20ft pacific skiff

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Rlhar123
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20ft pacific skiff

#1

Post by Rlhar123 »

Can anyone give their opinion on the "Pacific Skiffs boats? Looking for a good sturdy (fresh water and Salt water) boat.
capesteve
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Re: 20ft pacific skiff

#2

Post by capesteve »

Pacific makes great boats.
choyero
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Re: 20ft pacific skiff

#3

Post by choyero »

I have a 21 ft Pacific and I love it. It's low maintenance and bullet proof.
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Re: 20ft pacific skiff

#4

Post by AlloyToy »

Great boat! Not sure of your intentions but I was in the 20' vs 23' dilemma I can tell you the 23' is just as easy for a single person to handle as the 20' with the right trailer. Plus it will get you out in the near offshore waters with a little more piece of mind. Mine is kept in Charlestown RI if you ever want to take a peak......


Oh and have Pacific put BIG spray rails on what ever boat you decide.......you will thank me later :thumbsup:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ws8zBXxeP0
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Re: 20ft pacific skiff

#5

Post by Challenge »

I have a 2007 20' which works very well for my family. I would have preferred a 23' or 26' but the deal and timing made sense. The ride is a little wet which I might be correcting soon with Alloys spray rails! :highfive: . Most people seeing the boat can't believe it is only 20' and they always comment on the quality of the build. It goes well with a 115hp but if I ever re-power I would opt for a bigger motor. My boat is also located in RI, Westerly and you are welcome to take a look or ride anytime. Please feel free to ask any specific questions.

Good luck with your search

Rick
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Re: 20ft pacific skiff

#6

Post by AlloyToy »

There you have it a 20', and a 23' all within 20 minutes of each other :clap:
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Re: 20ft pacific skiff

#7

Post by clambo »

23 Pacific here. these boats are built like tanks,will last long enough to leave it to your kids. :thumbsup:
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Re: 20ft pacific skiff

#8

Post by flyer31 »

The quality of these boats and their ability to operate safely under very rough conditions could hardly be emphasized enough. I have a 20’ and we operate it year round on the Alaskan waters. I do not have the spray rail on mine, but I have a full zip-up canvas that keeps us well and dry. It is not unusual for us to have four adults and two lab’s on board and still cruise very safely around 20-25 with a Suzuki 140 (5-7 gal/hr). Absolutely a great boat!! Feel free to pm me with any questions.
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Re: 20ft pacific skiff

#9

Post by jeffryg »

I have a nineteen footer (bought new in 2012) and while short on creature comforts, its got it where it counts. It has a good ride when compared to the other aluminum boats that I've owned (i.e. Lund, Crestliner). If you're ordering, I second the idea of a spray rail. I maxed out on the engine (150 HP) and have no regrets about doing that (mid to upper 40's). When I'm on it, I sure get the feeling of having a really solid boat underneath me. I use mine on the Great Lakes (Erie and Huron).
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Kelper
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Re: 20ft pacific skiff

#10

Post by Kelper »

Pacifics are top of the line aluminum boats. I've ran just about all of them, and my personal boat is a pacific. I prefer it to every other make/model on the market for fishing.
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spray rails and a dry ride

#11

Post by kmorin »

The first time I saw a Pacific skiff was a pair of them, one about 20' the other a few feet longer, running into a 3' to 4' tall, closed up, steep sided chop off a headland in Kachemak Bay. We were all coming in to one harbor, and these two skiffs were sort of laboring along as we'd overtaken them coming from astern. Both had much larger engines that our skiff but they were taking immense amounts of spray over the bow since the chop was coming out with the afternoon breeze. So, as soon as the forefoot dug in a wave face to chine level- the entire topsides were flooded upward and the spindrift came right over the bow. They both had consoles with screens but they were almost submerged!

The hull shape is great, and the workmanship is superb and I say that having built a few welded aluminum boats myself. But I'm not sure the designer ever spent anytime in seas where the bow is deeper than just about the chine? I've watched these skiffs in short chop and they run dry, and they do because the chine rail (they don't seem to use a reverse chine hull?) deflects spray outward at the chine.

In the builders' site video there are some nice calm seas runs by the camera where the chine "does it job". I'm not sure why that idea isn't used at a deeper waterline? Looks? Maybe the idea of rail would spoil the topsides look?

