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Old 08-29-2013, 11:43 PM   #21
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Probably the better question is who doesn't like a Huckins?
Raises hand.

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Old 08-30-2013, 04:32 AM   #22
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Some pictures...

Huckins Yachts - YachtForums.Com
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Old 08-30-2013, 09:04 AM   #23
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Rogue after seeing those pics I'm not drool'in so much. Many to most of them have a boxy school bus look. Like a lot of old boats only the forefoot has much deadrise and the rest of the hull seems rather flat. Once you get on plane it may as well all be flat. I'm see'in the relevance of TAD's comments earlier. Sometimes one remembers stuff from youth a bit more grandiose than it really was.
However see the bright hand rail and the cockpit coaming mirror each other. A very nice touch but just a detail.
And as much as I like wood boats the pics of rot on page 8 aren't very uplifting.

But I don't think my memory is wrong about boats called "Wheeler". From NY as I recall.
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Old 08-30-2013, 09:36 AM   #24
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Eric said, " I took a course on design in college and we concluded (after a weeks debate) that design was "an organized solution to a problem".


I can buy into that. I think that certain ratios of features are a big part of that such as Georgian architecture that I had mentioned. Palladio certainly had an eye for it. It also shows in many boat designs that appeal to me such as Burgers and Hereshoff designs.

This organization or ratio carries even into the perception of the human face. Most women that are considered beautiful have faces that are structured according to certain parameters. Of course not all women considered beautiful fall into these classic proportions. Sophia Loren's face did not yet she was and is to me a strikingly beautiful woman. So, I guess it is how the elements combine to create a pleasing design.

The infinite number of ways to combine elements assures that new designs will always be coming forward. Taste changes, and designs are caste away. However the good designs become classics.
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Old 08-30-2013, 02:50 PM   #25
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We got into the ratio and perportion thing in an art appreciation class. We studied mostly paintings but I still remember that Don.

And yes the question of what makes a design beautiful is a very complicated thing. Lots of interrelationships between the elements of all that is involved. Seat of the pants opinions are often lacking but expert judgement isn't foolproof either.

Marin has one of the best looking trawlers around and he thinks it's ugly. But a PT boat .... Beautiful.
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Old 09-02-2013, 08:35 AM   #26
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Raises hand.

I even like your namesake, a 1954 Huckins with new IPS installed.

Video: Northern Spy, 1954 Huckins Fairform Flyer | Maine

Huckins builds what people will will pay for and builds them well:

1986 Huckins Custom Convertible Power Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com
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Old 09-02-2013, 09:42 AM   #27
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Wasn't Natalie Wood pushed to her death off a Huckins? Huckins like Tucker built and designed a rig that caught the attention of creative free thinking souls that will choose form over function every time. Maybe that is why JFK liked PTs and Marilyn Monroe.

Lest I digress too far, Tad Roberts pretty well nails it, if you want to keep your fillings stay off a Huckins in a sloppy sea. A few miles in a 60' Hatteras or Riviera in 6' seas at 20 knots will convince you that a better boat than a Huckins does indeed exist.
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Old 09-02-2013, 10:13 AM   #28
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Originally Posted by Moonstruck
Probably the better question is who doesn't like a Huckins?


Quote:
Originally Posted by Northern Spy View Post
Raises hand.

I like their long straight sheer. Seems to possess power and fortells of speed. I like the flair at the bow and concave forefoot. I like the long gradual and linear progression of tumblehome aft. I like the straight across cabin/s and narrow windows. The over all look of the Huckin's visually is strength and speed and the knowing that both prevail amplifies the visual.

I don't like the huge salon windows on some boats. It looks like there's a giant hole through the boat w no mass. Makes the boat look weak in that spot. Don't care for the flat topped cabins and boxy lines of same. The overall "side of school bus" look.

Compared to some or many newer boats they look great though. Much of the newer offerings (cruisers mostly) have a plastic Disneyland stupid look about them as though they were designed by a bunch of yuppies that knew nothing about boats and seamanship. Perhaps boats are again styled after cars. And one of the really special things about the Huckin's is that they totally lack any trace of the "this years rocket ship" look. To get that far away from what ther'e doing now (the boat show rockets) is a very strong plus. And I like that about the Huckin's too.

