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I am interested in a boat in the 17-20 foot range with a beam of 7’ 6” or greater. I want something a little different than the standard. I am not looking for a fast boat but something to putter along (4-6 knots) and protect me from the elements. It will have a pilot house where two people can sit and stand (min 6’3”) comfortably and a self-bailing deck because it will be at anchor when not in use. It could be use wood or aluminum as I can adapt the plan.

I am familiar with Glen-L and Bateau plans. I have looked at a number of “character boats” like mini-tugs but have not seen exactly what I need. I am thinking along the lines of a small workboat or pilot boat type of boat. It can be with or without a bunk since it will mostly be used for day trips.

I have used Google but I may have missed the obscure gem that someone out there may know about. Any help in finding a plan for such a boat would be helpful.

Call Julie @ Pacificboats.com , they should customize anything you want.

KJ20, Welcome to the ABB.com Forum, here's a couple of remarks about the class of boat you're describing.

First, that short a hull with a full standing cabin is not regularly designed by many designers because they're "homely as h*ll"! Here's why. A 17' to 20' LOA hull usually has sides that are less than 3' from chine to sheer- and many (Many!) are closer to 2' and a few inches.

This is because the length to depth proportion begins to look sort of 'chubby' or odd when the sides are much taller; in fact; 3' tall topsides is sort of pushing a 20' hull's proportions for most hulls.

Now, if you add a deck ? and then stand on the deck- and then give some structural elements to hold up the cabin's top? Well you get pretty tall in proportion to the LOA. A designer builder friend of mine in Homer, AK describes this as an "Outhouse in a skiff" because of the very disproportionately tall cabin 'sticking' up.

Of if you raise the topsides to reduce the apparent cabin ht? you end up with a very deep hull that now looks unattractive due to the very tall topsides.

I'm not saying you won't find a design with those proportions but if someone asked me to design one- given the LOA and height, I'd just decline since ugly skiffs aren't of much interest to me. I'm only one of countless hundreds of designers.... but I'd wager that many of them will feel similarly?

The Glen-L catalog has many designs, and Glen Whit had an eye for nice proportion and so most of the smaller size skiff hulls, have 'sit down' cabins in this approximate LOA - again, proportion as near as I can tell.

Mini-tugs offer some concealing lines and various shapes to help conceal the 'outhouse' proportions of the standing cabin in a short LOA hull, but almost all end up looking somewhat oddly shaped unless the hull is lengthened or the cabin top lines are lowered.


This image of a 24' LOA, outboard powered, skiff shows a 3' side and a 6'3" cabin, and it still sticks up too much!!! I curved the brow, the window band 'break' and tried to hide this "too-tall" cabin, and never got it done!!

So; a shorter boat isn't going to become more pleasingly proportional with a cabin as tall and bow and stern closer together!! So, not many designers want to have their names on those designs!!

I know that you've set the various aspects of your boat as design dimensions, and I wish you well finding a suitable design, I'd say look to OZ and New Zealand as both markets accept a very 'tall' cabin forward, look on short hulls. There are many designers there who have packages that have been sold in the States in various methods.

Best of fortune with your build.

Cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK

Thanks Kevin for the reply. I was thinking about something along the lines of the NON ALLOY C-Dory 19 Angler in aluminum. Looks good. 7'8"beam, 6'2" headroom and 7" draft are additional nice details for me. Any more ideas forum?

KJ20, not seen a C-dory design in welded aluminum but no reason the lines can't be taken off and a set of plans generated? Not very inexpensive process if not already a 'stock' design somewhere?

The trunk cabin and fore deck of the C-dory do help to break up the too-tall cabin line, so does the sheer painting scheme using the stripes to help improve the lower profile hull with the taller cabin. Their flat bottoms also lend them well to a slow trolling speeds so she may be the hull you're looking for?

Good luck, we always enjoy build photos, and design decisions as they happen?

cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK

I would be interested in this project!
Workboats Northwest-206 335 7383