I'm not sure but with our smaller horse engine we ran in, dry and waited inside the headland to watch them run inside the small bay out of the deeper swells. They picked up speed, ran nice and flat and passed like we were standing still. But out in the lump they were so wet that most of the locals who see these gorgeous girls think them 'wet'. Which they are, and that makes me wonder why they don't use topsides rails reaching to the bow stem to do the same job up higher in the sheer that the chine rails do down low?

Our skiff was much smaller, shallower of sides, and not nearly the V bottom but with much more flam and a spray rail as well as a larger extrusion at the sheer, we ran dry on 1/2 the horses and more people?

I wonder if they'd put a side rail on forward to actually dry out that bow- if you wanted? Probably would but it has always puzzled me why that big bow was bare of spray rails? Could be looks? could be its not needed in lots of places where these skiffs run? Maybe there is some other reason but they sure a wet skiffs if they run into more than chine height waves.

Cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK
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Re: 20ft pacific skiff

#12

Post by AlloyToy »

Next boat will have a chine incorporated into the hull design :thumbsup:
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Re: 20ft pacific skiff

#13

Post by Kknomad »

I've been looking for one of these since selling my 2325HT 2 years ago. Seem that folks who have them hang on to them, which says something about their quality.
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Re: spray rails and a dry ride

#14

Post by Kelper »

I'm not sure I follow your story at all. I've put a few thousand hours on a 19' Pacific out of Craig AK, which is know for some of the windiest, nastiest weather in front of town. I've come in on a SE gale many times in conditions much worse than you describe. I can assure you, what you described is pure hogwash.

Seems to me you have an agenda. You can fool the fans, but you can't fool the players.
kmorin wrote:The first time I saw a Pacific skiff was a pair of them, one about 20' the other a few feet longer, running into a 3' to 4' tall, closed up, steep sided chop off a headland in Kachemak Bay. We were all coming in to one harbor, and these two skiffs were sort of laboring along as we'd overtaken them coming from astern. Both had much larger engines that our skiff but they were taking immense amounts of spray over the bow since the chop was coming out with the afternoon breeze. So, as soon as the forefoot dug in a wave face to chine level- the entire topsides were flooded upward and the spindrift came right over the bow. They both had consoles with screens but they were almost submerged!

The hull shape is great, and the workmanship is superb and I say that having built a few welded aluminum boats myself. But I'm not sure the designer ever spent anytime in seas where the bow is deeper than just about the chine? I've watched these skiffs in short chop and they run dry, and they do because the chine rail (they don't seem to use a reverse chine hull?) deflects spray outward at the chine.

In the builders' site video there are some nice calm seas runs by the camera where the chine "does it job". I'm not sure why that idea isn't used at a deeper waterline? Looks? Maybe the idea of rail would spoil the topsides look?

I'm not sure but with our smaller horse engine we ran in, dry and waited inside the headland to watch them run inside the small bay out of the deeper swells. They picked up speed, ran nice and flat and passed like we were standing still. But out in the lump they were so wet that most of the locals who see these gorgeous girls think them 'wet'. Which they are, and that makes me wonder why they don't use topsides rails reaching to the bow stem to do the same job up higher in the sheer that the chine rails do down low?

Our skiff was much smaller, shallower of sides, and not nearly the V bottom but with much more flam and a spray rail as well as a larger extrusion at the sheer, we ran dry on 1/2 the horses and more people?

I wonder if they'd put a side rail on forward to actually dry out that bow- if you wanted? Probably would but it has always puzzled me why that big bow was bare of spray rails? Could be looks? could be its not needed in lots of places where these skiffs run? Maybe there is some other reason but they sure a wet skiffs if they run into more than chine height waves.

Cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK
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Re: 20ft pacific skiff

#15

Post by kmorin »

Kelper, Sorry, to have offended you, it was not my intent, I admire the Pacific design and (very well done) build of these great skiffs. But if this vid, in a near calm of little wind chop, is dry to you? Well, I guess we're using terms in a different ways?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_nIx1qwosA

Your experience may have been different from these guys with the wipers on a sunny day? Our local (Cook Inlet) term for this skiff's bow is 'wet'. But I guess I'll just stick with my ole' lyin eyes and have to fore go your 'player' status opinion of what's in the vid and what I've seen.

AS I said, but perhaps with an agenda only an all knowing 'player' would be able to tell I guess? Just a simple bow rail wrapped outside the average skiff bow sheds this spray wide(r) and low(er), as I mentioned, like the lower chine extrusions or chine flats do. Then, (third spray deflection opportunity for all welded single plate topsides designs) a larger overhanging extrusion at the sheer further vectors water climbing the bow outward instead of upward.