Not a visual but I like the fact that they are wood and strong and light as a result but even lighter as the builder respects that too. The general high efficiency could be counted as well. More so now than in their day. I wonder if a 40' Huckin's would make 20 knots on half the fuel (or even less) than that of a contemporary boat of the same volume/size? Just something else to ponder as you admire a Huckin's.

Spy,
What is it about the Huckin's that you dislike?
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Old 09-02-2013, 10:47 PM   #29
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Spy,
What is it about the Huckin's that you dislike?
Fair question.

When I think more about it, I would say there is probably nothing that I dislike about them, more that I just don't like them.

If form follows function, then the function of a Huckins is to be seen on a Huckins. They don't seem to do anything else rather well. The remind me of a Rolls Royce Corniche convertible. Certainly they are both high quality, handmade items, but even if I had the means, I wouldn't be inclined to own such an object as their function has no purpose to me.

I just don't see them either attractive or admirable, that's all.
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Old 09-03-2013, 07:31 AM   #30
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And I didn't mean to imply that Great Laker said anything untrue. I took a course on design in college and we concluded (after a weeks debate) that design was "an organized solution to a problem".
A few more thoughts on "design".

A design is derived from requirements. What is to be designed?

Good requirements are directly verifiable. For example: shall be 40-42 feet long, have twin diesels, and use no more than 2 gph at 8 knots. Some requirements may be somewhat ambiguous and not directly verifiable. For example: shall have long sleek lines, or shall be beautiful to behold.

If you give the requirements indepently to 10 designers, you would get 10 different designs all of which meet the directly verifiable requirements. (In fact, there are an infinite number of unique designs that could be generated that meet the directly verifiable requirements.)

At the same time, people reviewing these designs would find some more "beautiful" than others. These are subjective opinions.

A company that is selecting a design to invest and built for sale, should pick one that they believe, based on market surveys or previous experience, would be viewed as "fit for purpose" by their potential buyers.

In my case, I concluded that the American Tug 34 best met all of my requirements for a boat to do the Great Loop, and I loved the look! Incidentally, I might have passed on the AT if I didn't like the "look", so the "somewhat ambiguous" requirements can be the most important (think iphone or ipad).
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Old 09-06-2013, 03:10 PM   #31
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Grew Up on a Huckins

My Dad had a Huckins built back in the 50s - he was tall and tired of hitting his head on our 50' Chris Craft Constellation and dealing with the aging Hercules diesels. The Huckins was a great cruising yacht - I spent time on the ICW north and south, the Bahamas and part of the "Great Loop" as far as the intersection of the Illinois and the Mississippi (the only section left undone for me is from that point to Mobile AL).

I'm not sure why so much diss'ng of these fine yachts? She is designed for coastal cruising, which, my guess is, the most any of us ever do? Yes, a few take off for ocean voyages and need the range and sea-keeping ability of a Nordhavn, Kadey-Krogen or custom Neville or Seaton. But, most are within a reasonable distance of a safe harbor should storms start to brew.

I've crossed the Gulf Stream in 6 footers coming from the north on the Huckins - Yes, it was uncomfortable - but, certainly not dangerous. And we were able to maintain a speed that kept us in the slop a bit less than had we been aboard a true voyager. I feel there is confusion over sea-worthy and sea-kindliness? Most well-designed, well-built boats are sea-worthy (in the right hands) but many can be a bit less than sea-kindly.

For a fast cruising yacht, it is my guess that the Huckins rides as well as most - maybe a bit harder in rough weather than a deep-V, Ray Hunt-style hull. Having built quite a few modified V fast cruisers and a few deep-V ones, I feel I have a good idea as to a suitable ride - that crew that was whining about the Huckins on the Gulf coast maybe doesn't venture much outside the inlet?

One of the best features of the Huckins is the V-drive that keeps the 6-71s out back, under the cockpit - easy to work on with minimal noise and vibration in the accommodation. And, as mentioned elsewhere, practical and functional interiors - ours had a cork cabin sole that was easy to maintain and non-skid. Minimal bright work. An electrical/mechanical room separate from the engine room for all the high-maintenance pieces of equipment - easy to access.

