# Skinniest Skiff?



## sickz284u (Mar 8, 2012)

You will probably get several replies. There are several boats that can do what you are wanting. The HB whipray drafts 3.5" which is pretty shallow.


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## rdiersing (Oct 7, 2012)

> You will probably get several replies. There are several boats that can do what you are wanting. The HB whipray drafts 3.5" which is pretty shallow.


3.5" is crazy shallow, it is about what my yak drafts.


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## Dillusion (May 21, 2012)

> You will probably get several replies. There are several boats that can do what you are wanting. The HB whipray drafts 3.5" which is pretty shallow.


Sorry but a whipray does not draft 3.5"

trust me...


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## rkmurphy (Nov 2, 2008)

What about a Glades Skiff with a 25 4 stroke?  30 miles on 6 gallons of gas doesn't seem unreasonable to me.  I only used a 3 gallon tank with my 25 EFI on my old J16...never came close to using it all.

Also, do you plan on crossing open water? Or just a long distance flat water run?


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## sickz284u (Mar 8, 2012)

> > You will probably get several replies. There are several boats that can do what you are wanting. The HB whipray drafts 3.5" which is pretty shallow.
> 
> 
> Sorry but a whipray does not draft 3.5"
> ...


Hells bay claim not mine.. I don't own one. lol


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## sickz284u (Mar 8, 2012)

I should have been more specific too. They claim the boat drafts 3.5" with engine and fuel. That isn't the claim loaded with 3 anglers and gear etc... I'm sure it still drafts pretty shallow loaded though. Again the 3.5" claim is on hells bay's website not a claim by me. I have no experience in this skiff.


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## AfterHours2 (Aug 2, 2010)

I would think that anything sub 6" loaded with 3 anglers and gear is not realistic. Now if your talking only 2 anglers, 30 mph and plenty of range than I would put my Gman up against just about anything in terms of shallow draft. Just saying..


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## Sheremeta (Nov 29, 2010)

I drove over a strip of exposed mud flat that was about 4' wide at 25mph.


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

I agree with all the replies so far. Especially the BS call on the HB Whipray 3.5" claim.

The Dolphin Super Skiff I have is way too fat to pole in/out some of the areas I have tried to go, but I do see other boats in there. Some of them are HB's, one was a Lostmen, and I went with a guide in a Beavertail once. I think it was a Vengeance, but it may have been a Strike. There is one guide with what looks like a catamaran skiff, I see get around pretty good, but I don't know what kind of boat it is.

I figure if I'm going to get a second skiff for skinny water only, I may as well get the skinniest out there. The 30 mph comes from the manatee zone daylight rule maximum, I usually run 25 mph. 30 miles is more than the farthest I have ever run in a day. Three is the most I will fish in a flats boat.

I would never give up my Dolphin for tarpon fishing in the Keys and Homosassa. It just rides so smooth in open water, and it will run through some pretty skinny water, but you had better not stop. Trust me on that.


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## Kane_Thorp (Jun 14, 2012)

A 16 carolina skiff is all I can think of that hasn't been mentioned. Can be poled well with practice, stable, lots of room and will run in the upper 30's may touch 40 with a 50hp motor.


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## c0rvtte73 (Apr 15, 2013)

Mike... Does your Super Skiff draft the 8" as advertised by Dolphin?


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## anytide (Jul 30, 2009)

> What is the shallowest draft technical poling skiff currently in production that will run 30 MPH with 3 persons (600 lbs) and has a round trip range of 30 miles?


--whoever makes it -it will draft over 5" for sure !
there is NO sled in this style /capacity that will draft under 5"
--there is no sled with 3 man capacity that will draft 3.5"
- i have a 12' all wood skin 175LB. complete poling crate that will barely do 3.5" with 2 dudes.


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## WhiteDog70810 (May 6, 2008)

> > What is the shallowest draft technical poling skiff currently in production that will run 30 MPH with 3 persons (600 lbs) and has a round trip range of 30 miles?
> 
> 
> --whoever makes it -it will draft over 5" for sure !
> ...


