Electric baby bass boat *(Pics added)*

[cart7t]

I'm no boat design expert but here's a thought.  A normal bassboats stability at rest when fishing is due in large part to the hull width along with the amount of ballast,(ie-fiberglass hull, plus the weight of the reinforcing structural members along with the gas tank.  If you minimize that ballast weight you'll have to have something to provide weight at the bottom of the boat to overcome the top heaviness of the fishermen and trolling motors on the elevated casting decks. Since you don't want to add structural members which add weight,  I just don't know how stable a fiberglass shell would be.

In other words, if you took a big piece of 12" thick styrofoam, say 6' x 6' and stood on it in the water you'd probably be OK until you started moving around towards the outside edges. Then the whole thing would want to tip over.  Now strap some weigts to the bottom of the foam and the thing becomes more stable because the weight on top of the foam doesnt' overcome the weight on the bottom.

Just a thought.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

First off.  NOT A JON!!  

BASS BOAT!!  Just mini.

Cart, Ballast is key, been pondering that one also.  Adding another batt for a 24 v motor actually helps here.  Boat will have 3 batts.  This is the main weight other than the hull and will need to be positioned accordingly and foamed sections of hull will need to be taken into account with ballast placement.

Would be a some trial and error here.  No float tank at the house.

Having the foam come and fill the gunnels (Boston Whaler trick) is also key to adding side to side stability.

[Gatorbassman]

Thinking outside the box again. If you are talking about a completely new boat design why not go with a completely new motor design. How about a modified golf cart motor. We've been thinking about doing this with our next Bass Tracker we find. I know it takes a lot of batteries but with the right hull design it shouldn't make that big of a difference. Right now it Doghouse's boat we are running a 64 on the front and an 80 on the back. Each use 2 batteries. We have one battery for the live well and fishfinder and we keep 2 spairs just in case. That's seven batteries and the boat runs just fine. So with a good hull design the battery weight problem can be delt with.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Alternate propulsion-already there.

Been looking at "bow thrusters" for large vessels (25'-unlimited)

They come from 50-700 lbs of thrust and the biggest one is no larger than a lawnmower engine.  The 250-300 lb thrust ones are the size of a large blender.

Big $$ tho.

Remeber the name thats goin' on it,...."Low Budget Baby bass Boats"

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Another benefit too is that if I use the same motor (family) for the front as I do in the rear, The foot pedal can toggle between both. 1 foot pedal, 2 switches, 2 harnesses, 2 motors. Make it "switchable" with a seperate foot toggle.

Gotta see if they make a 100+ and a 30-40ish that both use same pedal. Harness can be different but pedal needs to be same.

[flechero]

First off. NOT A JON!!

BASS BOAT!! Just mini.

Actually Skeeter made a mini... the SS90 was I think 15' or a little shorter.  I bet they are within your "budget" now-a-days!! (I for some reason think they made one smaller than that, which didn't sell well)

If you are talking about an electric only... you don't need a v hull. Why not take a deep jon and flip it over and add some wood flares to the sides for width and shape. Glass it from the top... that would solve your immediate need for a true form and when your done, your original jon pops out of the new hull. (assuming you coat it to prevent bonding ) You could also run a ridge around the outer perimiter and have a good place to connect the "cap". You can build out the interior hull as you wish with livewell, storage, batt compartments etc. and then use structural foam in all the voids. Deck the top of it all as you please and go fish.

You gotta start with something... very few prototypes ever come out perfect on the first try.

Sounds like a costly endeavor but if it works out, it will be cool.

[cart7t]

Why not just make a cat type boat with your choice of lightweight material (aluminum or plywood) spanning the 2 cat sponsons. The sponsons themselves could be extremely thin walled with the compartments built into them for batterys, tackle and rod storage. I'd probably make a battery compartment in both the front and rear of each cat sponson for a battery. The rest of the thing is yours to decide how you want to lay it out.  I'm sure you could get by with some of that composite boat material that Cabela's sells by the sheet to use for bulkheads in the sponsons.  fill the rest of it up with foam.

This would certainly settle any tipping problems, cat hulls are extremely stable at rest.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Cart, see your avatar?  take the motor off, level the floors where the consoles are and then shrink it to 12 ft.  that's what I'm picturing.

