FishyFish Tolman Alaskan Skiff and Boat Building Forums

 As a fisherman, bigger is better. There are a number of guys on here who have stretched them. But, due to the straight profile, performance may suffer. Some guys on here have stretched the Jumbo up to 27' The GA (Tweaked Tolman) has the design with the longer length in mind.
With your students in mind, I would stay within the design parameters set by Renn. But from a fishing standpoint bigger is better. More deck/cockpit space to work with. So in the end, it is more of a what will it be used for question.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Look up Adam K's 23 widebody. I've pulled every photo he has on this forum that I could find. Probably one of the finest WBs for what we do here in the greater Bay Area.  I'd like to go 23 but I think I'll be confined to 22 with my build space.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Hei, building a Widebody myself and it will be about 23ft. The hull looks very nice, good proportions and one doesn't see the extra length.
What I would suggest is to get maximum length out of your building materials, don't remember any detailed measurements, but using full length ply for the bottom and sides will give you about 23ft.
Less scrap and a bigger fish deck.
I have also started to design a shortened cuddy and smaller cabin. Mock- up with clamps looked  nice, but be advised that the original design will not work out. You will be working further forward and will have to handle lots of curvatures.
I never liked the box-like cuddy design, so I think it is worth the extra work. But installing side windows is another problem. And all the dimensions will be completely different, the book just giving you a general idea.
Would love to have drawings or pictures, but that will have to wait, summer trip with my kids and just my phone.
Peter

Good point. Im deciding between a nice even 22' or going 23'. We will be adding a small cuddy and short wheelhouse. i think the 23 would push the motor back a bit for a bigger fight deck, as fishing is the intended use. Any sacrifice in performance with a 23'
 
Has anyone built a wide body one way or the other and wished they had done it differently?

Sean,
 Built a 21'4" W.B. which took every inch of a one car garage during a Winter/Spring build. The skiff has been great . To do it again I would leave the door open,build a temp insulated box extension to the garage and build the boat as long as possible.
 Enjoy your project!
Lyle

I have no technical background to discuss performance issues.
The only thing I can think of would be the longer flat bottom. More surface in contact with the water? Longer hull and reduced steering performance?
But as I posted, the Widebody looks very good even with the extra length. Probably just a theoretical problem.
On the other hand the stretching should stay within reasonable dimensions. There is a reason why the Jumbo and GA have a stronger and heavier design. But again, can't see a problem with just some more deck space.
Lyle, how would you address your "stretching" project? Just interested how this could be done with reasonable effort.
Peter

 Kent,
 What do you think would be the downside in performance of stretching a widebody hull? After 9 years in my skiff I do sometimes think of adding 4' to it's length.
Thks,Lyle

I really do not see much downside until you get into the 26' plus range. The advantages offered by a hull designed to the longer length, such as the GA, are that the hull is not straight sided. The sides and the chines curve inward giving you better handling both cruising and in following seas.
But, Dave Nolan has fished his 27' boat (not a widebody) extensively offshore with some epic trips. Obviously he has confidence in his boat as it has proven itself over time. But as I stated above,  a few minor design changes and the handling would improve.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk