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(Editor's note: portions of this article were first published by Brad on the Underwater Hunter's website: http://www.underwaterhunters.com)

The Good Skiff features an unusual planform: Seen from above, it is widest about 1/3 back from the bow, and tapers to a slightly narrower stern.

The bow, rather than a traditional V, actually carries a flat bottom most of the way forward, with the bottom rising slightly at the bow (about 6"), starting about 2/3 of the way forward from the stern. The stern of the boat rises slightly (about 3"), giving the boat a small amount of fore-and-aft rocker.

The bow presents almost a vertical, knife-like edge where the gunwhales come together. Rather than a large amount of flare in the bow, Brad added 3" wide spray rails above the hard chines to control spray.

The center of buoyancy in the boat is actually in the front third of the hull, rather than towards the rear. A fixed lifting tab is mounted on the transom to provide extra stern lift while under way.

What prompted such an unusual design? Brad wrote:

"Back in '84 I bought an old 16 foot wooden dory that was for sale along Pacific Coast Highway. I refurbished the hull, and bolted on a new engine and that was the start of my travels in these waters. I took that skiff to Catalina over one hundred and fifty times, and to San Clemente Island a half a dozen times in the late 80's. During all of those godforsaken, wet and wind-driven miles, I was designing the Good Skiff..."

"There were certain characteristics that I wanted in this hull. First, it had to be solid as a rock. Second, it had to be absolutely sea worthy in the worst-case-scenario. It also had to be stable enough at anchor to allow me to sleep, even when exposed to wind and seas. Nothing does that better than a flat bottom design"

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"I have worked in aerospace most of my life, so when I built the Good Skiff, I used the design principles of airframe structure rather than traditional boat structure. Simply put, use as few structural components as possible, and make each component as large as it could be. Most structural failures will occur at a seam, and this design eliminates much of the seam area commonly found in traditional wooden boat designs. I needed a boat that was tough enough to run the seas in ANY weather."

Brad continued: "The one fatal design flaw common to most small craft is that water accumulates at the transom while at rest. This design flaw is the single most common cause of small vessel capsizing."

"From a design standpoint, eliminating that characteristic is a tough nut to crack for any vessel with an outboard engine on the transom. By shifting the center of buoyancy forward you bring the moment arm forward of the transom. This allows you to take the wind and seas from the transom without taking on any water, no matter how big the swell is. That becomes very important should you ever get caught in open seas without power. It will also buy you precious moments to correct a problem, get out a distress call, etc."

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The net result is that by shifting the weight forward, any water that comes on-board will accumulate forward, in the widest part of the boat, especially when the boat is at rest. This concentration of weight in a forward position permits the stern to rise up and over any following seas, making a swamping less likely.

Brad combats water buildup in the hull by placing a 2,000 gallon/hour bilge pump in the belly, augmented with a self-priming pump on the transom to kick out any water which might flow to the rear while under way.

And what about the bow design?

Brad noted "Most flat bottom boats draw the bow into a 'V' bottom that flattens out as it goes aft. This is a mistake. I guess the designers think that the V bow entry will split the water, but in reality, a small skiff doesn't perform like that"

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"I did the opposite. By maintaining a flat entry, placing the widest part of the hull 2/3 of the length forward of the transom, and placing the fuel in this area, I recreate an "impact zone". With the sharp vertical bow entry, the water gets crushed and pushed aside rather than "split"". 

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In addition, Brad made some hull modifications that really helped to smooth out the ride.

Brad's idea was that in order to suppress pounding, he would keep the hull on the water, and let the unusual bow entry take care of impacting the swells. "...if it doesn't lift up, it will not slam down", Brad explained.

He accomplished this by installing a lifting strake across the transom. This strake produces exaggerated transom lift, which keeps the bow pressed to the surface. The 54 gallons of fuel in the forward part of the hull also helps keep the bow down, and as Brad explains: "The tab exaggerates the lift at the transom and the wider impact point towards the front also creates lift toward the bow. The hull has lift forward and aft which actually keeps it stuck to the surface. There is a slight penalty in fuel for the conflicting lifting points, but it is more than worth it in improving rough water performance!"

Brad fabricated the stainless steel strake from 0.14 sheet stock. It is 11" wide, with turned down corners, and has an engine cutout. The size, angle, and corner deflections have been tuned to keep the boat at the proper trim attitude, without have to keep the engine trimmed in. This allows Brad to keep the engine in the most efficient attitude (engine anti-ventilation plate parallel to the water's surface).

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Brad chose to use portable tanks because they virtually eliminate venting and contamination problems. They also allow him to redistribute the weight as the trip progresses and that can really make a big difference in the ride and fuel economy.