Boat choice for small 2 man W/ stability-low draft

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dallas1112
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Boat choice for small 2 man W/ stability-low draft

Post by dallas1112 »

I have been looking around for a few years at everything available and constantly come back here. I love the all the different plane and the thought the designer put into them.

I decided i wanted to build something with a couple potential use cases

1. I like to gig flounder on the Texas coast, but i hate walking miles there and back, a shallow stable platform to gig off of would be great. speed isn't super crucial, and i wouldn't ever have to cross any major chop as i can put in at hundreds of locations. if the boat fits in the bed of my truck i could get near where i want to gig and use a trolling motor to get around.

2. I like to fish the lights in the canals around the area. They are relatively protected and you could easily take a kayak in them, which i do but I'm tired of getting wet in all the ocean kayak types.

So my main requirements would be

*Lowish draft (for poling/trolling for flounder)
* stability (gotta be on the front of the boat somehow and I don't want to fall off)
* capacity for 2 people (fly fishing canal lights)
* Fit in my truck bed (I can get a trailer but being able to launch shoreline opens a lot of access)

I really probably wouldnt use this for anything else, things are really crowded during the days around here and the inter coastal is like a darn interstate.

Boat plans I'm looking at:

one of the Garveys (GF12 or GF14)
One of the fast skiffs (FS14 or FS14LS)
Swift Canoe(SC 16)

Any input is appreciated, I'm sure there are many on here with experience in some of these plans. Which one of these would better fit my use cases, or am i missing a model that i should be looking at?

Thanks in advance,
Dallas

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Re: Boat choice for small 2 man W/ stability-low draft

Post by jacquesmm »

GF14.
The GF's are the most stable and roomiest hulls from your list. You should be able to load a GF14 with a small ramp and have the transom sticking out, supported by an extension that goes in the hitch receiver.
The GF14 will move nicely with an engine that you can remove by yourself each time you load the boat in the truck.

PS: I assume that is a long bed PU.
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TomW1
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Re: Boat choice for small 2 man W/ stability-low draft

Post by TomW1 »

Agree with Jacques. The GF14 would be your best bet. A 80 watt trolling motor would give you plenty of power and range. Or go with a 112 if you want more insurance. No need for a gas motor, unless you are running long distances. The GF14 would also be the easiest to build. But for the functions you want it is the best.

Tom
Restored Mirror Dinghy, Bought OD18 built by CL, Westlawn School of Yacht Design courses. LT US Navy 1970-1978

Matt Gent
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Re: Boat choice for small 2 man W/ stability-low draft

Post by Matt Gent »

We do exactly what you propose, in South FL, with a boat my friend built. It is very similar to the flat-bottomed garveys here, though it is longer, narrower, and *very* light-weight. The middle of the bottom oil-cans about 1-1/2" if run fast through a chop.

Right about 16' x 36" if I recall. We use my 6hp kicker; it will run 16-17mph light with a single person, and move reasonably well (12-13mph) with 3 adults and a small cooler + deep cycle battery. It has a lot of rocker (helps when poling from the front) so it kinda runs in the transition zone all the time.

It can be loaded off the truck by one person, though two is easier. We sometimes bring a small dolly which sits right on top of the boat in the truck. Slide the boat out the back of the bed right onto the dolly and off you go. Have moved it around in the back of an F150 and a Honda Ridgeline, using one of those bed extenders to support the bow or transom.

Where we flounder you need to be able to sneak under residential docks, so low & narrow is the way to go. This also lets it run reasonably fast with a self-contained 6hp which only weighs 52lb. Which is then easy to transport off the boat. Things could easily escalate if anything started getting wider & heavier.

Image

Image

Video of build is here: https://www.microskiff.com/threads/400- ... ost-673784
https://youtu.be/-s2h9d7j5Vk

This boat is a follow-up to his previous flounder boat, documented here https://www.microskiff.com/threads/micr ... res.17001/

OneWayTraffic
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Re: Boat choice for small 2 man W/ stability-low draft

Post by OneWayTraffic »

If speed is not an issue, and you need to fit it into a truck bed, you could consider the FB11 nesting dinghy. Or make a GF12 as a nesting version. Obviously complicates the build and compromises strength, but at displacement speeds shouldn't matter. Just a thought.

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Evan_Gatehouse
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Re: Boat choice for small 2 man W/ stability-low draft

Post by Evan_Gatehouse »

The FB11 is many things but "stable" is not the primary consideration. The pointy bow would prevent you from standing up near the bow.
designer: FB11/GV10,11,13/ HMD18/
SK17,MM21/MT24

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