# Man-O-War 20....New look at Some Old Ideas



## Vertigo (Jun 3, 2012)

After three years of resting up after my last build http://forums.floridasportsman.com/showthread.php?96021-Solo14-Build-Discussion&highlight=vertigo I'm ready to try again. I've owned an Aquasport 22-2 flatback and I loved the all around capability of the boat and I want to duplicate the concept in something a little smaller and a lot lighter. I'm going for a light 20' wood hull with an estimated weight of about 600# a max hp of about 90 to 115. I'm hoping to get cruising speeds in the mid 30's, WOT over 40 and a draft of about 7". With a jack plate I'd like to be able to run in about 16" of water, but more importantly, I want to be able to get up on plane in water almost as shallow. The old Aquasport would match this performance pretty closely, but it needed a lot more hp to do it and it was a little bigger than I need for most of my fishing. I'm estimating a budget for materials just for the finished hull of about $3500 using glass sheathed Okoume and epoxy finished in a good polyurethane paint. This build won't be a microskiff, but hopefully it will be of interest. Your comments and ideas are solicited. Here are a few preliminary drawings, ignore the hp on the motor:


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## Gramps (Nov 1, 2007)

I like it! Is the bow vee lower on the "x" plane? What's the planned beam?


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## Vertigo (Jun 3, 2012)

The max beam is 7' 2". The last photo above is taken a little bow down to show the hull shape aft. The line of the keel is flat almost to the bow.


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

I love the lines of the old Aquasport and Proline flatbacks. If I ever do another refurb it will be one of those.


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## Vertigo (Jun 3, 2012)

devrep said:


> I love the lines of the old Aquasport and Proline flatbacks. If I ever do another refurb it will be one of those.


I refurbed one, and that was enough! To do it right it will cost more than to just build a wooden copy-cat from scratch...at least that's what I've learned.


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## Jared T. (Apr 13, 2014)

devrep if you're looking for a hull my old man has a 20 and 24 ready for refurb. May be doing the 20ft for somebody if his wife approves. Those hulls were before there time.


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## LWalker (Aug 20, 2013)

You know I'm in


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## tomahawk (Mar 9, 2012)

Hell yeah, my next build will be something similar. Looking forward to this.


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## Vertigo (Jun 3, 2012)

In the late 1800's my ancestors came to Florida from Man-O-War Cay in the Bahamas. They were builders...houses, boats (Albury), etc., and I'm told that I'm still related to most of the folks on that island. So, in honor of my ancestors, I decided to name this design the Man-O-War 20. Hopefully the name won't cause any spinning in the grave. Here are a few shots of the design progress so far:























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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

It looks good, not trying to hijack your thread, but you can probably get an old Aquasport 19'-6" hull, gut it out and redo it. I re-did the a 222 (`75 model) with the slight V, years ago. I liked the mod V better. I grew up in my uncles 222 flatback and my dad's Proline 24 flat back fishing tarpon in Boca Grande. I remembered Dad rolling in at the house with that brand new `75 Proline 24, powered with a Johnson 115 (cause that's all it needed). I caught a 115lb tarpon and a 200+ jewfish that weekend (big fish for a teen! lol). Fun boat but those flatbacks will beat you up when the weather kicks up. Btw, my 222 was stolen. I guess it's easy to buy a title from a junked out boat and grind off the VIN.

BTW, if anyone is looking, I know where a `72 - 222 flatback is at a glass shop for $2500 and the guy will redo the stringers, beef up the glass, new floor, close in the transom and paint it for an additional $6500. Just sayin...

I also know a guy in Tampa, who took that `75 19'-6" Aquasport hull, stretched it to a true 20ft, closed in the transom, built a hull mold, customized inter liner mold with raised floor and very nice hatches and compartment liners molds, gunnel cap mold,console mold and an oval bait well/ leaning post mold and does a sweet extended motor bracket that is closed it which add buoyancy to compensate the outboard being back an additional 2ft. The complete boat rigged less motor and tower is $18-$20k, depending on steering and throttle options.


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## Vertigo (Jun 3, 2012)

A few things I'm looking for in this design. I really want the flatback form for it's quick planing, low horsepower requirements, light weight and shallow draft. The Aquasport 19'-6" is a nice hull, but not a flatback. It will probably come in almost twice as heavy and require the same or more work to really do right. The 19'-6" will also draft a few more inches at rest. With this design I also get the satisfaction of building my own.


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## Vertigo (Jun 3, 2012)

I've got the strongback designed:








Next the frames go on and I find all the mistakes in the strongback. Can you find one?








Next the keel is installed. Errors in strongback corrected.


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## CurtisWright (May 9, 2012)

What program is this?


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## Vertigo (Jun 3, 2012)

CurtisWright said:


> What program is this?


I'm using Sketchup. The basic software is free from Google. The pro version that generates CAD files, prints full size, etc costs about $700. Needless to say, I'm using the free stuff, although it sure would be nice to have all those frames CAD cut.


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## LWalker (Aug 20, 2013)

Vertigo said:


> I've got the strongback designed:
> Next the frames go on and I find all the mistakes in the strongback. Can you find one?


Frame A is sitting in the middle of the vertical support. That's the only thing I can see.


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## Vertigo (Jun 3, 2012)

LWalker said:


> Frame A is sitting in the middle of the vertical support. That's the only thing I can see.


Yep, that's the only problem clearly visible. There were others, but almost impossible to see in the views shown. I'm testing the stringer paths now and have found a few more problems.


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