As a fast coastal cruiser, you'd have to look far and wide to do better than a Huckins. If you buy a wood one, make sure you survey her.

Attached is a water color of our Huckins.
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Old 09-06-2013, 03:23 PM   #32
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Nice story, thanks for the info.
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Old 09-06-2013, 05:26 PM   #33
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"Grew Up on a Huckins"

Thanks for that Reuben. Along with all you said, John Austin Taylor paintings always compliment a yacht. The paintings are still valued as well.
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Old 09-06-2013, 08:46 PM   #34
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rjtrane wrote,

"features of the Huckins is the V-drive that keeps the 6-71s out back, under the cockpit"

I'm not a fan of V drives.
One of the nicest things about inboards is the great balance achieved by the weight concentrated amidships. The Huckins as a light boat w her engines aft is probably a good formula for a hard ride.

I've always admired these boats w their long straight lines and no nonsense flair but I had no idea they had aft mounted engines. Heavy engines w the added weight of the V drives too.

Were some Huckins built w midship mounted straight drive engines?
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Old 09-07-2013, 02:43 AM   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Northern Spy View Post
Fair question.

When I think more about it, I would say there is probably nothing that I dislike about them, more that I just don't like them.

If form follows function, then the function of a Huckins is to be seen on a Huckins. They don't seem to do anything else rather well. The remind me of a Rolls Royce Corniche convertible. Certainly they are both high quality, handmade items, but even if I had the means, I wouldn't be inclined to own such an object as their function has no purpose to me.

I just don't see them either attractive or admirable, that's all.
I'm with Spy here. To me they just look like 'speedboats'...and the superstructure lines are a bit 'busy' and conflicting in some ways...old fashioned, if you like...but that's just me...and Spy, I guess...
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Old 09-07-2013, 09:33 PM   #36
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Beauty to me represents functionality with a fair swath of artistically balanced curves and flairs and lines and colors and textures... all mixed together in applicable dimensions to correctly represent the inherent nature (the very being, so to say) of any particular item.

Boats as example:

13’3” Boston Whaler is a beauty. So are most Huckins. Tall mast sail boats present and hold a presence to behold. WWII Battle ships are beautiful designs, as are PT boats. Some models and years of Chris Craft as well as Tollycraft, Bertram, Uniflite, Grand Banks and other boat brands are also beautiful... to me, that is!

Cars as example:

Vetts, Porsche, MB’s, Tesla, Wildcat, 1955 Cadillac... and... many other models/years provide real beauty to some peoples mind’s eye... such as mine, that is!

Humans as example:

Boy we could get deep into this one – LOL! What may be appealing to another person may be thought of as not too good by another... nuff said!

My conclusion to the above is that each design emanating from human brain, and/or powers beyond our control, and/or needs of natural necessity becomes capable to form visual pictures of complete independence to each person viewing. And, the mind driven context that each person uses to distinguish beauty is as independent as fingerprints... in that, said context is a sum culmination derived from the person’s life learning and experiences.

I like most boats, love some, adore a few. Those I like, love or adore are my personal choices that stem from my decades of boating and marine encounters. Yours likes may well differ from mine... I can nearly guarantee you life in the marine world is/was different than mine. That’s why beauty not only stems from being in the eye of the beholder... but also stems from every second of our individual lives... the fabric of what we have developed into!

Cheers!
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Old 09-08-2013, 10:19 AM   #37
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Beauty to me represents functionality with a fair swath of artistically balanced curves and flairs and lines and colors and textures... all mixed together in applicable dimensions to correctly represent the inherent nature (the very being, so to say) of any particular item.

Boats as example:

13’3” Boston Whaler is a beauty. So are most Huckins. Tall mast sail boats present and hold a presence to behold. WWII Battle ships are beautiful designs, as are PT boats. Some models and years of Chris Craft as well as Tollycraft, Bertram, Uniflite, Grand Banks and other boat brands are also beautiful... to me, that is!

Cars as example:

Vetts, Porsche, MB’s, Tesla, Wildcat, 1955 Cadillac... and... many other models/years provide real beauty to some peoples mind’s eye... such as mine, that is!

Humans as example:

Boy we could get deep into this one – LOL! What may be appealing to another person may be thought of as not too good by another... nuff said!

