Panga 22 suitability

[key largo panga]

Hello everybody,

I just bought the plans for the Panga 22 because it’s more like the boats that impressed me passing through surf while I was in the Dominican Republic than any of the other plans I’ve seen. I want something that will provide a comparatively smooth ride in choppy seas, and that’s cheap to run.

I live in Key Largo and will use the panga to retrieve a few stone crab and lobster pots in shallow, sheltered waters, to freedive and spearfish on the reefs even when it’s rough, and maybe to spear/fish offshore near weed lines in the Gulf Stream. I’ll be out with one to three other people occasionally, but alone often. I think I have a line on a cheap Yamaha 90hp two stroke, a little overpowered, I know, but I can get it cheaper than a smaller motor. Any comments about the suitability of the Panga 22 and my motor combination for my goals would be appreciated.

[AdamG]

Check the weight compared to 4 strokes in the recommended power range. So long as the weights are comparable, and you stay reasonable on the power, you can go over some. I've got a 60 on my OB15, and they recommend 15-50.

[luzarr]

I put a yamaha 4 stroke 90 hp on one. It'll run 35 + knots if you have the balls to run it that hard. It cruises best at 15 to 20, after that it gets squirrely .

A few friends and I dived the Sea of Cortez a few years ago on a live aboard. They used 24' pangas probably 6" wider than the 22, with tiller steering and 75 hp. With 4 divers, tanks, and a pangadero it got on plane and ran 15 easily.

The panga 22 is a skinny boat. Three divers max

[key largo panga]

Thanks AdamG and Luzzar. Good info. I'll probably be freediving with 1-2 others, without tanks probably. It sounds like the Panga 22 is the right boat, but I'm getting cold feet due to completion time. I'm understanding the 100 hrs for a working boat suggested on the study plans is unlikely. Luzzar, how long did it take to build yours?

[Matt Gent]

I have the Yamaha 90 on a 17' skiff, about the same width as the panga. It weighs around 260lbs, which is similar to a lower hp 4-stroke.

I also freedive occasionally in that area, and think the 22 Panga would be a good, efficient boat for the Keys on all but the worst days.

Most of the time people spend is in making it look good, if you don't care as much about finish the project can take much less time than others. I also find that planning a few jobs you can do at once saves the overall schedule, so you don't have to wait for things to cure overnight to do the next step. Also having a helping hand available when you need it (moving big parts, wetting out large areas, mixing while you work). The last advice is your setup & cleanup time can be a killer, if you don't have a clean, dry, dedicated work space.

[Daddy]

As far as built time goes, the closer you stick to the plans the faster it will go, the more changes for personal preferences, you will add time for pondering and that can be a lot of time. On my current build I bought three sets of plans, one from Bateau and two from other designers of very similar boats because I liked some of the options the others offered. That led to hours spent (I almost said wasted) weighing the different designs in my mind. Stick to the plans and you will finish in no time. Go for a 10 yard finish and you will be done even sooner
Daddy

[key largo panga]

Thanks Matt Gent and Daddy for your input. I like things that are simple and work well, so I will try hard to tame my appetite for any unnecessary aesthetic additions. Work boat finish is fine with me. I'll worry less about banging it up and having it stolen if it isn't perfect, as well.

Matt, I'll take that into consideration about the workspace. I gather that I'll be best off if I get one of those garage-type tents, trim bushes all around the work space, and have a place to store my tools right beside the boat (my work site is 50' from my shed).

And Daddy, I'll stick absolutely to the plans. Just the basic boat with a basic console (would go tiller if motor wasn't so big). I can use coolers as seats, and build seats some day if I want to, but I know I'll spend that time out using the boat. If I start working on a boat, it'll be building something else.

You've given me hope!

Steve