Too fast for old farts?

[Maineman]

Hello everyone,

I saw a Great Alaskan at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat festival and fell in love. My concern is that this hull might be designed for moving at much faster speeds than I will ever want to approach. We've always happily putzed around in old wooden lobster boats. How will a GA (pretty heavily loaded with camp-cruising and fishing gear) feel moving along at 6 to maybe 15 knots tops? Is it silly to consider this build for our intended uses? What would you recommend for HP?

Thanks for any advice,
Ron

[Cannon]

I built mine for offshore and cruising. You are right, she will get up and move when asked to do so. Frankly, I have been out many times when twelve knots was all I could do granted current conditions. I have also been out on days when running offshore and conditions were good enough to do 24 plus knots. Then there are weekends where we just play in the bay, crabbing on an incoming tide at four or five knots. The boat will cruise on plane down to around twelve or thirteen giving you optimal mileage.  I am running a 225 on mine with a 17 inch prop. I am planning on upgrading the prop to a 21 inch for better cruising mileage. Right now, with fresh fuel onboard, I get 3 1/2 miles per gallon cruising out as fast as conditions allow, trolling for four or five hours then cruising in as fast as conditions allow.
So, if you want a boat without the potential to go fast when you want or need to the GA isn’t for you. Going fast isn’t a bad thing, it is something to have in your tool box when you need it! Being stuck at ten or twelve knots, day in and day out, severely limits the use of your boat.

[Brian.Dixon]

Cruising at speeds at or just below planing is not bad ... it holds the bow slightly up a couple of degrees which is 'extra safety' when running into waves.  As Cannon said, it's also comforting to know that you can out-run the weather and current if you need to.  As for efficiency at these speeds, the GA will be better than your average displacement hull trying to go the same speed ... semi-displacement mode (just below planing) is very inefficient in a boat designed for displacement speeds.  The GA's planing hull will have an easier (more efficient) time of it, if that's your favorite speed.  If you want, go small on the motor ... say, build a 26-footer and put a 140 hp Suzi 4-stroke on it and you'll run quite efficiently.  This is what I would do ... displacement hulls are riskier offshore due to the speed limit (hull speed) that they have unless you build a really long one... 40+ feet.   Ocean currents often run faster than the boat if you build a shorter boat.

Brian

[Maineman]

Thanks guys. I know you're right. I was worried about it feeling a little squirrelly the way some planing hulls do at very low speeds.

[Brian.Dixon]

Thanks guys. I know you're right. I was worried about it feeling a little squirrelly the way some planing hulls do at very low speeds.

Nope ...not squirrelly in the least little bit, and performs well in a following sea.

Brian

[Cannon]

I would have to responsive as opposed to squirrelly. Very controllable, I have used her in a wide variety of ocean conditions, including coming in thirty plus miles in a hard South blow. Here in the Northwest, that is one of he most “uncomfortable” and to be avoided weather conditions if at all possible! I would have to say a great platform when jigging or just drifting with the current.
Running across the bar in restricted conditions can make the butt cheeks pucker a bit, but not with my GA, quite the opposite, it gets a little bumpy, but not once have I felt unsafe or has she seemed unresponsive or out of control.

[Brian.Dixon]

I would have to responsive as opposed to squirrelly. Very controllable, I have used her in a wide variety of ocean conditions, including coming in thirty plus miles in a hard South blow. Here in the Northwest, that is one of he most “uncomfortable” and to be avoided weather conditions if at all possible! I would have to say a great platform when jigging or just drifting with the current.
Running across the bar in restricted conditions can make the butt cheeks pucker a bit, but not with my GA, quite the opposite, it gets a little bumpy, but not once have I felt unsafe or has she seemed unresponsive or out of control.

You can thank Lindsay Lord for his offshore boat design experiments ... the Great Alaskan was/is heavily influenced by the results of his work (and Daniel Savitsky, but to a slightly lesser degree).  It's the combination of the mostly-prismatic hull form and the boat's aspect ratio (and a little from the tapered stern) that gives you good maneuverability, and the narrowing from amidships aft helps on the following seas.

Brian