[bradford]

Like Ridge said, the 18 is a totally different hull than the V20. The v20 is 20 ft 6inches and has a 20 degree deadrise transom. The 18 is 18 ft long, but has a lot less deadrise, not sure how much, one of the old brochures in the gallery should tell us. Ray Hunt invented the deep V, V20 hull in 1956 and several manufacturers produced them over the years with Wellcraft actually buying the rights to the patents and building them from 1970 until 1995 or so. Both the V20 and V18 hulls are huge though compared to hulls the same size built in the last 20 years with euro transoms, extra floatation foam, and molded in bow pulpits which manufacturers cheat with and include in their advertised hull length. All boats have their pluses and minuses, but I think overall for the money the Wellcraft V20s are in the top few. You can have a $1200 project, or a semi custom restored one with thousands of dollars poured into them and both have the huge flair, tons of deck room, and classic good looks that will get compliments from seasoned old salts as well as newbies that will double take the sharp entry, flaired bow, and reverse tumblehome transom. All that being said these were massed produced boats that were sold by a big corporation for a profit. A lot eventually have soft decks and hatches, wet transoms, and rotted stringers. Some of this is from cheaper construction and possibly depends on whether yours was layed up on a friday at 4pm, but I think most has to do with previous owners neglect, and not properly installing and sealing accessories over the years. If you can find one that has been loved and cared for by an old man for her entire life, or one that someone has spent some bucks repairing and updating, those are your best bet. Keep in mind though that boats cost money to own. There will always be something that needs attention, repair, or replacement. The good thing is whatever you're doing to your V20, someone here has already been down the road and can lend free guidance and advice on your project. Best of Luck!