Comparison of Hull Shape in OUTRAGE 18 and OUTRAGE 20

[BillyB]

[This post has been separated from another discussion on a different topic. Please do not revive old topics only to change the topic of discussion to something completely different--jimh]

We are looking for a replacement for a Dauntless 15 which was used as a fishing boat and pickup truck when we cruise Alaska. The replacement boat will be towed behind our big boat, so I'd like to go a bit larger than the DAUNTLESS 15. That being said, the 22-footer is [too] large due to [constraints] when coming and going from the dock in the big boat. I don't mind the wet and wind so much, so I'm staying with a center console model.

I'm just wondering about the hull shape between the 18 and 20 Outrage. Yes, the 20 is longer and heavier, so there will be some benefits from that, but is the dead rise and bow shape the same [on both the OUTRAGE 18 and OUTRAGE 20]?

The c.1980 Outrage 20 seems to have a big smile to the bow. If [Boston Whaler] made improvements to the hull shapes on these models, when did the improvements happen? What were [the improvements]?

The Dauntless 15 used to just pound in chop, so I'm looking for some relief from that, as well as a little more interior space, which the added length and beam will provide. [The choice of what boat to replace the DAUNTLESS 15] is now just a matter of ride.

B

[jimh]

The general design of the hulls of the classic Boston Whaler OUTRAGE 18 and OUTRAGE 20 are similar. The OUTRAGE 20 has a wider beam, but I believe that its proportions are similar to the OUTRAGE 18, just scaled up a bit. As for deadrise angle at the stern, I don't know the exact values for either boat, but I would not anticipate an enormous difference. If anything, the OUTRAGE 20 might have more deadrise. None of the classic Boston Whaler Outrage-series hulls have very deep deadrise. They are all moderate deadrise boats. The very earliest OUTRAGE 20 boats do have a bit less deadrise than the later hulls. For details see the REFERENCE article about the 1978–1985 Outrage V–20:

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/V20Outrage/

[jimh]

The following comments were posted in the other thread in reply to your request for information on this new topic of OUTRAGE hull similarity between 18 and 20-foot models by ANDY GERE; he commented:

Billy B: A classic Outrage 20 is basically an Outrage 22 with 2 feet of hull length removed. The Outrage 18 would make a capable tender, with a great deal of interior room for a boat that size. It will be substantially better in chop than your Dauntless 15, night and day different.

[jimh]

Re Andy's comment about the OUTRAGE 20 hull being a derivative of the OUTRAGE 22 hull, but with the aft two-feet of running surface removed:

This peculiar similarity between 20 and 22 has been mentioned many times, but I don't know if it is a fact or a legend. I don't know that anyone has taken careful measurement of the OUTRAGE 20 forward hull and compared them to the OUTRAGE 22 forward hull to see if they are, indeed, identical. It would not surprise me that there is a great similarity between the OUTRAGE 20 and 22 hulls, since they have the same beam dimension.

I recall that someone even put forth the notion that the OUTRAGE 20 hull was molded by using the OUTRAGE 22 molds with some sort of special plug or filler inserted. Again, I don't know if that is true. (I am going to research that a bit more.)

The general opinion--perhaps swayed by the many comments and references--was that the OUTRAGE 20 hull was something of a red-headed step-child, and there were undesired ride characteristics that could never be overcome. However, I don't think people that actually have owned and used a classic 20-foot hull--and I am among that group having owned a REVENGE 20 for several years--would say there was anything particularly wrong about the boat.

As for the OUTRAGE 18, I think it is just a scaled down version of the larger OUTRAGE 20/22/25-foot hulls. I really do like the OUTRAGE 18 as a smaller boat. The remember driving one after having been running my own boat for a week, and thinking how the OURAGE 18 handled like a sports car. If I were not going to try to overnight on a boat and wanted a lighter, smaller, more easily handled classic Boston Whaler, I'd get an OUTRAGE 18.

[jimh]

To follow up on the deadrise, here are comments I posted earlier in a prior discussion regarding measuring deadrise. I use a photometric analysis:

Previously I measured the deadrise of the OUTRAGE V-20 hull using this same technique and found its deadrise to be 10.5°. I also measured my REVENGE 20 hull using mechanical methods and found its deadrise to be 14°. This hull is the same as the OUTRAGE 22. Now we see the OUTRAGE 25 is 16.5°. These numbers seem consistent with the generally reported trend of increasing deadrise angle in the classic hulls. I summarize my findings:

Older V-20 = 10.5° deadrise
Outrage 20, 22 = 14° deadrise
Outrage 25 = 16.5° deadrise

Cf.:
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/V20Outrage/
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000483.html

There were also some physical measurements of deadrise for the 25-foot hull that show it was about 17.25 to 17.5-degrees at the transom.