XF20

[KeepYourTipUp]

Thanks for the replies guys.
Jim, what you say makes a lot of sense. I fully understand where you guys are coming from. Again the original question way back when was about feasibility and that was the direction I intended my question as well.

Jacques, some guys like blondes, others brunettes, still others redheads. As they say, it's in the eye of the beholder.

A couple further thoughts on the PH vs XF:
Width: 7'-5" vs 8' (width @ DWL?)
Weight: 800lbs vs 450lbs
Labor: 200hrs vs 80hrs
Power: min 70hp vs min 25hp... 45mph 90hp vs 50hp (about $2000 difference)
Material Cost: (in Meranti) $2475 vs $2009 (25%)
Draft: 6" vs 3" This would be a big difference around here

To me these are pretty different boats. A "styled" version of the XF20 with a lightweight full flats deck would be an interesting study. Call it "low compromise" instead of "no compromise." What does the PH look like when you put it on a diet? Who has done the best example of this?


Thanks again.
KYTU
Bob

[jacquesmm]

A pointy bow on the XF20 will have the following effects:
- add weight therefore increase draft
- create a dangerous place to stand on while fishing
- make the installation of a bow mounted trolling motor difficult
- increase cost and labor

and above all, it is ugly. very ugly

If the pointy bow is that important, modify the plans but I am not going to do it, sorry.

[KeepYourTipUp]

A pointy bow on the XF20 will have the following effects:
- add weight therefore increase draft
- create a dangerous place to stand on while fishing
- make the installation of a bow mounted trolling motor difficult
- increase cost and labor

and above all, it is ugly. very ugly

If the pointy bow is that important, modify the plans but I am not going to do it, sorry.

"- create a dangerous place to stand on while fishing" - Agreed, this is not a place to stand.

"and above all, it is ugly. very ugly" - LMAO

I don't think the question was ever "Jacques will you do this?" in this particular case.

Thanks again.
KYTU
Bob

[HokieByWater]

KeepYourTipUp,

Good to see another local poster. I'm in Indian Harbour Beach.

Glenn

[KeepYourTipUp]

Right back at ya Glen. You got PM.

KYTU
Bob

[stickystuff]

I can't take it any more.Picture this. You are fishing the flats at an extremely low tide. There oyster bars to the left and the right. A small shallow cut that is only 3" deep. aon the other side of this cut , lets say 500yards is a hole that is stacked with redfish. Along way from casting distance. To nasty to try and wade due to the sharp oyster beds. You sit there and watch the fish hit, one right after another. Pushing wakes like a bulldog plowing through water. You sit there and there is not a damn thing you can do about it. Then along comes one of our local guides who has a wide flat bottom rig, tunnel hull and a jack plate, a small engine,40hp. and a tiller steering. He goes through this cut like it was 6ft. deep. You watch him catch red fish one right after another. Catches until his arms hurt and has had enough. Out he comes waves as he goes by wwith a big smile on his face. I have a Phantom and I can't even come close to this.

Well after seeing this and talking to the local guide and checking his rig out I decided its time to come up with an idea to design my own. With the help of Jacques I told him about the rig and asked him why we couldnt take the GF16 , stretch it and make it wider and add a tunnel. I had mentioned tunnels to Jacques a time or two before. So I e-mailed him the site of this local guide and showed him his rig. With that the wheels started turning. Between the two of us we came up with the XF20. Originally called the cool boat. jacques came up with the XF20 name. this boat is intended to be just for the use as described. No frills, keep it light. You don't want a &20,00. rig in waters like this. The XF20 is designed to be run shallow, and if you were to scrape the bottom up it would be easy to repair. Very minimal expense. We also are trying to keep this as a simple budget boat that most anyone can afford. It doesn't need a 50 gallon fuel tank. You don't need all the bels and whistles. What for. Where you are going to be the depth finder probably wont even show a reading.

This is a proven design as is. Why take a Lexus and try to make a HumVee out of it. This is a no frills fishing rig. I think it looks Damn good just like it is. I built a full scale model of the XF20 and can't wait to get started on mine. First things first, have to Sell my Phantom. This is not a program boat. It is designed for one thing and one thing only. Put some fish in the boat and on your table. If you want to modify it then do it on your own terms. I won't be volunteering any new bow designs or vee bottoms etc. Sometimes you just have to be satisfied with the designer and all the time he has put forward into the design. These can't be done overnight.
I am not trying to chew any butts out fo r wanting to change the design. Just a proven hull and why in Gods name would one want to screw up a good thing.
Thanks for the vent.

Ken Owens

[stickystuff]

Seems like all this ranting and raving we totally went around the original question. Yes. It can be redesigned to have a pointed bow. You will lose deck space in the front. I don't think Jacques would be willing to redesign this either. If you want a pointy bow then you will probably have to do it on your own. I personally don't have the time to fool with something like this. Don't get me wrong, it can be done but probably not here. Hope you don't take offense to the answer. Thanks for the idea . We boat builders are always looking for new designs and ideas. Look what Noah did. Now it stuck on top of a mountain somewhere. wonder where all those animals went.

[stickystuff]

Here is another proven fact that you can do with the XF20. You are running along say in 12" of water. Then all of a sudden you spot an oyster bar just 2"below the surface. You get approx 20ft. from the bar , throttle back real fast, the hull automatically pushes a wake in front of the bow, then full throttle back up on plane and you ride over the top of the bar. Try this in your Maverick, or even your Phantom. Just another way this hull design allows you to get where your going. Food for thought.

[anonymous]

Cool trick! I like it.

[anonymous]

What we really need is a boat that morphs automatically depending on water depth.
CS for Offshore, PH for the bays and XF for the puddles. How about it