Floating_Fotoman

Seems to me that the nasty chop that develops in our sounds is more dangerous than the smooth swells of the open ocean on most days.

Yet, low freeboard boats are called bay boats. What am I missing here?

I'd sure love a small boat with shallow draft that I can cross the Pamilco and take up a creek, but I've only been on a 24 footer on the Pamilco, and I'm not so sure how a little 18' bay boat would do there in the afternoon breeze.

Floating_Fotoman

bump

colliwh

Take a look at what the commercial fishermen that work Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds use.* You rarely see a low freeboard bay boat in the bunch.* You will see a lot of old SeaOx's, Parkers (before they got so expensive), Privateers, and Maycrafts.* All these hulls look similar......shallow V for "skinny" water, good freeboard, hard chines, and "thick" at the bow to slice into waves and spread them to the side.* If you are going to spend much time on these waters, you will get caught in rough water at some point.....and you will be very glad you don't have some modified bass boat or flat bottomed jon boat under you.* Any of these come in 17'-18' versions that can be rigged with foot controlled trolling motors and other options to enable you to fish shallow backwaters with ease........and also be confident when you have to make that 5 mile run back to the ramp in a squall.

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Woody

Floating_Fotoman

Colliwh, thank you for your reply. I've actually seen tiny aluminum john boats as well as 14' trihulls in the Pamilco and Albermarle, but not everybody's sane.

So if freeboard is really necessary in big shallow bays, then what is the purpose of a "bay boat?" Are they really just misnamed Marsh Boats?

colliwh

Good comment........IMHO the term "bay boat" needs to have in small print below it "do not operate when winds above 15 knots or seas above 2 feet could be encountered".* Most of the current models billed as bay boats look like a salt/brackish water bass boat to me.* MOST of the time, those hulls would be fine in the Albemarle/Pamlico.* I want some freeboard.........I've been caught in open water on both Sounds before, and once that happens you get a different perspective on safety.
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Woody

chip

I agree completely. I worked on a project at the mouth of the Neuse a few summers ago. We used a 20 foot Jones Bros Cape Fisherman, the guide we worked with had a 23 foot Maycraft. The guide also had a 18 foot skiff which was used exactly once all summer. Manys the night I was wishing for a bigger boat as we pounded through the slop. IMO the swells are usually too large there for a pointy bow to do much good (trimming the engine didn’t help).

I think “Bay” boats are designed for smaller bays and sounds down Gawga way. Pamlico and Almemarle have so much more fetch compared to ‘normal’ bays the wind has more time to work its evil magic.

I think the ideal vessel for the North Carolina sounds would be about a 40 foot hovercraft! chp.

lps

I have an 18' Boston Whaler Dauntless which I use regularly in the Pamlico and Albemarle sounds (mostly Albemarle). It's a modified V, shallow draft, but has a high bow and fairly sharp entry. It is not the smoothest riding hull, but it's dry, and can take just about anything the the Pamlico and Albemarle can offer (within reason, of course; I'm not going out in any hurricanes). In rough conditions, you may not be physically comfortable, but you won't worry about sinking, and you can make it back to the dock in just about any conditions. I would characterize the Dauntless as a "bay boat" but it has the advantage of the higher bow, not to mention being unsinkable. I've had it out in some pretty rough conditions. It can be a ride rough in a head sea, but it's a lot of fun in a following sea, as it really "surfs" well.