The V line from WELLCRAFT were called steplift hulls. They were based off of the famous Ray Hunt 24 1/2 degree deep vee hulls that made the FORMULA 233, and most all of the smaller BERTRAM's(20-28 footers) famous. Basically they took the 24 1/2 degree deep vee hull and dropped it back to a 20 degree vee at the transom, but maintained the sharp deep entry and added in a Carolina bow flare to it to keep the spray down. This resulted in a slightly slower hull in a rough sea, but required less HP to push it as deep vee hulls are very power hungry to get on plane even with the 6 lifting strakes. It was basically a compromise hull. The 248 is only a 18 degree deadrise at the transom, and the 228 is only 16. Less transom deadrise means it takes less HP to push it on plane and to speed, but is flatter which results in more of a pounding in a heavy sea under way. BUT a hull with less deadrise and a sharp bow angle tends to be stable at anchor whereas boats with a deep vee can snap from one side to the other while drifting or at anchor.

Personally I feel the best compromise hull design built was the POTTER built SEACRAFTS with the variable deadrise hulls. The 23 SEACRAFT has a sharp entry(even sharper than that of the FORMULA 233 or BERTRAMS), but has a multi-angle deadrise in the transom where the bottom is 24 1/2 degrees and working up to the outside is only 18 degrees of deadrise. But my DREAM boat is a BERTRAM 25 flybridge with a single BRAVO 3 I/O set-up and a small block in front of it.

Great info. Thanks! :clap:

I'd have to second what Ferm said about the 23 SeaCraft, I don't think there is a better 23 hull out there(its a big 23 as well). I've run SeaCrafts, 233 Formulas, Gradys, Contenders, Regulators(pretty nice), and a bunch of other hulls, but I haven't seen a 23 to equal the SeaCaft in ride and efficiency, it can be a bit wet though. I have to one up Ferm on the dream boat though, I want a 26 Bertram, with a pair of outboards on a bracket. The 25 is a better looking boat, but that 26 bertram is a better hull.

So while we are at it and there seems to be some very knowledgeable members responding, how do the following manufacturers compare to Wellcraft in the V20 category;
Mako, Shamrock, Privateer, Aquasport ? ? ?

They all PALE in comparison. :fam:

Hey Seacurity, check out the 1970 catalog. There's the V20, V21, and V23! I just noticed it today...prompted by this post.

1970 V20
http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/cat_1970/03_G

1970 V21
http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/cat_1970/08_G

1970 V23 - check out that hard top.
http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/cat_1970/10_G

Twin 120 hp I/O
http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/cat_1970/09_G

Pretty darn cool for 1970!

I know people that love the Mako's, I personally don't care for them, once you get one big enough to go offshore, they take big power to push it, the smaller ones are decent inshore boats, their compartment drain system can be a nightmare to repair.
Aqua sports were pretty cool back in their earlier years, I don't like any of them with the high deck(area above the rub rail), they have a history of poor construction in the later years. I recently looked at a 22 with the low deck, its a great looking boat, long and narrow, looks kinda like a panga
Shamrocks are a nitch boat, takes the right person to have one, they are not for every one. That being said, I think they look pretty cool, with a diesel it would be a cool boat to own. The gas inboards drink an obscene amount of fuel. Can't do much in shallow water with them, and regardless of power, they aren't going anywhere fast.
Privateers are comercial boats, very simular to Parkers and C Hawks, Parkers are a bit nicer. Most of them usually have very little dead rise at the stern, makes them ride a bit rough. They are built like a tank. Not many of them around as they are a small manufacture, only have one dealer.

I absolutely LOVE the 26 BERTRAM, but I know it requires a bit more HP to push and there pretty rare. I want a boat with long range to it myself that can cruise pretty economically, AND do a couple overnighters comfortably.

Ferm, I got educated by a guy who had a 26 bertram with a single 225 opti, I told him it was probably a pig, he said it would run 42 mph before he put the tower and bottom painted it, after wards, it ran 37mph, he was able to cruise at 30mph , burning hardley any fuel. I called BS, he assured me that it would do it. I started researching it on line, found a mercruy boat house bullitin where a 26 was run with a pair of 150 V6 back in '76. The boat had a factory hardtop on it and ran close to 60. You figure the old 150's were close to 135(270 total) as rated today, combined with the weight of twins(around 700 lbs) compaired to a 225 Opti (closer to 240 hp), weight of a single (500 lbs), that performce claim of 42 doesn't seem to far off. I've ridden in a couple of 26 bertrams with 4.3 MPI's(220 hp each) that I saw 61 on the GPS at WOT. There are two of the 26's here locally that Cummins has been running, one with twin 1.6L Merc(Isuzu) 135 hp motors, and one with twin Merc(VM) 150 hp engines. Don't know the performance on them, but I know they have run the snot oout of them. I'd love to have a 26 with a pair of 225 Optis or 200 4 strokes

That's odd then as the early 80's 26 foot MOPPIE with a pair of 200's only said to hit the mid 50's to low 60's. I want to build up a single I/O with a BRAVO 3 myself. Something that can have an easy 250-300 miles of range and overnight. I may be broke as a joke right now:nut:, but I can still dream:beer:.