Just want to say thanks

[david bugden]

Just a quick line to thank the b and b yachts for a great boat.  I built the Marissa echo 18 .  For anyone debating this type of hull I have put mine through more extreme test then most.

1. Hull is very stable but, I did reinforce the floor between the two seams running stem to stern.   I didn't like the feel of the floor when I walked on it so I pulled it up and stiffened the seam by running a two by four brace . 

2. The boat runs at 27 miles an hour with a 40 hp Honda on the back  and burns 1/4 a tank an hour .

3 the ride is extremely dry.  It keeps the water off of the driver except in 60 mile an hour winds.( I did say I took mine through the mill) 

4 she handles 5 foot chop easily if you know the ropes .  I was actually impressed with its ability to avoid spearing. She actually chops those bad boys in half and expels the energy to the sides.  5.  Leave lots of time to answer a million questions when you reach the dock.ps. She weighs in at 1200 pounds equipped and motored ... very light. I used thick  puck board on my trailer bed instead of carpet.   The thickness allows you to bury the screw heads so the boat doesn't get scratches.  ... and you must leave the winch on until it's in the water or the boat will slide off... very slippery... 1 finger loading when it's home time. ..

In conclusion thanks graham.. 

[Oyster]

Great report, We need pictures, underway ones too would be great too.

[Designer]

Hi David,

 

Thanks, I always appreciate the compliment and that the boat works for the way that you use it.

 

People are always asking me "which design is my favorite". I usually answer "all of them". I get to recall all the effort, compromise and development that went into each design and the modifications and improvements that have been made along the way. Marissa is up there as one of my best.

 

After designing and going through the prototyping of the Ocracoke 20 I thought that a lot more people would like a smaller cheaper, simpler and quicker build that would be very economical to run. 

 

It turned out that I was totally wrong. There have been quite a few built but the Ocracoke 20 sells better. I built the prototype to prove that the our new chine flat construction method worked and that she would perform as calculated. The chine flat method worked so well that I redesigned all of the Ocracoke and OB series to incorporated it. As for performance, I used Savitsky's method with the Blount modifier for the performance curve. In reality she turned out better at the top end and worse in the hump. As nobody should run in the hump range (9 - 14 knots) it turned out well. It is just a curiosity as blount was added to improve hump speed calculations.

 

I recently sold my Marissa, much to the dismay of my granddaughter (her namesake) because I don't have enough space for any new boats. The good news is that she has only moved next door and I get to see her whenever I want and get to ride on her occasionally.

 

[david bugden]

Sorry I don't swim fast enough to get the under way shots

[david bugden]

I can knock 27 miles an hour out of a 40 hp outboard and get all day out of a 20 litre tank .  Usually cruise around 18 to 20 miles an hour.  I could get her to run quicker if I changed the prop pitch but as you can see in the pictures I need a low end speed for trolling. Great little boat,  I have been out in water that made the larger boats turn white and run but I needed to see what she could handle... ( I have a reinforced transom and a reinforced center seam under the floor which helps stiffen the hull.  I used a double 2*4 glued and run under the seam in the middle of the floor.  I did this knowing I was going to be putting the design above its original specifications.  )  to my surprise she handled ,60 km hr gusts with 5 foot chop and kept me and one other passenger dry except when the wind whipped the spray which wasn't the boats fault. She goes to bc in July chasing salmon where she could get that kind of weather in a 15 min window not to mention a 16 Mile an hour current.  I have to say I have all the confidence in the world that this boat design will handle it with one arm behind her back.  I currently have over 350 miles logged on this hull in a 3 week span great job designer. 

[david bugden]

Oh and ps. I LOVE THE WAY SHE TURNS WHEN AT HIGH SPEED ON A CALM DAY...  you can actually aim the nose at a center point throw your body weight slightly off to the inside of the turn and go around in almost a 360 drift .. Surprisingly very much missed when you hop into a deep v and seems to take a country mile to turn. 

