Panga 25 With Bracket

[TomW1]

I understand the transom requirement.

Question 2 was specific to the wall/ frame (Bulkhead) that forms the lateral wall of the splashwell, the one closest to the console. It is the piece shown at the bottom of page 1 in the link.

Can this frame be installed in the shape of a “U” along the sides and under the sole? The original full sized piece would then be installed maybe 8-10” further back towards the transom to allow more room behind the console and open up some deck space. Yes it would shrink the size of the corner storage boxes, but I think that would be OK.

I believe Jacques hit it on the head. Moving the bulkhead back is OK but do not eliminate. Sides of splashwell must remain at least 6” longitudinal measurement.

Chris

Yes Chessie you are right, you can move it back a few inches but keep its shape as you seem to understand. If it was me I would also move the frame in front of it back 4". You have to keep the hull stiff all along it and 8-10 without moving the next one is a lot. Tom Been on my 45th anniversary celebration and away.

[TomTom]

Chessie I am going to play Devil’s Advocate here... please bear with me ... I am just trying to understand your rationale and explain what I would be doing...

What are you trying to achieve with a bracket? I don’t believe a bracket offers any performance enhancement on a hull like that.

So what’s the reasoning?

Is it the look you like? - in which case go for it.

Or do you want a bit more cockpit space?

Wasn’t one of your original questions “can I mount twins engines”?

Let us assume you want more cockpit length as a priority (which frankly in a long narrow 25 foot panga there will be plenty of as designed) and let us also say you want twins (I know Jacques doesn’t advocate twins)
but let’s go with this for now...

Looking at the Dimensions for outboard engines from Yamaha L7 is the number you want to know for each engine.... it is how deep your motor well needs to be (see below)

The F50 only needs 16 inches between the transom and motorwell bulkhead (and you may get away with less if it’s a long shaft engine) ...

I believe Jacques designs his motor wells to accommodate the largest engine spec for the design. So let us say (I don’t have the plans) he places a motorwell bulk head at 24 inches for this design.

By simply moving the motorwell bulk head back you will have gained 8 inches of cockpit space and you have your twin engines.

If you decide against twin engines, you can go with a single engine and still push the motorwell bulkhead back.

This is exactly what I have done on my C19 extension ... I wanted to get as close to the back of the boat, I wanted extra cockpit space and I still wanted the safety of a full motorwell bulkhead.

In the end this is what I went with.





Here are some engine dimensions see below.

[fallguy1000]

Good point TT. I don't think he achieves anything with the bracket if the 2nd frame is still required.

[Chessie]

My initial question was specific to a single primary motor with a kicker motor, not conventional twins as 2 primary motors.

My thought is to power with a 115 4 Stroke, since in the Suzuki and Yamaha lines they are generally the same weight when compared to the 90. Yamaha about 25 heavier and Suzuki about 50, or vice versa. I also prefer to have the “extra” HP versus pushing a lower HP engine harder.

The whole thought behind the bracket was to move the motor back allowing the splashwell bulkhead to be moved further back to gain additional space in the cockpit. After the discussion a fixed bracket of 8-10” would probably do the trick with minimal compensation needed. You can never have too much room. It has nothing to do with performance.

Admittedly, the design Tom shows in his picture would generally accomplish the same thing. Of note, I am not overly concerned about the size of the corner storage boxes. After looking at this several more times, if something like this can be done, and based on Jacques’ answers it can be, then I’m probably scrapping the bracket!!! No need.

I love the potential of the Panga 25, and before committing to it, I’m trying to iron out some of these design details in my head. Until I physically have the plans and dimensions in front of me, much of these changes are speculation.

Congrats on the 45th!!!!

Chris

[fallguy1000]

If it were me, I'd skip the bracket and manual jackplate the thing about 6"

[Chessie]

https://bobsmachine.com/product-categor ... -brackets/

AT THE MOST, Thinking something like the above in the 8-10” setback combined with Tom’s design, would give me everything I’m looking for. 6” might even do it.

Chris

[TomTom]

Chris - the other thing that is worth bearing in mind is the shaft length of the motor. If you go with an extra long shaft version, (25”) your transom is higher and when you tilt the engine up the engine cowling is also higher - relative to the motor well bulkhead. So you may be able to get the bulkhead even further back than you anticipated.