[Guest the_muddy_man]

Hey Russ does it have to be glas have you thought about kevlar or will that jack the$ too high

[Travlin_Man]

Why not forget about tm's and an electric inboard etc. and go with an electric "outboard" ie. Briggs & Stratton or one of the others? If you want to have the best speed etc. it seems that would be the way to go and you don't have to reinvent the wheel to get there.

[cart7t]

Cart, see your avatar?  take the motor off, level the floors where the consoles are and then shrink it to 12 ft.  that's what I'm picturing.

Here's where the problem comes in with what you're wanting to do.

We've seen lots and lots of conversions on here.  12's, 14's, flats, V's , modified V's, decks, no decks, you name it, we've seen 'em all.  The biggest downfall of all of them is weight.  The hardware weighs enough, add all that weight laden wood and there's the achille's heel.  Especially for those of us who fish electric water.

You say you want to take this (my boat):

and shrink it down.

First you need to realize why my boat is designed the way it is.  V hull bass boats were built to provide the best possible high-speed ride in a variety of water conditions while not compromising the fishermen a stable fishing platform at rest.  The boat designers accomplished this by pushing the boat width out wide enough and using the internal ballast (weight of the sucker, ie: fiberglass, hull structural members, gas tank).  My boat is a 1986 Champion 184DC.  The beam is 86".  Champion built this boat in response to the Skeeter Wrangler, the first true V hull bass boat.  The Champion 86" hull was actually a modified HydroStream Performance boat hull redesigned for bass fishing applications.  The thing rides like a dream, one of the easiest and best performing bass boat hulls ever  BUT some people don't like them because of their tendency to roll if both anglers are on one side of the boat. I wouldn't call it tippiness, it's not that severe, it's just a nuance of the hull you have to get used to and a tradeoff for the great ride.  Other Vhull designers have flattened out their hulls, like Ranger, which gives you a much more stable at rest platform but the big water ride suffers.  The point I'm getting at is this.  The V hull is probably the worst design for a bass fishing boat if the need for a smooth ride in big water isn't needed.  In fact, it's the worst design and in your case with what you're wanting to do, probably not possible because you're wanting to remove the ballast of the hull which is part of what makes it stable to begin with.

Here, I think, is probably a better idea if your wanting some semblance to a Vhull bassboat but still have the fishing stability:

This Cajun (it doesn't matter the brand, all the manufacturers were making these) was the second revolution in bass boat design.  It was an attempt at a Vhull bass boat.  Notice the V slicing from the front to back but notice something else?  Those side sponsons that ran up both sides of the hull.

These particular boats were around 74-78" wide, at least 10" wider than the previous old bathtub style, cathedral hull bass boats.  The designers though, felt that a true V that wide would be too tippy so they added those side sponsons to provide stability at rest.  Were these boats stable?  You bet.  Did they give a true, smooth, Vhull ride in rough water?  Well, no.  They were far better than the old bathtub style boats but those sponsons prevented the V from slicing through the waves.  

If you were going to lighten the ballast of the bottom of the hull, I'd think this would be a better design if you're wanting to try and keep the thing looking like a mini-bassboat.  Granted, adding the sponsons will increase the surface area of the glass and thus increase the weight of the boat hull but without them (sponsons), I'm afraid you're lightweight mini V hull would be tippy as all get out.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

The elec outboards are

A. big and heavy like a reg outboard (more big than heavy)

B. BIIIG money!!

Speed really isn't an issue for me, I was just thinking of the Varner guys should anyone want to replicate this when I'm done.  A single 55 would do me fine but a 102 would do me better.  

Good thought though, you guys are a great help with the brainstorming.

[cart7t]

OK Russ, here's another idea you can chew on.  I suggested this earlier.

A cat hull bass boat. This one is the Fast Cat bass boat.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Cart- looks like we posted at the same time, oops.

I totally plan on addressing the ballast as this is the main point that I also see as my main ro***.  I have 3 batteries to work with so far.  Keep in mind, 1 person boat.

My buddy from Whaler says that by bringing foam up into the full gunnel, this will address some of the side tom side stability but itn will never be as stable as a real bass boat unless I go as heavy and wide.  Basically the same thing you said.  But he is pretty sure that it will be plenty stable enough for 1 person to fish but may take a few hull designs to get it right.

