Need advice - small lake boat for 3 with electric O/B

Hi,
I have a Torqeedo T401 with a renewed battery pack (930Wh) and supplementary 16s LiFePo4 200Ah packs (about 50lbs once waterproofed) and would like to choose the best hull to entertain my small family on lakes, rivers and canals. This motor is optimal for 3.7kt.

I realize it is an older model and would update to T603 / 903 / 1103 should it expire. I like the size, though.

I am considering:

Savo Saajuu 470
Esquif Rangeley 15
SageSport 160
Gala Challenger C450
Scott Canoe Macobe 16

A multihull could also be a contender, perhaps, but I want to cartop.

Let me know your thoughts?

Maybe a stitch and glue design I could build in my 1 car garage?

Thanks!

 

Welcome to the Forum Mike.

Re your list of possible contenders for the boat that you would like to buy or build, I looked up the websites for them for the convenience of other readers of this forum - these are listed below.

Savo Saajuu 470 - Puuvenepiste Saajuu 470 Skiff https://puuvenepiste.fi/en/boat_saajuu_470.html

Esquif Rangeley 15 - Rangeley 15 - Esquif https://www.esquif.com/en/canoe/rangeley-15/

Sage Sport 160 - The NEW SageSport 160 https://sagemarineblog.wordpress.com/2018/03/13/the-new-sagesport-160/

Gala Challenger C 450 - GALA Inflatable Boats - Canoe CHALLENGER - C320-C520 https://www.galaboats.com/gala-challenger-canoe/

Scott Canoe Macobe 16 - Y-Stern series | Makobe 16' https://abitibico.ca/en/products/serie-y-stern-makobe-16

The Gala Challenger is an inflatable boat - the others above are fibreglass apart from the Saajuu 470 which is timber.

Re a stitch and glue design that you could build, have a look at the plans available from Duckworks for motor canoes -
Plans & Kits - Plans by type - Powerboats - Motor Canoes - Page 1 - Duckworks Boat Builders Supply https://duckworks.com/motor-canoes/

Have a look also at the other sections on this large website - for instance the plans for electric boats -
Plans & Kits - Plans by type - Powerboats - Electric Boats - Page 1 - Duckworks Boat Builders Supply https://duckworks.com/boat-plans-kits/plans-by-type/powerboats/electric-boats/

 

Short answer, you can't cartop a three person boat (other than a pure canoe, and that isnt easy) unless your car dates to the 50s.

I'd be looking at something like this -


Freighter series | Albany 18' https://abitibico.ca/en/products/serie-freighter-albany-18?pr_prod_strat=collection_fallback&pr_rec_id=0f3b1ef98&pr_rec_pid=5974024945815&pr_ref_pid=5968550953111&pr_seq=uniform

Regarding the Sagesport 160 (previous post). Nice find there. I liked the pictures of Dillon Reservoir - I lived on it at Peak One when I was working for the USFS.

Okay, a different Abitibi made it there as well.

 

Here's another.

https://boatbuildercentral.com/StudyPlans/SG15_STUDY.pdf

But car topping or truck hauling is overrated.

Years ago, I drove 240 miles to a lake I wanted to fish and truck carried a 10' light aluminum boat. Got to the landing and blew my back out flipping the boat over. Barely got the boat back on the truck as noone was at the landing and drove the 5 hours back home.

Just get a small trailer and you can get a little bigger narrow 14' or even 16' skiff that'll be more pleasant to spend time in as well.

Not to mention; super easy to damage the vehicle loading and offloading a car..

If you go the trailer route; there are some 14' light plywood designs well suited for that power on the boatbuilder site.

Should add, the narrower the boat; the better she'll perform, but the tradeoff is stability, so a small skiff is a good option to run at displacement speeds, but a trailer opens the door to so many other options for displacement boats.

 

The SG 15 Fallguy recommended is just a bigger version of the boat I built from plans I bought from Boatbuilder Central. FL12 Flat Skiff 12 Boat Plans (FL12) - Boat Builder Central https://boatbuildercentral.com/product/flat-skiff-12-boat-plans-fl12/ It was easy to build and didn't cost much. Of course you won't have to build it on a picnic table (I was living in an RC Park at the time) if you have a garage or other covered place to build it. see https://newboatbuilders.com/pages/fl12.html The 12 is easily cartopped. It only weighs about 60-70 lbs. But I have a small trailer. I'm too old to be lifting things onto the top of my car. It is easily driven. I had a 2 hp outboard that would make it scoot along at about 7 -8 mph. It is rated for 3 persons but we've only had two adults in it. My wife who is really scared of boats, likes it and feels safe in it. She has even learned to row and likes the exercise. So the SG15 would be a good choice.

 

I’d like to suggest Hobie Tandem Island. I agree with the comment that cartopping a boat that fits the other requirements. The HTI can be car-topped, but get a trailer. I’ve had many sailboats and enjoy this immensely. Yet, I’ve taught beginners in two hours. You can, sail, peddle or paddle. Carries two adults in comfortable chairs and another 200# or more of kids and dogs on the trampoline. I’ve sailed small lakes, paddled narrow rivers and sailed the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior (keep a weather eye there). There is a third party motor mount. hard to find used and those before 2016 had issues with leaking hulls.

 

Thanks Phil. I like long boats, too. I should have mentioned my garage is only 17' though. The Macobe has more volume and beam than their standard offerings, but I'm not sure I care for the lines as much as some of the others on my list. The Rob White Sportboat really calls to me. Have you seen Rex and Kathy Payne's example?

 

Fallguy - I'm getting old, too. You make a good point. I have two skin-on-frame kayaks I built 10 years ago from Tom Yost designs, a Nikumi 19 for me and a Rolldarka for my wife. Those are narrow and fast, and we love them.. We also sail a Nordica 16, which is 13' at the waterline and about a 6' beam, 925lbs displacement with 400 of that being ballast in the 20" full keel. One can walk around on the rubrail without any dramatic movements resulting. Trailering that one around and setting up is worth it, but has it's limitations. I like that SG15, but it looks to have an abundance of rocker for my pallette. If there's a sweet spot of light-enough-to-manage-without-a-trailer-but-perhaps-a-dolly vs fragile, I think that's what I'm after. Hence the consideration of inflatable "KaBoats" such as the Gala Challenger, Saturn, BRIS, et al. A light skiff does appeal, for style as well as function, I recently came across the Vivier "Gazec 12" and could imagine building one. Gazec 12 – François Vivier Architecte Naval https://www.vivierboats.com/produit/gazec-12/

 

These have always appealed to me, but I forgot to mention, garage space isn't going to be enough. I only have 17' available. I was thinking of a Pattino, perhaps, or a Wharram Hitia 14 ...

Trimarans are just badass, though. You have me thinking.

 

NorthernMike: I’m in northern Wisconsin. If you find yourself in the neighborhood, get in touch and we’ll go for a ride. Maybe it will fit on the diagonal. Disassemble (which doesn’t take long) it is a pretty tight package. We can play with mine and take some measurements.