What's the 'softest' hull design?

[Gringo]

well they are an older boat and it might be a tough one to find but the 24 wellcraft airslot is the softest dryiest riding boat i have ever been on in it's class...you have to run one to belive it...2-4 ft chop no problem even at 20-25 knots....my dads back is SHOT and even he can run around all day on my boat...

you're talking about something like this?:

http://www.boatswithcauses.org/1976_...ft_airslot.htm

[aitkenkingfish]

definatly a cat if your looking for ride quality. wish mine was in the water the fish are out there but im not.

[algdog]

they just don't belong in new england
a semi or fully built down, downeast style hull with a single diesel is the ticket. a skeg built boat will pound sometime and get squirrley in a following sea.
have had one now for 4 yrs and the boat has never pounded
fully enclosed house to keep you out of the elements.
if you are hot turn on the AC, cold hit the heat.( but you don't have that problem) lucky you

believe it or not, a 42ft x 13'-6"x5ft draft with a single diesel 600hp I run at 1 nmpg at 17knts and 3 nmpg at 9knts

something like a 28 bhm or even a 25 would be perfect if you don't want the size.

I have had other boats that pounded and after a weekend fishing you get off the boat almost crippled. especially with a tower boat
downeasters are easy on the body.
this is why so many commercial guys who use them every day
have them.

Very safe also debris coming under the boat has a tendency to move along the keel and peel off to the outside, missing the running gear.

good luck with your search, but I have been on a lot of boats and none ride better than a downeast design
slow and low

[Gringo]

Well, I was thinking about that. We have often wished we had a boat that we could crawl inside to spend a night or two. Plenty of places here to drop the hook. So far, we have only had t-tops and bimini's for shelter.

But the problem, here, with that type of boat is that 5 foot draft. That would SO severely limit where you could go, it would be almost unusable in many many places. We could live with a 3 foot draft, at most, and even that would be giving up a lot of water.

[algdog]

Well, I was thinking about that. We have often wished we had a boat that we could crawl inside to spend a night or two. Plenty of places here to drop the hook. So far, we have only had t-tops and bimini's for shelter.

But the problem, here, with that type of boat is that 5 foot draft. That would SO severely limit where you could go, it would be almost unusable in many many places. We could live with a 3 foot draft, at most, and even that would be giving up a lot of water.

that 5ft draft is on the 42ft

the smaller boats have less draft.

http://www.atlanticboat.com/duffy26.php

[Gettinwet]

yes gringo that is exactly what i am talking about.. i know they look goofy but untill you ride on one you don't know what i'm talking about lol...they ride awesome!!!..and that one is in really nice shape..me and my father have one each..mine is powered by a 300hp 5.7 with a bravo 2 outdrive and a ton of new custom stuff and my dads has a 6cyl volvo diesel and outdrive...we just started working on his and hope to have it ready in a few weeks for the canyon season...for thier size thier ride is second to none...not the fastest on the water but will get you there dry and with solid knees lol....

[Gringo]

that 5ft draft is on the 42ft

the smaller boats have less draft.

http://www.atlanticboat.com/duffy26.php

Thanks. I couldn't find any draft info on the site, so I wrote em an email.

That would be a funny looking boat down here. But looking at it, the keel would go a long, long way toward protecting the prop and rudder. And that's really the issue in the shallow water here. Coral heads.

[algdog]

I don't know about coral that is some tough stuff but
you could go so far as to run some metal on the bottom of the keel also

if you have ever been to maine or nova scotia, the tides are so severe that at low tide most of the boats up that way sit on the keel with no water to be seen anywhere at low tide with one side of the boat resting up against a dock or pier.

if your ever up in NJ let me know, I will take you for a spin

[Gale Winds]

I'll have to give a vote for the Cat. We run a 25' World Cat and love it. It takes getting used to, but once you retrain your brain, it is a smooth running boat. Not the fastest boat out there, and yes, sometimes wet, but it can take a beating and not beat up the captain.

[Gringo]

if you have ever been to maine or nova scotia....

if your ever up in NJ let me know, I will take you for a spin

Oh I spent lots of time in NS. Long time ago, but I bet the tides are the same. Didn't do much boating in Maine, but spent many years in New England.

We were in NJ just last September, ha ha. Three days in Livingston area, then over to the Big Apple for another three. It's not someplace that often gets put on our itinerary, but it does happen. Thanks for the offer.