I bought the plans for a Glen-L Power Row Skiff and plan on beginning it in the coming months. I want to have all the money in my pocket so this doesn’t become a half done project sometime next year. I’m still in the planning process and have been considering installing a motor well similar to what you’d see on a simmons sea skiff.
What are the pros and cons for a motor well?
Obviously there are more places that can break. But I’ll be able to cut of some length from the motor because I have to keep this in the garage. Also, it may run a little flatter from moving the weight of the motor forward. Another negative is that the motor may pee in the boat when turning hard.
Here’s the top view. I plan on leaving this as a tiller steer. It will have a 9.8 tohatsu on it at first and is rated for a 4-20HP.
Nothing like a plywood boat sonny,that’s going to be a nice one. I don’t see any cons,build it the way you want it, you can always put a couple drain holes in for the pee stream.Might consider a folding tongue on the trailer if you’re hurting for room.Is this a stitch and glue? I would suggest buying the book written by Glen L on building boats with plywood.Don’t be a cheapskate,use the epoxy resin. I really want to build another one but I have too many boats in my shop now.
How big is this boat? How big are you?
These are the 2 major impacts on being stern heavy and draft beside the motor. The size of the boat makes a big difference on the effects of having a motor well or well boat. In my opinion the smaller the boat the less effective and more cons. With a small hull you lose valuable planning surface in the stern and the amount of lift you get from the displacement is minimal. I have had v hulls, tri hulls, mod v hulls, mini cats, flat bottom john boats/skiff, well boats, kayaks and canoes. Why does matter? I have first hand experience with the way different hulls effect small watercrafts. I’ve put my 9.9 Johnson on the back of several small boats. The flat bottom skiff i have is 11ft and with me and a light load(300lbs±) it planes instantly and will go close to thirty. The 10ft twin vee i have can be a B to plane some times depending tide and wind so from like 6 to 20 seconds and tops out about 18-20 on a good day. Both boats have similar load, hull weight, and same motor. The twinn vee sits deep and drafts about 10 inches and can easily get stern heavy. You feel safe for a small boat and it feels like your boats in the water and rides like its on a track and can take rough water better than any small boat. The motor has a small well about 3 inches and sits about 3 or 4 inches deeper in the water than on the skiff. The skiff drafts maybe 2 inches and isnt as effected by weight in the stern nearly as much and feels like a paddle board like im on top of the water. Why all this? Just a prelude for this. Most boats use and ride on plane on 1/3rd of the hull, the less hull in the water is less friction, more speed, fuel efficiency. By taking the middle section out of the twin vee there is less planning surface in the back 3rd of the hull creating less lift causing more of the length of the hull to be needed to plane or more time for the back 3rd to produce the lift required to plane the hull. The skiff is a ft longer but the same width, so by not having that sec
