PH18 tournament

[LGF]

Hi Guys,

Need some guidance. I am seriously considering building the PH18, as a tournament bass rig. Our tournaments mostly take place on dams, in the US it's called Lakes. Anyhow the water can get rather rough at times (swells around 1meter). Yes it might not be much but I am planning to fit a 90 to her and as it is to be used as a competition rig, comes launching, full-throttle is the way she'll need to run. Boats are dispatched in short succession of each other and this is where my concern is. Stability and ride comfort, the dead rise of the Phantom hull. I know there's various factors that can influence stability and comfort . i.e. reverse chine, placement of heavy items like 2x25lt fuel tanks, 3x batteries, cockpit placement etc.

The question is really could the dead rise angle be increased from the 6* to say 12* and how would that be achieved if I am to buy the PH18 plan. I am completely sold on the S&G building method.

Please advise?

[jacquesmm]

To change the deadrise is a complete redesign. How about starting with a boat hull that has the deadrise you want and modify the deck layout? That is much easier.
The OB17 is a good example.

[MarkOrge]

I use mine in tournaments. Hawgtown Bassmasters in Ontario Canada. It will not ride as smooth as a deeper V but I have the confidence of self draining cockpit for those big water tournaments where we want to get out to the big smallies.

I love the Phantoms...

[LGF]

Hooked up with another bloke on one of our fishing forums who owned a 16" Phantom which he sold about a year ago much to his regret as he claims it was the best boat he ever owned and he owned several big name commercial boats in the 16" - 21" range!

[jacquesmm]

Hooked up with another bloke on one of our fishing forums who owned a 16" Phantom which he sold about a year ago much to his regret as he claims it was the best boat he ever owned and he owned several big name commercial boats in the 16" - 21" range!

I must repost that, say it again please.

I used the prototype for 3 months and took the family out on it on week-ends. My 70 year old mother in law did not complain about the ride in a moderate chop.

[LGF]

No it's true, the bloke really said that. May I also say that it was a Bass rig and that it looked a lot like a boat build that was shared here on the Forum.

The only reason as to why he sold it was, again his words " he received an offer he could not resist" but afterwards he was sorry he sold it.

I don't care for doing a record quatermile in 2meter swells, as longs as it goes towards the place the bow is aimed at and not towards the stern when the main motor is running at a relative speed on choppy water without things flying off the deck and my kidneys hitting my coccyx twice per swell, what matters most is that if I step to port or starboard trying to get a better cast in or trying to land a fish, that the crew doesn't have to grab his life-jacket cause it seems the boat is going to flip over (keel over, I think is what it's called in marine lingo)

Stability is the highest priority. That is also why I have a couple of planned additions and alterations to Add weight to the boat rather than to strip it of weight, say like in using foam core.

Some ideas include an additional deep cycle up front to purely run the electronics off, totallying 4. A larger than necessary built in stainless fuel tank, mid to fore ship and some additional external layers of glass, virtually doubling the required layers on the outside as Casey did on his Phantom. Placement of other heavier items, I.e. An additional trolling motor (transom mount) for emergency use will be to ensure a level seating of the hull in water when at rest.

[pee wee]

I've read about boats that use a ballast tank to add weight when needed, pump water in or out. You might have times you wished you had extra payload capacity or didn't draft as much. Something to think about.

[TomW1]

Make sure you add trim tabs especially the auto adjusting ones from Bennett. They will help a lot.