"Western" (US) tinny Boats? Show us your pride and joy!

Friends:

Even though I live out east, I am intrigued by western style tinnie boats in the semi-vee configuration. I note on this board that we have several members who have Klamaths, Gregors, Valcos etc. which are rare as hens teeth outside the left coast.

They are obviously purpose built for that geography.

What seems so interesting to me about them are three characteristics:
1) A deeper and more pointy prow than normal for boats we see out East. This tells me that the boat is designed to plow into and handle rough water a bit better than the hull shapes I am more used to.
2) wider
3) Heavier aluminum than standard

Not so interesting is the fact that as you work your way to the stern the bottom configuration seems to flatten into almost john boat flatness. perhaps this is for shallow running? Rocky rivers, etc? In this respect I much prefer the "gull wing design" that the StarCraft's and others have - which would seems to be better at "tracking" and smoothness.

Of greatest interest to me personally right now is the Gregor "Alaska/Baja special" which comes standard as a tiller boat (although console is an option) but looks about as deep, wide and seaworthy as a 16' tinny with about a 25hp (mebbe a 40) could possibly be. On paper at least.......

Anyway, photos and commentary very much appreciated.

Warm regards to all

We are a different breed out West as I am learning. "Rugged individualism" comes to mind. You can yell for help on the water. I don't walk the dog without a PLB (personal locating beacon) for example. The West coast boats are built to last because that's what the market and competition demands. Next time an old Gregor pops up on your craigslist go look at it. OMG it's 100 times better built and designed than anything you have seen. They also fly and handle like on rails. Those are the 15 hp boats that you don't bat an eye at putting a 25 on. Heck the new 14'11" Smokercraft is USCG rated for a 35 hp tiller! If you want the lightest fastest coolest anything then look to California. Their politics suck but the folks and their gear is light years ahead of us. It's because it attracts the brightest minds and trillions of dollars they bring. A bus driver makes 100k there.

Some west boats do have a flat rear stern like the one I just sold. https://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/boa/6108880840.html
It was designed and marketed to SoCal guys that wanted to fish in Baja Mexico. The flat stern allows it to be able to be launched from the beach. The high "Dory hull" sides and tall deep-V bow allow it to break the surf and handle ocean waves. Today, because nobody goes to Baja anymore they make great salt water boats or crowded lake boats. Our lakes are big and open. They are full of 23' wake boats with wake enhancing devises that drive in circles all day. The other problem we have is breeze. 10-13 mph is common. That's over a foot of chop. The breeze never ends out west. People think it's hot in AZ. When it's a bone dry 105 with 13 mph breeze it's not at all. I'm going to lake Rosevelt on Friday only because the weather predicts wind under 9 mph most of the day. Here is the stern of the 16'

i

Here is the stern of my "new" 1991 18' Valco. It has a slight V all the way back and yest it rides and turns better.






Fwiw the old boat sold fast for $3000. Not bad for a 1983 boat but it was a well built boat. Not as good as some but better than a lot of East coast designs. The 1991 18' with low hours came with a mint 8hp mec that I'm trying to sell. I bought that boat for $3600 with a bad steering cable. Quick turn 3:1 no feed back system cost 200. I love the quick turn and zero feedback. I also bought a used CNC tilt and trim for $160. Just got a call on the 8hp as we speak...He is on the way. Wish me luck!

I always thought the pronounced high bow came from river drift boats, where the hull is navigating standing waves while moving at the speed of the current/flow. These also usually have a rocker to the hull and a flat stern and/or deadrise.

For me being on the east coast, whereas I'm moving through the water/chop/waves at speed (or at least trying to), I prefer a full heavy mod to deep-V hull.

Darn nice hulls though!

Most of the big lakes around my way have atabatic/katabatic winds caused by proximity to icefields/glaciers. That can kick up a 4-6 foot chop in a hurry. Not too much fun in my jet jon but my f/g cat handles it pretty well.

The deep V on the front is harder seeing around or if you stuff it into a wave real hard it tends to steer the boat. It's fine after your used to it. The 18' Smokercraft I linked to in Rich's wanting a 17' boat thread has reverse chine hull. They probably are the best all around hull design in a tin boat. Hard to find any modern hull design in a tin boat but Smokercraft has it. I hope he buys it. Are these boats any better than a flat bottom or semi V? Well..... "You run what ya brung." All boats are good. These west coast tins are just cut bigger and welded better to handle the chop. I'm starting to see more and more full size 16-20' tin boats by Lowe, Alumicraft ect that are brand spanking new. I guess the buying public is getting sick of glass. Only glass boat I'd buy is a 23 or 25' C-Dory. I'm gonna do the Pacific NW and/or the Great Loop in the next decade and tins that size with a cabin are just too hard to find. In the mean time the 18' Bayrunner will see a lot of Western waters. Easy to tow, easy on gas and just big enough to handle the ruff water we have. On the east I'd have anouther 16' tiller in either flat or V and call it good. That's a great size boat for calm water. I miss mine and the calm water dearly.

Well, I'm from the west coast (Northern California). I bought one of those boats, in my case a Klamath, because it was one of the ones they were selling. Didn't know there was anything special about it. :LOL2:

^^^Nice Klamath! ^^^

Here is another high end brand. Their history goes back to when the outboard was invented.
https://aluminumalloyboats.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5715

Wooldridge are nice boats and I have a couple of friends with them but they SUCK in any kind of chop.

Can't say I'm "out west" but I am in Nebraska. Originally from North Carolina, I would have never considered a v hull back east. But the relentless wind here in the mid west make a flat bottom nothing more than a pond boat. So I have a 14" v hull creastliner. Takes the chop nicely.