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Towee Boats - thoughts?

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8K views 8 replies 7 participants last post by  ptychocheilus 
#1 ·
Interested in getting thoughts on Towee boats for NW waters. I like the versatility that this boat might offer for fishing rivers (w jet option), the sheltered Puget Sound (switch to prop), large lakes, and drifting rivers (< class iii) with the rowing frame. I know there are a number of boats built in aluminum that can do most of this (I currently own a Wooldridge, a raft, 2 prams, and a kayak) but this skiff may let me downsize the fleet a little (maybe get rid of the kayak... maybe).

I really like the lightweight. Since I don't fish out of the boat on rivers it's great to have a boat that is easy to tow, launch, beach, and planes at low speed when picking through rocks. From what I have read from the guys who fish bass, musky, and the flats in the SE (built in Tennessee), these boats are pretty tough however they have been around for a few years and they don't appear to have too many on the West coast. Thoughts?

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#2 ·
A couple points. The design, with a hard chine will be stable, hand laid is a positive depending on their lay-up schedule. The flat bottom will help with stability but won't ride very smooth in the chop of a rough day. 16' long and only 51" beam? I have an 8' pram with a 51" beam and it still rows like a hot rod in the water. That might change your mind a bit after taking it in some of your wish list locations;
"fishing rivers (w jet option)" Sure. Big, deep, wide rivers and no rocks even with the jet.
"the sheltered Puget Sound (switch to prop)" Perfect as long as you keep an eye on the weather.
"large lakes" Again, watch the weather. Anchoring the bow of a pointy bow boat is kinda tough.
"drifting rivers (< class iii) with the rowing frame." Absolutely not. Too flat, no gunwale height, no rake to the bow and no angle to the stern of the boat which seems like it is set up to row from.

I would also want a little more weight to stabilize the boat. I know, you're scratching your head right now. If you build two boats out of the same mold but build one 50# heavier (in this case) you would "think" the heavier boat was different because it would seem more stable due to ballast. Things just happen slower. Works in all boats. It's a trailered boat anyway.

My thoughts are for flats and very calm, sheltered waters it looks like a great design. Beyond that I think you're stretching it beyond it's limits. Just one builders perspective who doesn't have a dog in the fight.

Jim Wheeler
Spring Creek Prams
 
#3 ·
What Jim said, plus...

Flat bottom will provide a lot of initial stability.

Switching to a prop? It is not a plug and play option.

I used to fish the Sound maybe 120 days per year before I got burnt out on fishing all day for the 20 minute bite. In that time I owned two boats, both 17' long. My Triumph was, what I considered, the perfect Sound boat. I didn't go out in windy conditions - because boat drift and casting on a windy day sucks. The only reason I felt that I needed a 17' boats was for other boats' wakes. There were many days when it was dead flat and someone with a huge pleasure boat would come along, not quite on plane, throwing the biggest wake that they could, and I'd start up the motor and point the bow into the incoming wake or quarter it - and many times I still took on water.

You'd really have to choose your days and locations. I've often felt hat if it weren't for wakes a 18'+ flats boat would be killer for the Sound.

Plus... shipping from TN is going to be stupid expensive when compared to the cost of the hull. When I was looking at a Flats boat in FL I think shipping was $2K - but oil was $80 a barrel as well. I'm not opposed to paying the shipping, but there are so many better options out there on the used market.
 
#4 · (Edited)
As the current owner of @martyg's Triumph I'm gonna chime in here and I concur with both his and Jim's opinions.

I don't have much experience on rivers so no opinion there.

I spend most of my boating time on Puget Sound. My concerns with the Towee would be the narrow beam, the flat-bottomed hull and what looks to be shallow freeboard.

That one picture shows a 90 Etec mounted on the stern. The weight of that motor (nearly 400 lbs.) would drop your stern down into the water a lot!

You say your Sound travels would be in sheltered waters but any of our local waters can become a wind-tossed maelstrom under the wrong conditions.

Even in my 17' Triumph with a 78" beam I've been tossed around like a pea in a boxcar when the wind starts cranking. Wakes from large commercial vessels can get the boat rocking where the gunwales are nearly touching the water!

It looks like a nice rig but, IMHO, I'd restrict the boating to protected waters.

Just my 2¢!
 
#6 ·
That looks like a cool boat, and I like the duel purpose idea, but with all the boats built in Puget Sound over the last 100+ years I have never seen a hull like this one designed for our waters.

For Puget Sound boats, I think beam, freeboard and mass to handle quartering seas. This boat would likely begin rocking and roll over.

Just my initial thoughts. Like you, I love to think about boats!
 
#8 ·
Thanks all - good to get the input from guys who know boats. It's been said before but you really do need at least 5 boats to have the best solution for all of the different waters we fish in the NW. One boat to cover different situations will inevitably lead to some compromises and I have to decide which ones I'm willing to accept.

Jim, I've owned one of your stillwater classic prams and it was a good boat for the smaller lakes I fish (great for cartopping). I ended up building a very lightweight 9 ft pram that I really enjoy. I have never had a problem with a boat being too light as I always seem to have multiple anchors, batteries, gear boxes, etc. etc that weigh me down enough to improve the handling.

I actually think this boat would make a decent driftboat on many of the rivers I fish. Most of the rivers I see guys using traditional driftboats on, the driftboat is complete overkill for that water. There are only a handful of rivers in the NW where you really need a traditional driftboat (parts of the Deschutes, McKenzie, Rogue, Wenatchee, Calawah) and in those rivers a raft or PWC is probably the better option. Many of the new "skiff" style driftboats (Adipose, Headhunter) are flat bottom with very little rocker and they handle many NW rivers where trout and steelhead live without difficulty.

If the jet outboard is kept to less than 150lbs I think it would make a decent sled for skinny water. A lot of guys in Alaska swear by their freighter canoes with a small jet or surface drive outboard for getting into very skinny drainages for fishing and moose hunting. This boat has a lot of the characteristics of a small freighter canoe.

I'm going to look around a bit before making any decision but I will report back if I go this route and get some use out of it.

Thanks for the input.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Two cents: I've fished out of a couple different Towees a good bit; one with a 20/25 Tohatsu and another with a 15 Merc. If I didn't already have an aluminum sled with a 40/30 on it, I'd own one. If you can only have one boat, it's one hell of a compromise. It's much more stable than you'd guess from its specs, rows great, is quiet to fish from, and is very well-constructed. We've dropped into some crazy non-ramp access points on shallow rivers, and dragged it over boulder fields without much damage other than some light surface scratches. It's not designed for class III, but if you have a clean line... ;) As for open water capabilities, it's not meant for tackling big unprotected water... but we've hit passes in the Gulf on the wrong tides with unexpected winds (butt-cheeks firmly clenched) and I was impressed with how the hull handled it... Pick your days and spots and you should be fine.
 
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