So what's with these boats ?

[bgreene]

I like the classic lines of the V-20 but read widely different opinions that range from:

" Ride is harsh, pounds, transoms are weak, fairly flimsy " ...........to

" Great riding, seaworthy, well made boat "


For those that own these boats, appreciate some feedback.
Thanks

[step up here]

try riding in some 20' boats keep in mine their is no perfect boat for all use. but if you ride in any boats of the same size in the same conditions you will see the v20 will be one of the top runners. you be the judge!

[Mulv80]

They are the perfect Delaware Bay and Inshore boat. The ride is largely overrated as they will and do pound in any kind of chop, tabs help. They are lighter than they look and it shows in the construction. In my opinion they are not that well built, but have managed to last in some cases for 40 + years, so go figure. The perfect motor is a 150 which make them economical to run, and the cockpit space is second to none in the 20' class. Transoms, floors and rot areas are no different than any other boat of the same vintage.

[macojoe]

Welcome to the site!!

" Ride is harsh, pounds, transoms are weak, fairly flimsy " ...........to

Well the CC rides best of all as far as I can say. I have never rode in the Dual Console but I bet they are a close 2nd. And the Cuddy, they ride nice but tend to be a bit heavy up front and tends to bang at times.
That said those that have added Trim Tabs love the ride and they are a great close to shore boat and have tons of room! You can dive, tube, fish, curz, anything!

Flimsy??? Who ever said that has never been near a V20!! They are solid rock hulls! You will find nothing new that is as strong!

" Great riding, seaworthy, well made boat "

You can bet your life on it!! I took a 10 foot wave over the bow, and filled the boat to the gunnles with water and she went thur like a champ! after some bailing that is! But the boat was un hurt!
I will say there is not another 20 footer out there that I would feel safer in!

transoms are weak

Considering that they ran for the most part from 1970 to 1994 that makes the oldest 40 years old and the newest 16 years old they do pretty good!

Yes there are plenty that need work but for there age there are plenty that re just fine, and if you are not afraid of some work you will have a great sea worthy boat for cheap!

I sold mine 3 years ago after 9 years as I have grown out of it with chasing Tuna, Shark, 30 miles off shore for Cod and such.
But if I could afford 2 boats I would buy anoter one in a second for inshore!

Look in the for sale section, Willy has one sweet cuddy for sale right now!

[Blue_Runner]

Do they make a 20 ft boat that doesn't pound? Heck do they make a boat under 25ft that doesn't pound in sloppy conditions. Plus if it is that bad out even a big sporty may not pound but will make you turn green and blow grits. I've been in some pretty nasty chop making 100 + mile round trips and I haven't met a sea I could not run 12 -15 mph in. Was it comfy? Nope. Did we come back 2" shorter? Yes. Did I have to have fillings replaced? Yes. But it wouldn't have been comfy in any other boat either. A bigger boat would have been more confortable but still not comfy.

Look at how long they made them and how many they sold over all of those years of production and it is easy to see what the fuss is about. I would recommend looking in the History section off the main page at the brochures for each year. Read what it says about the V20/21. It pretty much sums it up.

I wonder if the new boats of today will even hold up for 16 years? Let alone 30 yrs. Doubtfully.

I would like to ride in a cc.

[charlie_the_tuna]

any ride will be harsh if you choose to run 4 footers at 3/4 throttle. i've owned a few boats in this and other size classes and i will say this boat is one of the best 20's i've owned, ridden in or fished from. i've had the boat 20 miles offshore and never gave a second thought about getting home. you dock a boat in saltwater for 30 years and you'll surely experience some rot. the real lure of these boats is that there are so many of them, you're sure to find the right one at the right price. for someone looking to get into boating cheap, you wont find a more solid reliable boat for the money. buy with confidence and enjoy.

[Destroyer]

Allow me to add to the comments. One of my first boats many, many, years ago was a V20.. I loved it, but it was too small for my growing family and my plans to go far offshore.... so I sold it and moved up to a 30' luhrs... good boat but after a few years it needed more repairs than I could afford.. plus the dockage fees were eating me alive. Went through several other boats in about the same class, finally ending up with a 25' John Allmand. (Great solid boat in all honesty) But as things have a habit of doing, time and age catches up to all of us, including me. I finally went back to a V20 simply because I can trailer it and avoid all those nasty dock slip fees, and it's easy for one person to launch and retrieve. It's ride is mostly dry due to the extremely wide flare on the bow... more so than the average carolina flare you find on boats. (FYI, In the right conditions we used to take tons of spray on the 410' long Destroyer I was on in the Navy... there is no such thing as a completely dry boat.) My boat is a 1978, and the transom is as solid today as the day she was built. Yes, you can and will find these boats with soft transoms that need replacing... it all depends on how the boat was treated and what maintenance was done to it during it's lifetime. I feel safer in my V20 than I did in my 30' Luhrs. It's a solid, well built boat that can take a wave that would swamp another boat, shake it off and look for more. It will get you home when a lot of other boats will not, and that's what I was looking for more than anything else. Find one, buy one, use one... you'll be like us and fall in love with it. Guarenteed!

[tsubaki]

It's a V thing, you wouldn't understand.











I couldn't help myself.

[charlie_the_tuna]

also, keep in mind that this is THE original deep V hull and as such has not kept up with technology. it wont give you the same soft re-entry of a potter hul but when you're out beyond sight of land and it starts to kick up, she'll get you home.

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by tsubaki

It's a V thing, you wouldn't understand.
I couldn't help myself.