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MFF US Northeast => New Hampshire => Topic started by: nhbassman on Jun 16, 2019, 09:27 PM

Title: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: nhbassman on Jun 16, 2019, 09:27 PM
How would a 12ft flat bottom handle in bigger lakes vs a 12 vhull?
Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: Seahunt on Jun 16, 2019, 10:33 PM
It would blow around badly in the wind.
V hull's are the way to go on bigger lakes.
Even with the V hull, you have to pick your days and spots with a 12' boat.
Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: taxid on Jun 16, 2019, 10:38 PM
A cousin of mine nearly got swamped on a lake with a 12 foot boat. Water was coming into the transom. It wasn't the wind it was ski boats.
Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: Johnnh on Jun 17, 2019, 06:52 AM
It's all about knowing your limits

A 12ft flat bottom on the big lakes is a disaster in the making. Boat wakes are one issue but your enemy is the wind. The flat bottom 12 ft usually has about 12 inches of freeboard / Grunwald (distance from water to top of boat rail) .

A 12 ft v hull has a a little more height but this adds to navigation issues in rougher water because the boat is light and the winds will turn you around in a heartbeat.

I have a 14 ft lund with a 25hp merc and this boat is extremely sturdy. I still would never use it on the big lakes

Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: 800stealth on Jun 17, 2019, 06:18 PM
Agreed with all above, a 12 footer is a pond hopper not a lake boat...  The v-hull will handle a little more chop but only when under way, once you stop either one will be all done with a couple 18" rollers over the transom. Not trying to discourage but as said above, gotta know the limits.
Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: mowbizz on Jun 17, 2019, 07:18 PM
It's all about knowing your limits

A 12ft flat bottom on the big lakes is a disaster in the making. Boat wakes are one issue but your enemy is the wind. The flat bottom 12 ft usually has about 12 inches of freeboard / Grunwald (distance from water to top of boat rail) .

A 12 ft v hull has a a little more height but this adds to navigation issues in rougher water because the boat is light and the winds will turn you around in a heartbeat.

I have a 14 ft lund with a 25hp merc and this boat is extremely sturdy. I still would never use it on the big lakes

Lol...”grunwald”??
Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: Mac Attack on Jun 17, 2019, 07:24 PM
Lol...”grunwald”??

Ancient wizard.
Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: taxid on Jun 17, 2019, 07:53 PM
Autocorrect can be a b***h!
Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: nhbassman on Jun 17, 2019, 08:53 PM
It's all about knowing your limits

A 12ft flat bottom on the big lakes is a disaster in the making. Boat wakes are one issue but your enemy is the wind. The flat bottom 12 ft usually has about 12 inches of freeboard / Grunwald (distance from water to top of boat rail) .

A 12 ft v hull has a a little more height but this adds to navigation issues in rougher water because the boat is light and the winds will turn you around in a heartbeat.

I have a 14 ft lund with a 25hp merc and this boat is extremely sturdy. I still would never use it on the big lakes

Thnaks for the info, what size lakes do you stick to? I'm mostly in lakes roughly 300-800 acres..
Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: nhbassman on Jun 17, 2019, 09:18 PM
Agreed with all above, a 12 footer is a pond hopper not a lake boat...  The v-hull will handle a little more chop but only when under way, once you stop either one will be all done with a couple 18" rollers over the transom. Not trying to discourage but as said above, gotta know the limits.

What size lakes would you recommend for a 12-14 ft boat?
Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: Seahunt on Jun 17, 2019, 10:31 PM
What size lakes would you recommend for a 12-14 ft boat?
Quote
a 12 footer is a pond hopper
Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: Johnnh on Jun 18, 2019, 04:50 AM
It's Gunwale
Yes spell checker is painful

Yes mowbiz, I may be approaching ancient but a bit short on wizard
Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: mowbizz on Jun 18, 2019, 06:07 AM
It's Gunwale
Yes spell checker is painful

Yes mowbiz, I may be approaching ancient but a bit short on wizard

 ;D
Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: Jethro on Jun 18, 2019, 08:26 AM
What size lakes would you recommend for a 12-14 ft boat?