I bet you could set up a wide 20' flat bottom jonboat to do that. You'd have keep it very light and simple so you could use the smallest motor possible to get the necessary speed with that load and you'd have to balance the load to float level. You'd also have to give up the "technical poling skiff" label.

Nate


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

> Mike... Does your Super Skiff draft the 8" as advertised by Dolphin?


Nope


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## CurtisWright (May 9, 2012)

Nothing pisses me off more than someone talking about what their boat drafts.

Its simple folks. Bouyancy=pV. A Whipray can draft from 1" and it can draft 14". Just depends on what is in it.

Now if a boat manufacturer was was smart enough to devolop and post a bouyancy / COB chart and an exact weight for their hulls, then a fair compairison could be made.


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## kwood (Oct 17, 2012)

My Lostmen floats pretty shallow...I haven't measured it with 3 people yet but with 2 adults and normal fishing gear including trolling motor it floats in 6". Measured by polling over top of a really big sandbar until part of the hull starting hitting...stuck a ruler in the water at the portion of hull that was touching and the water was lapping just below the 6" mark.

I would guess with 3 adults (one up front, one on platform and one close to front bulkhead just inside cockpit) it is somewhere around 6.75" maybe. 

With a 50 I can run 30mph with three people but that is almost WOT. Doesn't burn much fuel at all...


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## Ginclear (Aug 11, 2013)

Marietta Mike , Your question has to be interpreted as " What currently
produced skiff that can carry 3 anglers and run 30mph has the most
shallow draft ? " My guess would be the HB Whipray Classic , the HB
Whipray , the HB Gladeskiff , or HB Waterman 18 . Obviously , the
Waterman 18 will draft more than the others , and mine will run 37.5mph
with a 2S 70 Yamaha , but they will all carry 3 anglers .
    My son's new to him 2000 Waterman ultra light ( 330 lb hull wt ) will
run 26.5 with a 2S Merc 25 carrying 3 anglers . When he first launched
his skiff ( Which had been in Mosquto Lagoon one weekend and then
stored in an air conditioned airplane hanger for 12 years in Atlanta and
the Merc. with 5 hrs on it . Essentially mothballed . ) we applied a strip
of painter's tape marked in 1 inch increments to the transom  to see
exactly what the draft was with engine , fuel , 65 qt Yeti with 20 lbs
of ice , 10 lbs of drinks , anchor , gear bags and rods . My son thought
it would draft 4 - 4 1\2 inches . I chuckled at his youthful optimism
and said " More like 5 - 5 1\2 inches but that is still damn good "
It actually drafted at 3 inches . In fact , the 3 inch Sharpy line was
just above the waterline . We were impressed . The poling draft with
the 2 of us on board is 5 inches ( We carry a measuring stick in the skiff .)
The poling draft with 2 anglers in the 18 is 8 1\2 inches by comparison .
Which is still very , very shallow . 
   I don't know if Hell's Bay will make an ultra light skiff on special order
anymore . I have called and asked and am still waiting for an answer .
So their regularly scheduled skiffs will draft a little more than the ultra lights .
My best guess is about 1 inch more for similarly sized skiffs .
   Harry Spear is making some very interesting skiffs using epoxy resins which
I read saves about 30% in wt compared to vinylester resins because of the
chopped glass binders that are not needed with epoxy . I would love to
hear some feedback from Spear Skiff owners . And then there's Chittum .
   This probably doesn't  answer your question directly , but I hope it helps .


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## phishphood (Dec 15, 2006)

My ECC Caimen with a 70 Yami on it has seen 36mph with 3 adults on board and with an 18 gallon tank, range has never been an issue. Draft with three is about 9 inches.


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

now I know what I'm doing wrong, I don't keep a measuring stick in my boat.


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

Thanks again for the responses.

Considering manufacturers usually post specs based on 2 persons with no reference to weight the only way to know is to ask real world users.

CWright is right. If manufacturers provided a load vs draft curve we wouldn't need to ask. This reminds me of the Plimsoll line on ships. If it can be done on a ship, it can be done on a skiff.