I went round and round this subject in my head - and I am sure irritated everyone with my questions - remember I was in a similar position to you in that I had a 19 foot long boat and wanted to maximise cockpit space - so I went over all the iterations of bracket/ no bracket, etc etc.

I spent a lot of time on my boat doing mock ups and I was surprised by how close I could push the bulkhead back towards the motor.

You can also cut that bulkhead down further than I did to fit the trimmed up motor - and by doing so push it even further back. I toyed with having a removable piece that slid in there, like a door which you pull out when you trim the engine up - but there is always “the other boat driver that forgets” that you have to consider.

Also - I know the motor well bulkhead is a safety feature but with an extra long shaft and a transom 5 inches taller I felt that I would have been ok with the cut out and no “sliding door”. If I didn’t want a rear gunwale this would have been the simplest solution.

Ultimately, I felt there was a lot of useable space that was being wasted with my original layout - which I gained by having a sloping motorwell and a space under it - to kick lures, tackle boxes, gaffs etc out the way when needed. You feel closer to the back because our feet don’t come up against a wall but can get deeper in.

I didn’t initially like the idea of the rear gunwale going round the motor, but came back to it, because it achieves everything I wanted. I can be in the corner of the boat, close to the transom, I can reach a rod over the motor - and I found it was actually nice to have something either side to brace oneself against.

Structurally - I believe Jacques doesn’t mind about the dimensions from transom to bulkhead - so long as it is more than 6 inches and you keep the bracing for the side boxes.

The 115 is probably a good compromise for this boat - lot of people I know run them on the 24 Najal (which is a generic fiberglass Panga built in the UAE and imported/ copied locally). They cruises nicely at about 20 kts and 3600 rpm with that motor; but I still think a 90 would do you fine. If there’s not much in it weight wise not reason not to go bigger.

I would definitely suggest when you flip your hull, and after doing your stringers, floor etc. you buy and mount your engine, trim it up and then start playing with mock ups. I think you will be amazed how much extra “cockpit space” you might gain.

Remember though, that people will naturally gravitate as far back as possible, so you may still want to nudge the console fwd a tiny bit. Others are much better at those weigh and balance calculations! I’ve tended to find we overload boats more in the back than the front, so again if you move the console a little fwd to compensate, so have gained a slightly longer cockpit.

[Chessie]

Everything you said is exactly how I feel to a tee!

Lots of ideas, options, etc but some things, especially with the structural aspects are important to me to figure out before I go down the road of a design that won’t work for what I want in the end. I suspect many people have made this mistake.

Good thing is, this is probably the best forum I’ve ever seen because people seem to understand “No question is a dumb question.” and are willing to help.

Chris

[TomTom]

What sort of fish are you fishing for? What sorts of speeds will the boat be used at? I see you plan to run long distances?

The Panga is an incredibly versatile design; they are now very common where I live. Every man and his dog is pulling home made versions off the original Yamaha hull. Some are very basically built but functional.

It is a sign of how versatile the design is that they are ubiquitous through almost every “developing world” nation!

Newspaper and old engine oil or packing tape suffice as mold release paste, cheap pine or plastic PVC sewage pipe cut in half is laid as frames/ stringers and then covered in polyester resin and glass...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gEYjyXTt_g4

I built the OD18 (before Jacque’s Panga designs were out) and didn’t like the ride in chop; then I built the C19 and realised that we run relatively short distances - max 17 miles - but pull lures at 7-8 kts for long periods - a speed that C19 is very inefficient at. If we were running long distances and bottom fishing, or slow trolling it would have been a great choice.

Had I known then what I know now, I would probably have built the PG 25 for my uses.

[Chessie]

99.9% of the time it will be on the “sheltered” waters of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, including the back bay in Ocean City and short inshore trips into the Atlantic. I don’t like beating my boats or myself so I tend to be somewhat conservative. Worst cases 2-3’ chop and I don’t blast through them.

I am hoping that on VERY SELECT days, I will be able to venture 40-60 miles out when the Tuna and Mahi are there. Those are the days when the 25’ Center Console fleet runs in numbers.

The efficiency of the PG25 and a 115 and side kicker for safety I believe makes this run is very doable and without breaking the bank.

I’m 52 and have been on boats my entire life and consider myself an experienced and cautious “captain” and respect the water and the risks that come with it.