What makes apache and a few others excel in rough water?
 

Many treads discuss offshore handling of boats like apache's and a few others.

So what is it? Is it just lay up (strength) and weight? This is not a sh$t stirring thread ;-)

There are 3 things that make a V-bottom better in rough water: length, weight, and deadrise. The more, the better.

when a performance boat is designed and built by a performance boater you will end up with a boat that performs . . . . when they are built by marketing . . . well . . . you get much of what we have today



personally I think it is a fine balance of everything. Design, material, COG placement, rigging, etc. all done through trial and error. me . . . . I like big heavy straight bottom boats.

Simple...voodoo magic.

on the seventh day god got a hard on, so he built the apache 41

Lenght, strength, deadrise, weight.

Well.. Hmm ... I never thought about cog, I guess that makes sense too. I have seen some impressive videos with apaches running in the rough. Not the kind of stuff the wife or kids would want to run hard in.. :-)

Thanks for replies... I think I got a lil sunburn as I cut the grass and watered it today.. Lol.. Thought I would throw that out there! Was in high 70's this weekend.. Ya'll can Keep your snow!

Deadrise (and beam), Weight, engineered strength (just stiff doesn't mean strong), Length, Center of Gravity, Balance, staggered even helps in a couple ways. Most importantly BALLZ , SKILL, and deep pockets!

For some reason I always thought having a straight V all the way to the back of the boat helps to slice rough water, some boat manufactures still achieve good results with padded bottoms, notched transoms, and steps, but there is no real test data to prove anything just a lot of opinions.

Cool thread though!

Had always heard that pad bottoms, like Velocity, we're not good in rough water. Definitely like the efficiency, but those who actually own velocitys say it rides well.

I thought the same thing about straight bottoms, but I would probably have to say that they are more predictable and same rules apply as how to drive. No worries about spinning out!

Also agree about the ballz!! I haven't been out in anything above 2s in the 33ol, but tried running over 50 in the 25ol in 3-4s and it did smooth out a little but had to hold on and catch a big roller and it hit a lil harder! Tiring to do that for long distances. Good ab workout too.

Also been out in 6ft swells and 35-40mph was perfect, jumping in and out of troughs , you couldn't see above next wave and had to try running the troughs, that was nutz!!

watch some of the apache 41 vids on utube... the rougher the water the faster they run... less boat in the water = more speed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pDV7vHF2G4

You guys all seem to be missing one other important variable - the driver / throttleman. Even the best hull - without somebody good in the cockpit - is junk in rough water. Most of those (great) Apache videos have a top notch crew in the cockpit.

whoa!! I was waiting for the hatch to fly! he was moving and like Too Stroked mentioned... good throttle man!

What is the 3rd guy? navigator??

Good vid (my fave) with two different Apache's - same length, same driver + throttle man - and you can see how they run different:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqtDcnSUk74

That Apache Warpath video shows what happens when you get a great crew in a great boat. I love listening to the throttles dance in the audio track. If anybody ever wonders how important a good throttleman is, just look at that video.

My Velocity wasn't a large boat (260) but with its pad bottom I'd say it handled big water very well. Much better than a lot of boats with a traditional 24* deadrise and better than some larger boats. Steve Stepp designed a hell of a hull.

I think with the added length over say a 38' Cig they had introduced more rocker in the bottom, also the strakes seem (never measured) a little wider and % wise do extend further a little more than other boats. I have watched studied many of the 41's and the better boats & crews can run the drives tucked under further than other V-bottoms seem to be able to - that would mean more rocker which added to more boat out of the water. I believe you put that in the hands of a better crew and you get a great running boat.

You guys can't tell me you've never seen an Apache 41 run like SH*T, I've seen a few with inexperienced people at the helm run like crap! I think many forget it's the combination of a little better boat with a lot better crew that made the great videos you all keep posting - my 2 cents...

The Banner Apache Powerboat was a screamer

Kinda like putting me into Jimmie Johnson's car...probably wouldn't even beat Miss GoDaddy. LOL.

no the bartender... he is mixing drinks for the other 2 guys, all that wave crushing makes you thirsty

straight hull, weight and bulkheads!!!!!

And there you have it!

+1,,lots of bulkheads to keep the spring action down..

Ike's 41 Apache "Indian Outlaw" 572CI/1050HP X2

Click on picture!


http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/m...psc9cc3f80.jpg