This is not a one size fits all answer. For instance, these are both 14' V-hulls that I own:

This one is a 14' Grumman with no floor and probably weighs 120lbs hull only. It's a V-hull that I would consider a jon boat. It came with a 15 horse that on plane was so stupid fast and unsafe that don't even put it on there anymore. It's now only used with an electric trolling motor.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Misc/i-xsFVKRG/0/c2d2d380/L/IMG_20110515_111000-L.jpg)

Here is my 14' Starcraft Superfisherman. Its 14' but has a factory flat floor and the hull weighs probably 600lbs bare. It's got a 25 horse and it's very stable even at full throttle. I've been on some of the biggest lakes in the Northeast in this thing but obviously have to pick and choose my days.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Starcraft-SF-140-DLX/i-NkKRcSh/0/e213d3c0/L/IMG_4703-L.jpg)

Then there are some lakes much nastier than others regardless of size. For example, I find Winnipesaukee fairly mild as long as there isn't a lot of recreational boat traffic. It's layout and the amount of islands seem to help. Umbagog on the other hand, even though a fraction of the size, scares the poop out of me. I have seen legitimate 8 footers out there. Not to say that Winni can't do the same thing, but it doesn't seem as bad.

So the equation is harder to nail down than you think. Some boats are different and some lakes are different.




Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: Mac Attack on Jun 18, 2019, 10:09 AM
Great post Geoff.

Yup!

Know your boat’s limits.....and your own limits.
Then stay within them.

Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: nhbassman on Jun 18, 2019, 06:00 PM
This is not a one size fits all answer. For instance, these are both 14' V-hulls that I own:

This one is a 14' Grumman with no floor and probably weighs 120lbs hull only. It's a V-hull that I would consider a jon boat. It came with a 15 horse that on plane was so stupid fast and unsafe that don't even put it on there anymore. It's now only used with an electric trolling motor.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Misc/i-xsFVKRG/0/c2d2d380/L/IMG_20110515_111000-L.jpg)

Here is my 14' Starcraft Superfisherman. Its 14' but has a factory flat floor and the hull weighs probably 600lbs bare. It's got a 25 horse and it's very stable even at full throttle. I've been on some of the biggest lakes in the Northeast in this thing but obviously have to pick and choose my days.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Starcraft-SF-140-DLX/i-NkKRcSh/0/e213d3c0/L/IMG_4703-L.jpg)

Thanks feedback. I'm at the point where my canoe is no longer big enough for myself wife and kid, not ready to spend a lot of money on a boat

Then there are some lakes much nastier than others regardless of size. For example, I find Winnipesaukee fairly mild as long as there isn't a lot of recreational boat traffic. It's layout and the amount of islands seem to help. Umbagog on the other hand, even though a fraction of the size, scares the poop out of me. I have seen legitimate 8 footers out there. Not to say that Winni can't do the same thing, but it doesn't seem as bad.

So the equation is harder to nail down than you think. Some boats are different and some lakes are different.

Thanks for the feedback Jethro. I'm at the point where my canoe is no longer big enough for myself wife and kid, not ready to spend a lot of money on a boat, but need the happy medium until i'm ready to spend a little more money. I've been keeping an eye on craigslist and flat bottoms are more common than v hulls.
Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: Mac Attack on Jun 18, 2019, 07:40 PM
Flat bottoms are more stable in calm water, side to side.

