Now that I'm considering a 1975 222, how comfortable does it REALLY ride in chop? What wave height would make one weary?Are these boats "tippy"? On rough days are you obligated to run at "panga speed" or slow speeds for a risen bow?Sorry for the questions but I need to know what I'm getting into!
The drafts are close - 7" for the flatback (hull only) and 9" for the 12 degree hull.The difference in operation of the hulls is that the newer 12 degree is a planing hull with lifting strake to help get the hull up and over the bow wave as it gains speed. The FB has no lifting strake and never really planes off - the hull slices through the water and the hull rises toward the top of the water as it's speed increases. The 12 degree hull requires more HP to get on plane while the FB was designed for as little as a 75 hp engine. You'll see many FBs with 90 hp on them and it seems the ideal hp that you can comfortably handle is a 150. The 12 degree are more stable in the water and in turns but really are performance dogs unless you start with 150hp and up. The FB gets a little squirrely at higher speed and has a tendency to "bow steer" meaning that it can pull unexpectedly when you hit a wave and can change the direction of travel by 90 or more degrees in an instant.That being said, both hulls are sought after by charter captains. Some guys would actually like to have a 24' FB but that length was not made. Proline made a 24' FB. We have a lot of Proline owners here - see the "Other Classic Rebuilds" forum.Hope this helps.
How much of a project? May know of a 12 degree 222 here in stuart...