V-bottom...or Cat ?
 

Which boat handles...lets say...3-4 footers better ? Pick equal (or close to) length boats. Lets say 35'. I dont care who the manufacturer is...just in general...does the V-bottom or the Cat handle the rougher stuff better ? :drink:

CAT until wave height gets ridiculous.

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/i...ons/banana.gif

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rortYV63nDE

+1

Cat

cat by far, no question

I assume you mean 4' on 15 to 30 ft crests? like lake waves.

A "V" bottom is better in 3-4 footers. A cat doesn't work well until the tunnel packs air, usually over 75 mph. Under this speed the cat's tunnel is closed and you get humped to death, as waves hit the flat bottom. Also, under 40 mph, you get a bellows effect in the tunnel, which blows air and water out the front, and you drive through the mist. This is really annoying in salt water.

With a "V", you can hold the bow up with some trim, changing where you hit the wave Cats always run flat or bow down, meaning, "you can stuff it", under 35 mph.

If the water is smoother, like two feet or less, and over 75 mph, the cat is fantastic, much more efficient and extremely stable. Absolutely no contest here.

I have owned both types, 38 Cigarette TG, 382 Formula, and three Skaters 28' thru 36'.

Yes...I was refering to lake waves....sorry. :drink:

I have owned both and IMHO when its rough and the waves are stacked like in a lake the V bottom is a way better ride. If your in a swell the cat can ride just as good but the key is to get the cat to land straight. Two sponsons landing at different times is an eary feeling.

IMO the V rides best here at LOTO washing machine, many may argue that opinion but to each is their own. It may be dependent on who is driving each style of boat!

have you driven a cat in loto's rough water? we were running over 130mph last year on a saturday afternoon in front of the lodge no problem in my cat , could'nt of ran that in my vees.

Umm hate to be an @ss but I am pretty sure they are just split vee hulls not a cat, a sail boat is a cat... am I wrong because if you look at a cat it just appears to be a vee hull with the center guts cut out

I have both, the cat is a lot more fun to drive on inland lakes over boat chop

Getting interesting. :drink:

With equal sized boats, the cat will run better hands down.
In the scope video, the cat was trimmed too high and it looked like the guy didn't know how to run the boat. Can't run a cat like you run a v. I've seen v guys get out of cats because they run tha boat like a v. Two different animals.
Look at teague kicking butt with a 368 skater (35 foot boat) with 525's in the Bimini run, outrunning much bigger v's with bigger power.

+1

If you own a Skater the rougher the better.. I'll take a skater cat over any v bottom of equal size in any conditions..

I ran a "V" at LOTO for six years before going to a Cat and there is no comparison in the ride. The Cat's more comfortable and will take most of the rough stuff that we see on a Saturday afternoon just fine. Running conservatively between 60-70 which is below when it packs air it's still better.... If your going to be in a Cat I'd say anyone of the larger 36'+ ones will be the best overall ride... just my $0.02

Which ones have you raced..that means you've been pushing them 100%. I have both.

In 3-4's a 23 foot cat will destroy a 32 foot V easily. If it's a stepped V things change. Just talking about personal experience here. Ok so the step bottom was 35 Fountain, but It wouldn't stood a chance against a say 28 Skater even in 5-6's depending on the "nut behind the wheel" of course also.

So with similar size I'd say in ANY weather a cat will top a V bottom even a stepped one plus the ride is also smoother.
And remember Step bottoms or cats you run them "nose down" compared to a straight V.

everyone has heard it a 1,000 times "once you go cat you never go back"...

Actually that holds so true..even Don Aronow did despite having a Deep V 41 mold that took on wind by another company.

I expected that! :lolhit: The question was handling in slop and rollers, not speed ability in the rough. I've been in a couple 28 cats, 46 Skater, 33 Eliminator. I always wanted to check out a Nor-Tech but haven't been down that route. I will give it to the Skater, the 46 was a nice ride at 120 MPH. I like a V, to each is their own like I stated. Not to say I couldn't be convinced otherwise. If I was debating between specific boats, take them both out in the same conditions & make your decision, assuming other aspects of the boats are fairly equal.

Maybe in ocean rollers but not in Great Lakes 3-4s. Unless you got a little dyslexic there?