So to me this skiff is wet, and doesn't have to be, but it may be my incorrect use of the term? My apologies to the builders at Pacific, if there's any confusion about my respect for the boats, and "Put a spray rail on those big bare sided bows!"

Cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, Ak
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Re: 20ft pacific skiff

#16

Post by welder »

Once I learned how to attack the swells and waves I dried out quite a bit but yes , straight into them with a a wind equals wet. :mrgreen:
One can now get a small spray rail extrusion when ordering a new boat which helps a lot to keep the spray down.

And remember, there are no dry boats, just some are dryer than others.
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Re: 20ft pacific skiff

#17

Post by welderbob »

You could take the ferry over to Long Island and talk to Sound Marine about a custom aluminum boat.

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Re: 20ft pacific skiff

#18

Post by Napa Mike »

welderbob wrote:You could take the ferry over to Long Island and talk to Sound Marine about a custom aluminum boat.

welderbob
Oh yeah! If you like the Pacifics, you should look at the Rocksalt boats that Bob does. Very stout boats and a lot closer to you.
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Re: 20ft pacific skiff

#19

Post by steelhead88 »

Those Pacific's are sweet looking rigs and look super safe. You've got to love the steep (topside) walls in heavy seas. I definitely agree with previous posts, looks super stout and sturdy.
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Re: 20ft pacific skiff

#20

Post by jeffryg »

welder wrote:Once I learned how to attack the swells and waves I dried out quite a bit but yes , straight into them with a a wind equals wet. :mrgreen:
One can now get a small spray rail extrusion when ordering a new boat which helps a lot to keep the spray down.

And remember, there are no dry boats, just some are dryer than others.
I think my boat was one of the first to have the spray rail extrusion that Les speaks of (2012). Here's the best photos I have of it. I don't have a reference point (without extrusion) but would agree with his premise that some boats are dryer than others. My boat is not as dry as the 22 ft. Grady I had, but it's (at least) on a par with the other aluminum boats I've owned (i.e. Lund/Crestliner); plus its got a self bailing cockpit which is a huge plus in my book.

Note: Not the best of photos of it but it goes back almost to the front of the console. The extrusion is a couple of inches wider I think. The boat's still in winter storage (since October) so I can't measure or take pictures at this time.
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Re: 20ft pacific skiff

#21

Post by Chaps »

Did someone say spray rails ???? This guy wasn't messin' around
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Terminolgy??? Chine rails or spray rails?

#22

Post by kmorin »

I use the term spray rail for a shape or metal added to the topsides between the chine and the sheer rail or top of the skiff.

Image

This little 14'er has a spray rail and a reverse chine, the previous few posts have chine rails or reverse chines (one of them is external !!) but none of them show a spray rail. Pacific's don't show a spray rail that I can see? Maybe its available as welder says? but the purpose is to deflect spray climbing the bow/topsides and to deflect it overboard or away from the keel plane.

Image

This skiff has a 6" reverse chine or chine flat, then as shown here a spray rail is being added to the topsides to stiffen that panel AND to deflect water climbing the bow when the skiff is in a head sea where the water will climb above the chine.

Image

The chines rise to the sheer of this skiff and the bottom rail becomes a spray rail forward, so does the chine median angle become a spray rail in the forward 1/4 of the hull.

Image

here is the cross section of a 'panga' hull we'd discussed some time ago. This hull's second 'reverse chine' up closer to the sheer is one reason these hulls are so dry and go offshore on days other 'wet' boats don't fish.

Most of the main plate builders don't bother to add a spray rail but skiffs that have it don't show the "over the eyes of the bow" wind spray so that is why I think its worth the effort to add this small piece of metal. It could be added like the glass boat above or the larger hull show in this post. If you notice that plastique hull the dark lines are just above and just below a significant change in hull flam (flare)? Therefore this skiff would be significantly drier in the same head sea than the bare topsides plate boats without #1 a rail on the topsides to deflect water or #2 a 'strake in the hull' to deflect water, or #3 some shape combination that vectors water off and away from the hull.

Hull elements located near the chine will shed low chop but not head seas when the chine is buried, that takes overhang at the sheer (plastic boat above) or a combination of a spray rail and an overhanging sheer extrusion. That's how I use the term spray rail as opposed to a chine rail or chine extrusion or reverse chine.

Cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK
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