My conclusion to the above is that each design emanating from human brain, and/or powers beyond our control, and/or needs of natural necessity becomes capable to form visual pictures of complete independence to each person viewing. And, the mind driven context that each person uses to distinguish beauty is as independent as fingerprints... in that, said context is a sum culmination derived from the person’s life learning and experiences.

I like most boats, love some, adore a few. Those I like, love or adore are my personal choices that stem from my decades of boating and marine encounters. Yours likes may well differ from mine... I can nearly guarantee you life in the marine world is/was different than mine. That’s why beauty not only stems from being in the eye of the beholder... but also stems from every second of our individual lives... the fabric of what we have developed into!

Cheers!

Well stated

Most of us are in the same sea of ideas as we chug along separate courses to different destinations.
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Old 12-14-2013, 06:26 AM   #38
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Huckins yachts

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rjtrane wrote,

"features of the Huckins is the V-drive that keeps the 6-71s out back, under the cockpit"

I'm not a fan of V drives.
One of the nicest things about inboards is the great balance achieved by the weight concentrated amidships. The Huckins as a light boat w her engines aft is probably a good formula for a hard ride.
E
I've always admired these boats w their long straight lines and no nonsense flair but I had no idea they had aft mounted engines. Heavy engines w the added weight of the V drives too.
Wavy
Were some Huckins built w midship mounted straight drive engines?
Deep V was my best choice, cruising to the Bahamas on a 31 Bertram head seas was in my opinion the very best, then the Trojan 10 meter with a delta conic hull came out, what a ride!!, soft, fast and DRY, we still own that 1982 boat, 30 kt full speed, or 24 kt cruising 1 MPG with cummins 6bta 370 HP.
I also purchased a deep V Luhrs 40 open with T 500 HP yanmar, removed the heavy tower, the engine hatch, cockpit and cabin floors and made new ones in Nida core, new special furniture, a fwd ballast tank to help during bad seas.. We did 38kt!!! But my wife refused to come back with us to the Bahamas... Then A customer came to us with a Huckins 65 cold molded, was to me the most elegant classic boat, practical engine room, easy to service, mid engines with straight shafts, no V drives, T 650 HP v12 d25 man, FLAT bottom!!! I was working also for Bertram yachts fabricating all their 67 hulls and decks, installing on all of them the air conditioning and accessories, we had to sea trial them often, the ride was incredible but the fuel consumption was very high.
The 65 Huckins hull #406sea trial at 18kt was showing almost 1 MPG.. The ride was very very nice, so nice that after 35 years dealing with yachts and mega yachts and 9 years waiting for the right Huckins few weeks ago I made the move. "Huckins is contagious"
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Old 12-14-2013, 06:29 AM   #39
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The Huckins #406 65 1971

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Deep V was my best choice, cruising to the Bahamas on a 31 Bertram head seas was in my opinion the very best, then the Trojan 10 meter with a delta conic hull came out, what a ride!!, soft, fast and DRY, we still own that 1982 boat, 30 kt full speed, or 24 kt cruising 1 MPG with cummins 6bta 370 HP.
I also purchased a deep V Luhrs 40 open with T 500 HP yanmar, removed the heavy tower, the engine hatch, cockpit and cabin floors and made new ones in Nida core, new special furniture, a fwd ballast tank to help during bad seas.. We did 38kt!!! But my wife refused to come back with us to the Bahamas... Then A customer came to us with a Huckins 65 cold molded, was to me the most elegant classic boat, practical engine room, easy to service, mid engines with straight shafts, no V drives, T 650 HP v12 d25 man, FLAT bottom!!! I was working also for Bertram yachts fabricating all their 67 hulls and decks, installing on all of them the air conditioning and accessories, we had to sea trial them often, the ride was incredible but the fuel consumption was very high.
The 65 Huckins hull #406sea trial at 18kt was showing almost 1 MPG.. The ride was very very nice, so nice that after 35 years dealing with yachts and mega yachts and 9 years waiting for the right Huckins few weeks ago I made the move. "Huckins is contagious"
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Old 12-14-2013, 06:37 AM   #40
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Huckins yachts

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This is our Trojan delta conic hull, we also love this boat...
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