considering a custom plate boat

I am considering a custom plate boat with roughly the following specs:
17' length
60" bottom
24" sides
80"beam
12 degree dead rise
.190 thick aluminum sides & bottom
Coast Guard bow
Expecting to power with a 70HP Yamaha TILLER.

Sizing this for garage fit as well as fishability. But having previously owned a plate boat - 1654 flat bottom - the ride was extremely rough, and, we got soaked from the spray.

Guess I am just looking for thoughts, suggestions or advise. Boat will be primarily used on the Mississippi Rivers pools 16,17,18 but also Missouri River system lakes and Great Lakes (provided decent weather conditions of course).

I love the durability of a heavy gauge boat but do not want the wet and pounding ride I have experienced on the 1654.

I never understood the appeal of flat bottoms because of the beating they give you. If I ever had enough money to have a boat custom built I'd be tempted to save a ton of money and buy something like a Lund v hull already rigged out.

The only appeal to a flat bottom is that they go shallow, that's why I have one. It is not unusual for me to be in 6" of water when trying to get from spot to spot.

Without a flat bottom on my boat I would be severely limited to where I could fish, well I would have to fish with all the v-bottom guys.

Plenty of modified V options out there that are heavy, stable, and smooth riding. Alumacraft, Princecraft, Lowe, Gator Trax, just to name a few. Google search welded modified V john and a whole plethora of well-respected manufacturers pop up. Their only downfall is that so many of them are so similar, but you will find any number of options in that metal thickness, etc..

I guess I can't get excited about a one-off hull. Maybe it works, and maybe it doesn't.

Boat manufacturers spend tons of money and time trying to get a hull right. Even then, they screw up. The good thing is that hundreds/thousands of owners have stated their opinions on each hull....on the web.

richg99 said:

I guess I can't get excited about a one-off hull. Maybe it works, and maybe it doesn't.

Boat manufacturers spend tons of money and time trying to get a hull right. Even then, they screw up. The good thing is that hundreds/thousands of owners have stated their opinions on each hull....on the web.

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Appreciate the thoughts. Advantage I am looking for (and why I am looking at a plate boat) is the unimproved ramps I deal with. No matter how careful I am the hull and keel take a beating. Boat has to beached on rocky rubble strewn banks.

Where are you getting it done at?

The hull you spec is impressive -- over twice the thickness of my boat!

If you don't mind my asking, what is a "coast guard bow"?

tomme boy said:

Where are you getting it done at?

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Oquawka Boats

LDUBS said:

If you don't mind my asking, what is a "coast guard bow"?

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Examples of a coast guard bow can be found on this link. The boat made for Richard Porter is similar to the hull I am considering.
https://63.247.138.178/~oquawkaboats/index.php/main/forum/images3/fish

Check out Clark and Kann boats before you do. Clark is in Bellevue, Ia and Kann is in Guttenberg, Ia.

Kann boats are built like a tank!

tomme boy said:

Check out Clark and Kann boats before you do. Clark is in Bellevue, Ia and Kann is in Guttenberg, Ia.

Kann boats are built like a tank!

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Very familiar with Clark Boats. My son has one and there's several others in the area. Mostly used for duck boats around here. They're all flat bottom and I'm looking for Vee'ed.

I'll look ay Kann. Haven't heard of them. There's also AAD boats but their build time might be longer than I want to wait.