They were all center console boats , some with closed bows: not good for commercial fishing without major mods. I don't know of any that ever made it to commercial fishing.
Once and Future
2015-03-23 00:49:15
Maybe I remembered it wrong after all these years. I'm sure he was talking about boats over 38' because he loved to go on the Fairweather Grounds. Somehow I also have the idea he may have been referring to those C&M "football" boats. (I don't know if their reputation at the time equalled Sunnfjord.) But there would be no way to justify calling them a "bluefin". Although some of the boats in that size had a blue tint to their gel coat. Guess I'll have to get over it, or die with it on my mind, because there's probably no closure on this one!
SalmonSeeker
2015-03-23 13:40:32
That's what's great about old memories; they are yours and nobody can dispute them.
Crawfish
2015-03-23 17:16:13
We need photos.
How do we put photos up? I know the C and M's are longer than 40 but they have a stellar reputation for fishing albacore 1200 miles off shore and fishing some bad weather. Thats a long ways out in a 42 or 44 boat. I had the chance to buy one at a reasonable price ..... still kicking myself. I suppose they would be a fantastic coastal waters troller. Did I mention still kicking myself?
Once and Future
2015-03-23 21:35:16
I started a thread in the pictures section about how to post photos.
SalmonSeeker
2015-03-24 22:03:06
Crawfish
2015-03-25 14:12:28
No trolling hatch? Well that takes the fun out of it.
SalmonSeeker
2015-03-25 21:30:57
Actually standing on the stern with no bulwarks could be a whole lot more fun (exciting).
Kelper
2015-03-26 02:52:01
It looks to me that it'd take a fair amount of glass work to get that boat trolling again. It's been for sale for awhile now, so who knows, they might be willing to work with the price. 44' C&Ms don't come up to often, and they sure aren't building anymore of them.
Crawfish
2015-03-27 04:10:23
If was in the cards that boat would be mine. Unfortunately it's not. Let's see 200 K for the boat 75 K for permits 50 K for miscellaneous what am I up to now 325 K. I have not even bought wire yet.
Best riding boat bucking into it I have been on under 40 was a Downeast Style 32 lobster boat. It cut through the chop like a destroyer. Fine entry bow with lots of flare at the cap it was a sweet riding boat for going into it. A following sea well that was a different story, it wasn't the worst but not the best when it was a tight 8 foot plus you would have to hand steer. Going down hill the best was a 32 double ended Monterey with a straight stem bow. None of the small boats I have been on have done better in the trough when it's choppy every thing has always been on the floor or flying around inside the cabin.