Leaderboard

Finally the great day has arrived . The highly modified Ocracoke 20 named Elusive 20 hit the water for the very first time ! My first impression is that she is a little bit bow heavy , by the way she sits on the water . All the rest is superb !! If I shift the 2 battery backward and put the auxiliary motor of about 50kg ( that is still unavailable ) at transom she might be leveled correctly. At the moment the batteries are located inside the cabin under the 2 steps to step inside. Some performances data are as following in choppy water of about 1 to 1.5 " waves. 800 rpm ( idling) 2-3 knots 2000 rpm 7 knots and 6 liters per hour 3500 rpm 20 kts and 17 l/hr 4000 rpm 24 kts and 21 l/hr and 6300 rpm 41 kts and 70 l/hr in very calm water (47 miles !! ? ) I liked the best cruising speed of 21-22 knots ( 25 miles ) at around 3600 rpm . She cuts trough bigger chops like knife into butter with no splashes and slamming sounds and a very dry ride all thanks to Graham and his hull designs ! The boat rides much more stable with the trim tabs slightly trimmed down at speeds of 18 kts and over. This may be because of a heavier bow that can be addressed with a better weight distribution . The propeller is a 16" diameter by 20"pitch attached to a Suzuki df200ap and think it is under propped as the engine is revving up to 6300rpm that is its limit. May be a 21 or 22" will be much better all over the rpm range . But don't know how this will effect the fuel efficiency !! Over all I am very happy and satisfied with the results and the whole project ! Would like to say a big THANKS to Graham for all his help and patience answering my questions ( a lot of questions !! ? ) and also all members in this forum that contributed with their comments ! THANKS again !

Here’s my two cents on plywood selection. I have two points. 1) A lot depends on how you’re going to use the boat. If she’s going to be docked outside for the summer, you definitely need marine plywood. If she’s going to be garage kept, or dry under a tarp most of the time, you can get away with other materials. 2) Lumberyard fir plywood checks. I would never use this on any of my boats. I did on a dinghy I built years ago. It was stored outside, under a tarp, and it checked anyway. On the Duckworks FB page, lots of guys are building with this stuff. I’m tired of warning them. Don’t do it.