V’s are more stable in waves when running, but not side to side.  They rock.
Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: Johnnh on Jun 19, 2019, 04:18 AM
Agreed
I have a Lund 14dlx with a factory deck. When I am up front on the pedestal seat and my passenger moves from one side to the other, there is a lean when it moves off center line

I have a friend that has a flat bottom. If we both lean in the same direction, it's close to taking on water. I think his boat is about 100 lbs

Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: fishlessman on Jun 19, 2019, 09:30 AM
if i were looking for a boat similar to jethros grumman for a family, i would be looking at 16 footers, no way would i consider my 12 footer or 14 footer a family boat for bigger waters. my old 19 foot canoe was less wobbly and i used to use it offshore. my 14 has a 25 hp on it, like jethro mentioned, on plane it feels like you are outa control, with waves you are taking on lots of water at any speed. 16's usually have deeper vees as well. my 12 says it will take a 15 hp, it gets an electric only and it sits in a 30 acre pond which is perfect for it unless theres wind.  i dont think theres much difference in price for an old beater 16 verse a 14
Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: DT5150 on Jun 19, 2019, 09:53 AM
go as big as you can for what waters you want to fish and what your budget allows.
Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: bassin212 on Jun 19, 2019, 11:03 AM
I have a 16ft V hull, I added a casting deck to the front and I have a 60hp on it. Runs just around 28 mph (not that I care how fast it goes) But I've never really had a problem with it around here. I have been on Squam and Winni many times with it with limited issues. The wind can definitely push it around a bit, but the trolling motor does fine to combat that and worst case I have the big engine to get me out of trouble. I think also the big thing to consider is how to run it. Bug waves, you want to bring the nose up a bit so you're not nose diving into waves.



(https://i.postimg.cc/F16rHX3w/Boat.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/F16rHX3w)
Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: rcdelude on Jun 19, 2019, 09:45 PM
"It's all about knowing your limits"

Agreed, Some days would I'd be plugging around the Isle of shoals in my 14' Princecraft w/ a 9.9 hp merc.
Other days would not be caught out  there in my Eastern 22' lobster boat.
Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: TheCrittaC on Jun 20, 2019, 10:33 AM
As others have stated, a V hull will be better because you won't get blown around nearly as much. You can always put a flat floor in a V hull boat if you want a flat surface.
Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: mowbizz on Jun 20, 2019, 12:41 PM
"It's all about knowing your limits"

Agreed, Some days would I'd be plugging around the Isle of shoals in my 14' Princecraft w/ a 9.9 hp merc.
Other days would not be caught out  there in my Eastern 22' lobster boat.

I actually took my 14’ Princecraft with 20 horse Merc out of the Merrimac River ONE TIME! What a trip that was!
I forget which way the tide was going but I do recall having that 20 hp merc pegged and just making headway past the red pin buoy at the mouth! Scary, but I was young and invincible! Caught a couple of nice blues off plum island too!
Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: Roccus on Jun 24, 2019, 06:19 AM
I actually took my 14’ Princecraft with 20 horse Merc out of the Merrimac River ONE TIME! What a trip that was!
I forget which way the tide was going but I do recall having that 20 hp merc pegged and just making headway past the red pin buoy at the mouth! Scary, but I was young and invincible! Caught a couple of nice blues off plum island too!
As a teenager, I ran eel.pots in the river with a 14' starcraft, powered by a 15 hp evinrude,I often ran outside the mouth to get mackerel for bait,lowing the river and tides has its advantages, most likely you were facing the last half of an out going moon tide, the strong current in that river is the reason I run a 4 blade propeller and an engine jack plate, I'm able to compensate for the ever changing conditions..

Modified V is the best compromise, but when I ran a trap line, flat bottom boat was the best solution, it had shallow draft, carried a big load and was stable as an oil rig platform...
Title: Re: flat bottom vs v hull
Post by: mowbizz on Jun 24, 2019, 07:33 AM
As a teenager, I ran eel.pots in the river with a 14' starcraft, powered by a 15 hp evinrude,I often ran outside the mouth to get mackerel for bait,lowing the river and tides has its advantages, most likely you were facing the last half of an out going moon tide, the strong current in that river is the reason I run a 4 blade propeller and an engine jack plate, I'm able to compensate for the ever changing conditions..

Modified V is the best compromise, but when I ran a trap line, flat bottom boat was the best solution, it had shallow draft, carried a big load and was stable as an oil rig platform...
You are correct...I had no idea or reason to worry about the tide times or conditions...just a sunny day out fishing!