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## Barbs_deep (Jul 4, 2010)

Karma 19 is one of the shallowest draft boats on the market... hands down.


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

> Karma 19 is one of the shallowest draft boats on the market... hands down.


Maybe so but fishing 3 would be seriously cramped. It doesn't have the beam to fish 3 with any sort of comfort.


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## LOUMan (Mar 20, 2007)

HELLS BAY Glades Skiff, will do it all day long. The new ones are heavier and bigger overall. I have on 06 fish 3 people all the time and get into 4" all day.


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

> HELLS BAY Glades Skiff, will do it all day long. The new ones are heavier and bigger overall. I have on 06 fish 3 people all the time and get into 4" all day.


Can you run 30 mph?

Based on the BT3 video, I'm thinking 7" is the best I can expect to get for 3 persons and run 30 mph.

http://vimeo.com/54819404


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## Barbs_deep (Jul 4, 2010)

> > Karma 19 is one of the shallowest draft boats on the market... hands down.
> 
> 
> Maybe so but fishing 3 would be seriously cramped. It doesn't have the beam to fish 3 with any sort of comfort.


It is not meant to fish 3. You are NOT going to find a boat that floats in 3"-4" that can comfortably fish 3.


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## Gramps (Nov 1, 2007)

Mmmm there is one out there! But she aint a tech. poling skiff or bay boat or anything else "sexy"...










http://www.bateau.com/studyplans/XF20_study.htm?prod=XF20


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

> > > Karma 19 is one of the shallowest draft boats on the market... hands down.
> >
> >
> > Maybe so but fishing 3 would be seriously cramped. It doesn't have the beam to fish 3 with any sort of comfort.
> ...


I was just going off the op's parameters of what he was looking for in a skiff and how the karma wouldnt fit that part of his plan. I agree with your other comment.


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## TC (Feb 15, 2011)

> Marietta Mike , Your question has to be interpreted as " What currently
> produced skiff that can carry 3 anglers and run 30mph has the most
> shallow draft ? " My guess would be the HB Whipray Classic , the HB
> Whipray , the HB Gladeskiff , or HB Waterman 18 . Obviously , the
> ...


Blueskimmer, PM sent.


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## fishtrapper (Jun 6, 2009)

I would throw a Kevlar tiller Lostmen in the mix as one of the skinniest boats out there that will fish three people.


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## MSG (Jan 11, 2010)

my beavertail vengence will do it with an evinrude 90 - it will cruise at 33 to 35 with 3 people and a full tank of gas (24 gallons) - we can all fight about the draft - maybe 7 or 8 inches or so.


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## LOUMan (Mar 20, 2007)

> > HELLS BAY Glades Skiff, will do it all day long. The new ones are heavier and bigger overall. I have on 06 fish 3 people all the time and get into 4" all day.
> 
> 
> Can you run 30 mph?
> ...


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## Capt. Gregg McKee (Sep 28, 2007)

> > HELLS BAY Glades Skiff, will do it all day long. The new ones are heavier and bigger overall. I have on 06 fish 3 people all the time and get into 4" all day.
> 
> 
> Can you run 30 mph?
> ...


The BT3 in that video has the standard hull and will hit 30 mph with 3 people at 4900 rpms. Its top speed is 36 mph in flat calm conditions. If you went with the all Kevlar/carbon Elite hull you'd draft a little less and run faster, especially if you spend the extra $ for an LI battery package. Also, don't forget the BT Strike. It's the best performing skiff in Aeon/Beavertail's line up.


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## Luke_WL. (Nov 28, 2012)

I'd look at a strike elite with a 60 etec tiller. No extra frills. Mine with a 90, full tank, 24v troller, power pole and 3 people (one 280lb one 240 and one 200) measured at 8" that is a LOT of weight in the boat. With average size people I am seeing just over 7". Loose all the extra crap on my boat and you could easily see mid 6" completely loaded. Those are real numbers no inflated sales bs as I don't work for them lol


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