See full version: 12 Important Things to Look for in a Bay or Flats Boat
Stability. When a heavy angler walks to the stern quarter of a casting deck, how much does the boat incline? How much freeboard is left? In some cases, particularly on flats boats, there are only a few inches of freeboard left in this scenario. Check it out yourself, don’t assume the boat is as stable or has as much freeboard as you think it should. here
Relatively few bay boats are rigged with a poling platform, so anglers that want a versatile bay boat that can also get into really skinny water, must do their research to find them – or, install them in the aftermarket. [links]
There is no industry standard as to what the surface area must be for either bow or stern platforms so consumers must get on the boat and see which boat fits best. Because of the weight of the outboard motor, it is usually best if only one angler works from the aft deck. here
Taking a look at the fishing attributes of a flats or bay model, both styles should have spacious elevated casting decks forward and aft. These decks should be covered in nonskid. An angler should be able to feel the outside edge of the walking surface with his toe. here
Consumer Caveat. We have seen many flats boats and skiffs that simply have a cushion on a cooler for the helm seat. A variation of this is to have a cushion on a molded in fiberglass box at the helm. Both of these arrangements have no back rest. The result is that if the boat accelerates too fast, the driver or companion can fall backward, lose control of the boat and become injured. This sort of design is simply unsafe and should only be used with low-hp outboard engines, if at all. here
The real answer to your question is "a big one." here
HomeCookin gave a great assessment of hull types. [links]
You want high freeboard, so avoid "bay" or "flats" boats (and of course bass boats) except the rolled gunwale on a Carolina Skiff sheds water very well. here
there are a few aspects of "boating in chop" to consider. One is how the hull handles it--does it go over it (tri-hull, cathedral hull, flat hull--think Boston Whaler or Carolina Skiff) or cut through it (deep V)? To cut through it you need a larger heavier boat; a small and/or light V will dig into it, which is just as rough as flat hulls going over it.
another aspect is how it sheds the spray. A wide flare or spoon on th ebow sends the water way off to the side; a slight flare and it goes up and blows back on you. Some flat bows push it out front, to blow back on you. You also need to look at your gunwales and chines, for how it deflects spray off the side. here
Re: Best hull type in chop here
Anyway, have not owned a Hewes but have not heard one negative about them. A local baitshop owner and guide has one and to me that is a pretty good endorsement!
Anyway, have not owned a Hewes but have not heard one negative about them. A local baitshop owner and guide has one and to me that is a pretty good endorsement! more
As with every used boat buy if you don't know how to survey it spend the money and have a pro do it. [links]
Would second that you may want to consider a Bay boat as they can handle pretty decent chop while keeping you dry. However, the caveat is bays do not get into the really shallow water a flats boat can, it's a compromise. If you spend all your time in really skinny water flats is probably for you but the compromise is a flats boat usually doesn't have the carrying capacity of a bay and it can be a bit wetter ride in big chop. I had a skiff prior to buying my current boat and had a blast cruising the flats in it but after fishing for a while found I didn't need the 9 inch draft as most of my spots were several feet deep. Soooo upgraded to a bigger boat which can get me offshore comfortably and still fish all the spots I have been going too.
Both are well built, I have drilled holes in many of both brands.
I haven't been out on either. Test ride them. [links]
Would second that you may want to consider a Bay boat as they can handle pretty decent chop while keeping you dry. However, the caveat is bays do not get into the really shallow water a flats boat can, it's a compromise. If you spend all your time in really skinny water flats is probably for you but the compromise is a flats boat usually doesn't have the carrying capacity of a bay and it can be a bit wetter ride in big chop. I had a skiff prior to buying my current boat and had a blast cruising the flats in it but after fishing for a while found I didn't need the 9 inch draft as most of my spots were several feet deep. Soooo upgraded to a bigger boat which can get me offshore comfortably and still fish all the spots I have been going too.
The biggest limitation these vessels have is their speed, which is constrained to that of an open-ocean wave of the same length as the hull at the waterline. The square root of the waterline length (LWL) multiplied by 1.34 tells you precisely how fast a displacement hull can go in knots — 7.9 knots for a 35-foot LWL, for instance. Such low-speed capability greatly reduces a skipper’s options when trying to avoid bad weather at a macro level. It also reduces agility locally, so these boats are less able to zig and zag around breaking waves. Displacement hulls tend to draw more water than their planing counterparts, which, of course, limits their ability to take shortcuts through shallows.
This is the first in a series of stories on rough-water boat handling. Although you might not intend to go out in seas taller than your VHF antenna, you may well find yourself in such conditions if you venture offshore often and far enough. In this first article, I’ll consider the capabilities and limitations of the three basic hull forms: displacement, semidisplacement and planing. I’m assuming in this discussion that each of the examples under consideration is the best of its kind in terms of hull form, seaworthiness, helm sightlines and so on. Each hull form has its pluses and minuses. This overview should help you think more deeply about the issue of seaworthiness.
In all but the most severe sea conditions, a well-designed deep-vee is an excellent choice when the objective is to transit from Point A to B. You’ll get there a lot faster, and you’ll be back in your slip sipping a drink hours before the trawler makes it home. And if you have to cross a bar coming home, the planing hull’s speed advantage keeps you in better control of the situation because you choose the wave to ride in on.