[cracked_ribs]

The Marissa is the boat I'd like to have for fishing from my vacation home.  It's not quite enough boat for the big stuff I do but it would be so much cheaper, more fun, and better laid out than my heavy weather pilothouse for the lighter work that I often think about building one and just leaving it up there.  If I can get relocated to somewhere with more space and a little closer where the waters are more protected, it would make an awesome summer commuter.

 

Too many boats, too much work, not enough space, not enough time.  I love that design though.

[david bugden]

It's not an off shore boat but she'll hold her own in 15 mile close to shore no problem . She is very nimble and that adds to her charm in the waves.  But, if I was going off shore a saint Pierre can't be beat for a cheap on gas cruiser.  

[david bugden]

[david bugden]

And just a heads up.. Don't cheap like I did on the console seams .... Glass every part in with weave.   I had to go back over it after a few days use as there is enough flex in the hull the seams will show through the paint with out the fibreglass cloth. 

[Dale Niemann]

I love my 'Salty' Marissa.  She has a 60 HP Yahama. She moves and handles very well. I am thinking about selling her in late July after my son leaves for HI.

I have too many boats.  I just do not use her much because I love sailing more than motoring.

dale

[Hirilonde]

On 7/1/2018 at 9:27 AM, Dale Niemann said:

I have too many boats.  I just do not use her much because I love sailing more than motoring.

dale

You had me with it about the sailing over motoring, but to stoop to saying there is even such a thing as too many boats?

[Dale Niemann]

Thanks Dave.  I appreciate your position.  The real problem is HOA rules, I have to pay big bucks to store them.  They will just not all fit in my garage.

[david bugden]

I read about your "salty" she looked like a beautiful boat.  I can't believe that so much nasty government peoples wanna limit how many boats a guy can have :) .  Haters!!  I don't have too many problems here in Canada as I live in a small town....er ... except with the drool spots I get on my rails.  Evvveryboddddy knows my boat ... even the fish cops ( sigh)  so if ya want you can bring that boat up this way just to give them two targets to chase. 

[david bugden]

Mentioned to ask dale how fast does she travel with a 60 hp I think I'm right in the sweet spot with a 40 hp,  not under powered even with 4 adults on board .  I get 27 miles an hour with 1 25 with 2 and about 24 .5 with 4 adults.  Other then that you don't have issues jumping to plane just lose a little speed.  That could be addressed with a more aggressive prop but then I wouldn't be able to troll.  Up against a 50 hp on another boat I kicked his ( butt) and burned half as much fuel .  Literally had to tow him back to the dock as he ran out of fuel while I fished the rest of the day off my same size tank .  :) I mmade sure to haul him slooowwwly past all the other boats fishing on the Bay. 

[david bugden]

[david bugden]

Got my night lights inside the hull up under the rails .  Oh, and the picture above , the one with the guy being towed lost trying to match a ,50 hp 2 stroke against a fuel sipping Marissa eco 18  .. He used a bigger tank I( I found this out later ) I used the issued 20 ltr  don't worry I told him all about why homebuilt boats designed by professional designers were way better the commercial ones. 

[Dale Niemann]

Salty will do about 32 mph full speed.  I rarely run her at that speed though.  I went to 60 because of fuel injection.  Graham said that she could handle a 60 but that should be the high limit.

 

dale

[david bugden]

long story short I have 593 miles on my Marissa in 3 months.  She is like a duck on water... no issues at all.  In that time I've had one "groupie" ghosting me. Finally he had the courage to stop and talk.   He is an old time boat builder that just loves the b and b design.   He couldn't get over the fuel sipping design ( 14 liters for a full day with a Honda 40.. Full day = 9hrs trolling and travel)  but said he was sold the day he watched her punching a 4 foot chop.  Long story short I took him for a drive and he is ordering the plans from b and b.

[Steve W]

On 7/1/2018 at 9:27 AM, Dale Niemann said:

I love my 'Salty' Marissa.  She has a 60 HP Yahama. She moves and handles very well. I am thinking about selling her in late July after my son leaves for HI.

I have too many boats.  I just do not use her much because I love sailing more than motoring.

dale

Dale, I just saw this. When you are ready to sell your boat, I may be interested. My wife probably wouldn't be thrilled if I immediately built another boat, but I sure like that design.