How fast do you need to go?

[G. Schollmeier]

Would you be content to go displacement speed in a power boat?
Gary :D

[brad9798]

Every time I'm out, I enjoy displacement speeds!

[Todd Bradshaw]

I'd love to have some sort of classy little launch with a Sunbrella awning/sun-shade that would cruise at 4-5 knots. Steam or electric power, maybe a chunk of glass-bottom for viewing below and just for quiet cruises on nice days.

[Yeadon]

A 15 foot lapstrake runabout with a 15 hp motor ... maybe a windshield, maybe not. Just enough to get across Puget Sound to Poulsbo on a quiet Tuesday afternoon. Eight knots, maybe 10 knots.

That'd do it, in addition to my need for a usable canoe, a skinboat kayak, and a folkboat with a wood stove.

[George Roberts]

displacement speed might not be enough if the weather turns bad or if boat traffic gets too close.

[G. Schollmeier]

I have played with lines and looked at old plans of 18-20 foot utilities that run nice with an 8-10hp motor. Whenever I bring this up with friends I get the same reply that George gave. But this never seems to be the worry of sail boaters, and my canoes don’t have any run from weather speed.

[Hwyl]

90% of sailboats only go displacement speed. I think that if you build seaworthiness in, you'd be fine

[dhic001]

People go faster than displacement speed? Oh, yeah, those are generally the idiots who charge past creating huge wakes and throw me around, or worse go past the boat at her wharf at similar speeds. As the previous owner used to say, "enjoy those wakes, its costing that guy a lot of money to make".
Back to the question, yes I'm happy to go at displacement speed. I'll temper that statement with the desire to go faster at displacement speed, but that requires more waterline, and the growth hormones don't seem to be making Zeltic grow into a big steamer.
Daniel

[jonboy]

My forty horse 17' runabout drinks just about the same at up to 2500 rpm, which gives about 12 knots, slower, she comes off the plane, and drinks the same....3000 up to max 5000 makes for much faster and of course MUCH thirstier... but you do get home quicker..... getting dark, the catch starting to honk a bit, beer's run out.... but it can make for an expensive trip...

[michigangeorge]

As an old sailor I'm usually happy going slow and we have really enjoyed the few outings we've taken in our (new to us) Duffy electric launch. The miles seem to go by much faster at 4-5 mph on smaller inland lakes or when harbor cruising. On big water, a bit more speed, about 10 mph, would be wanted. Thought about taking the electric out to watch the racing during last weekend's regatta but decided we could not even keep pace with the slower boats let alone the new powered up sport boats. This is why we need a different boat for every purpose :-)

[spirit]

Not for blue water fishing!

For example, for 20 years I went 12 nautical miles out in the gulf stream nearly every week to catch mahi mahi etc., wandered another dozen+ miles in search of weed lines etc, and returned, most of the time bucking a 1-3 knot current. Thirty six+ miles at 4 knots just doesn't suffice.

At the same time, it isn't necessary to bang about in a deep-V boat at 25-30 knots. Moving ever-so-much-more-peacefully at 12 knots does just fine! So I am a big fan of narrow flat-bottomed boats for fishing.

[Todd D]

8 knots is all I need to go. After the sailboat, 8 knots seems blazing fast :)

[Paul Pless]

People go faster than displacement speed? Oh, yeah, those are generally the idiots who charge past creating huge wakes and throw me around, or worse go past the boat at her wharf at similar speeds. As the previous owner used to say, "enjoy those wakes, its costing that guy a lot of money to make".
Back to the question, yes I'm happy to go at displacement speed. I'll temper that statement with the desire to go faster at displacement speed, but that requires more waterline, and the growth hormones don't seem to be making Zeltic grow into a big steamer.
Daniel

Not everyone with a fast boat acts with such disregard... As a matter of fact I'd say that most don't, especially those that I know that actually live on the river or lake. Should I be embarrassed to admit that I used to own and thoroughly enjoyed a bassboat capable of 70+ mph?

[JimConlin]

Sailing at speeds in the teens is fun. Is there something wrong with that?

[Dan McCosh]

A guy I know takes his Chris Craft down to Florida and back every year. He says he usually runs on one engine, at about eight knots. "We like to fish and drink beer".

[Noah]

My Swede 55 does 8.5 knots under power with a 30 year old Volvo 22hp engine driving a 2 bladed folding prop. It's plenty of speed, but I often wish I had another knot.

[ron ll]

My boat goes about 7.5 knots. It may take me a couple of hours to get somewhere, but I usually put it on autopilot and just stand watch in the pilothouse. But I can enjoy the scenery, make a quick sandwich, or even go below for a pee.

I have a friend with a boat that does about 30 knots, but believe me, he does not have time to make a sandwich or take a pee. And I doubt he really enjoys the scenery because it seems about all he can do is sit down, shut up and hang on.

To me I guess it's a question of whether you go boating for the journey or the destination.

[G. Schollmeier]

When I fished, often it was about getting there and back. These days it is more about being on the water. I have been canoeing all my life and have found many great places to paddle since moving to the PNW. Now and then it would be nice to take the dog and wife along. I don’t enjoy canoeing with someone else in the canoe. It’s been 4 years now that I haven’t had a power boat and I’m thinking maybe I should start a build. For myself I knew the answer to the my question, just checking to see how many others thought that way.

Gary :D

[Woxbox]

Yep. More speed just makes the water smaller. Who needs that?

[John B]

Exactly, pick the boat and its range for area you plan to use it in. Our range is typically from 10 miles to say 60 in the Hauraki gulf.
For us at about 5 to 7 average a couple of hours gets us to an overnight spot, 3 to 4 gets us to a weekend spot and 4 to 6 or so is the place you want to stay a few days.
If we had a faster boat ,that would extend our weekend or national holiday destination options.
However, as a counterpoint, If I lived in either the bay of islands or the sounds( top of the south island ) The actual miles to get anywhere is only about 10 to 20. Tons of bays and options in that first 10 but I certainly would only want or need something that did 6 or 8 knots.

That is unless a purpose is involved. Fishin say, then you want to fang all around the place paying 20 times over the market price for your fishy fix.:D

[George Roberts]

It is not necessary to always run a boat at top speed.

[JimConlin]

My Swede 55 does 8.5 knots under power with a 30 year old Volvo 22hp engine driving a 2 bladed folding prop. It's plenty of speed, but I often wish I had another knot.
I'd think it often sails faster than that.

[zertgold]

Does anyone else call it "Cocktail Speed"? That is the term we always used on Lake George. On my brothers boat he has a 5.0L mercrusier, in a 19 foot bowrider, but cocktail speed was our normal rate of travel. You end up wearing your drink if you go too much faster.

On my sailboat under motor we cruise at about 4.5 knots at 700 RPM's. Isn't that odd. 12 tons being pushed around at 700 RPM's; I think i need to get the pitch adjusted on my prop blades.

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

On GPS, after I rebuilt the engines, Vanora will do 26 miles an hour. Her spec sheet says 28 mph in 1964, so I can`t complain. I usually putt around at 1500-1800 rpm... which gives me about 8 mph, which is roughly hull speed. At 25 miles mph, it takes brute force to make a 10 ton wooden chris craft to go that fast... and about 30 gallons per hour.

Dove, on the other hand does about 4 knots on a good day, and thats okay too. A new addition to the boat family is spec`d to do 47 mph in 1965.. more on that later.

[boylesboats]

How fast do you need to go?
I think a simple putt putt putt putt would be nice