28-foot Lobster

[Cichlidgeek]

Hey All,
I wanted to know if anyone saw this boat for sale from SW Boatworks:

http://swboatworks.com/forsale/28lobster.html

I am looking for a smaller downeast for some recreational lobstering here in NJ as well as a nice near-shore boat for bottom fishing. This one caught my eye, but would like to know what you guys think.
Thanks in advance for your input.
Cheers,
--Brian

 

[steveinak]

That boat has been for sale for a long time. I think it will be kinda slow with that 210 cummins. Any idea what hull its built on? I thought i saw it somewhere that said it was a Mussel Ridge hull?? I lobstered out of Shark River for a lot of years. I looked at a nice 28 Mussel Ridge w/a 365 iveco last year when i was boat shopping, the kid still has it and has since bought another boat so i'd think he'd want to move it at a reduced price.
[attachment=0:159u9dfu]minor debt.jpg[/attachment:159u9dfu]

 

[Cichlidgeek]

Steve,
Thanks for your reply! I don't remember who made the hull or who finished it off, but I e-mailed Stewart Workman at SW Boatworks and am waiting for his reply.
That boat, Minor Debt, is very nice. I see it listed on Yacht World:

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/200...--Make-Offer-2161517/Cushing/ME/United-States

That is really quite perfect for what I am looking for!!

Shark River is a nice place here in Jersey. I am in Matawan.
Cheers,
--Brian

 

[Downeaster]

One of Calvin Beal's older race boat designs. The 'Little Girl' was used as a plug from which Wayne Beal's 28' mold was pulled. The design goes back to 1980 - the Little Girl was built in wood (you can faintly see some of her planking in the 28's gelcoat up towards the bow). She doesn't carry the wider beam of more current designs and one has to be careful of weight. The YW ad says 20/26 kts which tells me that she is carrying too much weight - a modern (wider and lighter) 28 would easily hit 25/34 kts with 365 hp.

 

[steveinak]

If your talking about the Minor Debt i took a ride on it last fall. It moves right along nicely and i think the speed in the ad is with the cage on it. Not much weight on that boat its a hull, molded top and engine. I was very interested in the boat but found my 29' H&H and liked the john deere power better than the iveco plus we have parts available here for the deere. H&H is also a bigger boat and in my opinion has a better ride than the mussel ridge.

 

[Downeaster]

If your talking about the Minor Debt i took a ride on it last fall. It moves right along nicely and i think the speed in the ad is with the cage on it. Not much weight on that boat its a hull, molded top and engine. I was very interested in the boat but found my 29' H&H and liked the john deere power better than the iveco plus we have parts available here for the deere. H&H is also a bigger boat and in my opinion has a better ride than the mussel ridge.

I haven't seen many examples of big engines being dropped into boats with cages on their wheel (more typically, a caged 28 footer would have something like a 225 Deere in it). As I pointed out earlier, this is a small 28 (it has a 10' beam) and if you want to kill speed on a downeast design (or any other boat), weigh it down.

 

[Cichlidgeek]

I have been contemplating either an H&H or a Mitchell Cove for a while, until I saw this 28-foot lobster boat. I sent Stewart Workman an e-mail yesterday asking about the hull, but haven't heard back yet. Should I hold out for a 29-foot H&H or a 32-foot Mitchell Cove over this boat????

 

[steveinak]

If your talking about the Minor Debt i took a ride on it last fall. It moves right along nicely and i think the speed in the ad is with the cage on it. Not much weight on that boat its a hull, molded top and engine. I was very interested in the boat but found my 29' H&H and liked the john deere power better than the iveco plus we have parts available here for the deere. H&H is also a bigger boat and in my opinion has a better ride than the mussel ridge.

I haven't seen many examples of big engines being dropped into boats with cages on their wheel (more typically, a caged 28 footer would have something like a 225 Deere in it). As I pointed out earlier, this is a small 28 (it has a 10' beam) and if you want to kill speed on a downeast design (or any other boat), weigh it down.

I'd bet a good percentage of maine lobster boats have cages on them, no matter what they are powered with or what size the boat is. The MD originaly had a 210 cummins in it.

 

[Cichlidgeek]

I'd bet a good percentage of maine lobster boats have cages on them, no matter what they are powered with or what size the boat is. The MD originaly had a 210 cummins in it.

I would agree with that! I am curious though, why??? I mean, I have seen a good number of Maine boats here in NJ and NONE of them had cages on them, and I always look. If I ever get my act together I will have a cage if for no other reason than not wanting to dive in and untangle warp from the screw!!!

 

[steveinak]

]There's a million lobster buoys in Maine if you tried to avoid them you'd never get anywhere. The lobster guys are fishing so close to each other they would be always having rope in the wheel. When i took a ride on the MD we were running over buoys all the time they just came spitting out from under the stern, thats the beauty of the cage almost nothing get caught in the wheel but you pay for it with the lost speed. In NJ there is nowhere near the amount of gear in the water. I'd stay away from a cage cause you lose at least 2-3 knots of speed with them. My boat has a clean out right over the wheel, if i get rope in the wheel all have to do is open the clean out and cut it out with a red handled victorknox knife on the end of a gaff handle.

[attachment=0:3sktdxyd]snow squall cleanout.JPG[/attachment:3sktdxyd]

 

[Cichlidgeek]

Steve, that's freakin' brilliant!! I love it. Thanks for the info and now I have a new option to keep in mind!

 

[El Mar]

I love the cleanout idea too, have seen a few good examples on noreat, tunaorlator has a nice one on his, maybe he can post pictures.

Definetly want one on my DE when the money tree blooms.

 

[Cichlidgeek]

I love the cleanout idea too, have seen a few good examples on noreat, tunaorlator has a nice one on his, maybe he can post pictures.

Definetly want one on my DE when the money tree blooms.

Ahhh, the money tree!! Mine is not blooming much right now, either!! :lol:

 

[Downeaster]

If you're going to opt for this well, it would be a sound idea to have it glassed to not only the inside of the hull but to carry it up (and glass it) to the sole itself. It is an awfully large hole in the hull to be ended below deck (regardless of the glassing job done).

 

[BillD]

Downeast, I was thinking the same thing.

 

[steveinak]

If you're going to opt for this well, it would be a sound idea to have it glassed to not only the inside of the hull but to carry it up (and glass it) to the sole itself. It is an awfully large hole in the hull to be ended below deck (regardless of the glassing job done).

do you mean it should be brought up to the bottom of the deck?

 

[Downeaster]

If you're going to opt for this well, it would be a sound idea to have it glassed to not only the inside of the hull but to carry it up (and glass it) to the sole itself. It is an awfully large hole in the hull to be ended below deck (regardless of the glassing job done).

do you mean it should be brought up to the bottom of the deck?

In my opinion, yes. I picture a molded tube with a flange on it. The piece would be pushed up into a rabbeted hole (probably into a bead of 5200) and then glassed in place to the underside of the deck and the inside of the hull. I then see the deck capped off with one of the round, aluminum (Freeman or the like) hatch.

One could quickly create a quick and dirty mold from a Sonotube and a piece of scrape that could be capped to the Sonotube to create the flange. I'd probably use the West System rather than polyester to lay this up.

What I'm trying to avoid is a rapid flooding event that goes unnoticed until the steering slows down or the freeing ports start flooding - sort of like a flooding lazarette situation. By the time this happens, even getting off a proper Mayday and then into a survival suit may not be possible