Flaring out at the top of the gunnel may be neccessary, even if it is a 4-6 inch lip around the edge of the boat, again,..all foamed.  This would be a tricky part of the build.  I could do it but fomimg it with the proper amount of foam without seperating the 2 shells (topdeck/hull) may be tricky.

Still thinking.  

He also suggests a "flood" ballast.  Certain chambers that purposely flood for stability.  This approach seems a bit too techy for me.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

That cat is a pretty wild design!  

Cat hulls are big for offshore here in New England in the last few years.  The maina I keep my Whaler at is now a dealer for Glacier Bay Cats.  I went for a cruise on one and was amazed.  Till we turned, then I almost got spit overboard!  Turning takes a little getting used to, wants to throw you as the boat does not pitch on a centerline.  Amazing boats though, handle anything with ease.

The purpose of this build would only be 1/2 function, 1/2 just to do.  The "one of a kind factor", the make people look twice thing.  I want you to look at it and see a basss boat but then have to look back and go wait a minute,...no motor,..and hey, no consoles,...and....man....that thing is short.  And then you just gotta go get a closer look.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

A novelty boat that actual works, in other words.

[cart7t]

That cat is a pretty wild design!  

Cat hulls are big for offshore here in New England in the last few years.  The maina I keep my Whaler at is now a dealer for Glacier Bay Cats.  I went for a cruise on one and was amazed.  Till we turned, then I almost got spit overboard!  Turning takes a little getting used to, wants to throw you as the boat does not pitch on a centerline.  Amazing boats though, handle anything with ease.

The purpose of this build would only be 1/2 function, 1/2 just to do.  The "one of a kind factor", the make people look twice thing.  I want you to look at it and see a basss boat but then have to look back and go wait a minute,...no motor,..and hey, no consoles,...and....man....that thing is short.  And then you just gotta go get a closer look.

Think bigger than that.

Design it for stability at rest for 2 people, even if it is a 12 footer.  You just never know. Imagine taking orders at the boat ramp.  Some unknown guy named Forrest Wood got started that way.  

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

That's what Eric was saying, 12' is 12'.  He said if you and I can fish in this 12' space with no issue, why couldn't we do it on that, just because it is all deck?

The only answer I see is that the forward position will be slightly further back than on a jon to accomodate for the pointed bow of a bass boat as opposed to the squared bow of a jon.  

[Guest the_muddy_man]

Hey Russ if you go to Cabelas or BPS sites and type in Pond boats there are several more like this I know its not glass but they may give you some layout ideas and all are prewired for and aft for trolling motors

[cart7t]

There ya go. It has a V with sponsons.  Get rid of the open area and you've got a little mini-aircraft carrier.  ;D

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

I want to turn this

into somthing like this

but with a better paint job,lol.

Cart-the tri-hull would start it's taper approximately underneath where the leaning post is.

[KU_Bassmaster.]

Man, I have really enjoyed reading this post and seeing the plan come together.  Hope you go ahead and do it, and if you pull it off and everything is okay ..... You might have an order coming from Kansas ...... among other places I would guess. ;D ;D

Also, in your model pic ....... Why would you want to get rid of the open area in the middle??  IMO that space is VERY valuable ...... I think you do as well.  At least that's what you told me when I took on my project earlier this year. :

When this whole thing started, I was kind of imagining something kind of like muddy's pic, but with some LBH details.

[cart7t]

Hmmm....

Looks like a typical summer weekend on Lake of the Ozarks.  

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Both light grey areas would be huge dry lockers

Those run stern ---> Bow.

The Low Budget Hookers emblem sits on another storage compartment that runs side to side. This one would hold a dozen big plano 3700's (will have the slots for them) or can be used as 3rd dry locker.

One of the dry lockers can have a drain plug and aerator added easily if a livewell is needed. Drain plug will go in one of mine, Just in case. Aerator can always come later. It's only a short run to the electricity which is 3 batt's, lined straight up the middle.

proposed storage in white boxes

[cart7t]

I want to turn this

into somthing like this

but with a better paint job,lol.

Cart-the tri-hull would start it's taper approximately underneath where the leaning post is.

I'm still not sure why you're holding onto the extreme V hull design.  Yes, it's gonna look like a modern day bass boat but the hull design itself is the way it is due to the picture you just posted and no other reason.  For fishing stability, a V hull has little functionality.  In fact, because of the V, you're losing valuable deck room not to mention potential storage space.