Best photos of your boat underway

Is that better Eric?

manyboats said:

Yes that's a great shot Al. A really nice picture but dosn't show you're boat well just because it's small in the picture. I have one a bit like that that has magnificent Alaska mountains in the background but Willy's so small you can just barely make out that it's Willy. Taken from a ferry deck and sent to me.

Taking good pics of one's boat underway is challenging or a matter of luck. I suspect Bob Cofer thought about that when he started this thread. I'm glad he did though. An idea for us is to have someone shoot us going through Decption Pass.

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Thanks, Eric. It was probably more my lousy crop of the photo than the photo itself. Here's a closer crop.

This is the trawler we once owned.

Don, What make was it? I`ll guess at "Blue Seas", but they might have sold under a different brand over there.

Great pics Don and nice old boat. The flag makes/saves the pic. Without it the whole pic would be rather flat and far less interesting. And the wake leading right into the boat is a nice touch.

Al 121 is OK but lacks interesting composition. It's a series of belts w horizontal lines.
122 is spot on w the different color vertical lines w the trees that tend to keep one's eye in the picture. A really good one that shows what can be done w cropping.

Don...
The second pic of your boat....
is upside down¿

Not our boat obviously, but three of my favorite "underway" photos. In the course of my work at Boeing I've been increasingly ijmpressed with the abilities and creativity of some of the photographers and cinematographers during WWII. I produced a 30 minute documentary about the B-29 a number of years ago and I and another producer went through every foot of raw film about the B-29 in the National Archives in Washington, DC. It took us two solid weeks to do it, and some of the footage, much of which had never been used before by anyone, was downright art. The same is true of the Navy photographers and cameramen.

I've worked these three shots over a bit in Photoshop to get the look I want, but basically they are what the photographers shot.

The last shot illustrates the Achilles Heel of the PTs--- the huge wakes they threw at speed. These boats operated almost exclusively at night and their nemesis was Japanese night fighters. While the boats themselves were invisible from the air against the black water the wakes practically glowed even on the darkest night. All the fighters had to do was follow the wake and then drop their bombs just ahead of them.

BruceK said:

Don, What make was it? I`ll guess at "Blue Seas", but they might have sold under a different brand over there.

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Bruce, you are spot on. It was built in the Blue Seas yard. I ordered it built from a Marine trader dealer in Annapolis.

Eric, you are also right. The USPS Ensign makes the picture. It was made by a dear late friend and cruising partner. The picture was used on the cover of our squadron membership directory for many years. Both pictures were made by some pretty good photographers. The first worked in visual arts for the Dept. of the Army. The second was in TV broadcasting. They have both passed on, but they were two of my best friends.

Al may even be in range of a couple of my friends TV stations near Chico, CA.

Gabe n Em said:

Don...
The second pic of your boat....
is upside down¿

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I don't see that it makes any difference.

Moonstruck said:

I don't see that it makes any difference.

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No, it takes a very close look to tell. It's an incredible photograph!

Gabe's right!! Holy smokes. Once I flipped my laptop upside down, the detail of the trees popped out and the boat's wake appeared right side up.

What a great photo!!

The shoreline's also in the right place when the photo is flipped.

Marin said:

The shoreline's also in the right place when the photo is flipped.

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Doh!

You mean like this?




Just kidding. I usually show it upside down. I think it's cool. Besides I like running boats inverted.

Here's one of our Uniflite sports fisher when I was young and full of P & V. I particularly like this shot because we were going home with a release marlin flag on the outrigger.

I fished on a similar boat in Hawaii that belonged to the owner of the flying service where I did all my flying. It was a 28' Uniflite Sportfisher but I don't remember if it was exactly like the one in your photo. Pwer was a pair of counter-rotating Chrysler gas V-8s driving through V-drives. The ocean in Hawaii was far too rough to ever plane the boat outside of the bay he kept it in.

the largest fish I ever brought in while fishing with him was 330 pounds. A few weeks later my friend caught a marlin that weighed in at 1,050 pounds. It was the largest marlin caught in Hawaii that year.

Neither fish was released.......

Al: Isn't this you honking on it through Deception Pass?

best one for us so far. More to come of Ten Knots underway.

Marin said:

I fished on a similar boat in Hawaii that belonged to the owner of the flying service where I did all my flying. It was a 28' Uniflite Sportfisher but I don't remember if it was exactly like the one in your photo. Pwer was a pair of counter-rotating Chrysler gas V-8s driving through V-drives. The ocean in Hawaii was far too rough to ever plane the boat outside of the bay he kept it in.

the largest fish I ever brought in while fishing with him was 330 pounds. A few weeks later my friend caught a marlin that weighed in at 1,050 pounds. It was the largest marlin caught in Hawaii that year.

Neither fish was released.......

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Marin, because of your comment about your friend's boat having V drives, it must have been a model called Mega. The Mega had more accommodations below with less cockpit. Mine was straight drive with the larger cockpit. Same power.

We didn't kill marlin or sails unless they were potential big money winners. The largest I ever caught was estimated to be between 5 and 600# off Oregon Inlet NC. It was released.

To signify a released fish the flag would be flown upside down. For a tagged fish a red T pennant would be flown under the flag. Last season some guys down the dock came in with over 20 tagged sailfish flags flying. That was a very good day.

By the way, Eric worked at Uniflite about that time, and I think had something to do with testing those hulls. Maybe he will comment.

Sails unfurled and the convenient pilothouse Dutch door in use:





Photo by FlyWright.

Don that was a long time ago and I don't recall clearly what the engine configurations were on the boats. I know for sure the boat in your post #135 was/is a Mega 28. I think the older style hulls would support the aft weight of the outdrives better as they had a warped bottom and the Mega was constant deadrise or nearly so. But the Ray Hunt style hulls (deep Vee) of the day were extremely popular as were "V" drives. So Mega's w V drives would be a natural to get cabin space on that size boat. The Mega was designed by Kieth Walton and has a much different hullform than the traditional Uniflite's. I think the Mega was the only Uniflite that had lifting strakes on the bottom. I'm quite sure Walton designed the "Coastal Cruisers" that came after my departure. I liked the older boats better (especially the 27 and 31 foot boats). The 27 was narrow enough to possibly be more easily driven but most of the older hull style Uniflites required more power than most other boats.

Larry,
Good photo (as always) but it looks like Al's steam'in a bit. LaConner (where we moore) is very close to Deception Pass. And you put Al right in the favorite fishing spot.

healhustler said:

Al: Isn't this you honking on it through Deception Pass?

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LOL!! Could be me, but it's kinda small!!

Here is Paloma steaming passed the South end of Whidbey Island on our way to Pleasant Harbor on the Hood Canal.

Papa Charlie said:

Here is Paloma steaming passed the South end of Whidbey Island on our way to Pleasant Harbor on the Hood Canal.

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That's a great photo. I can almost feel the breeze, and anticipate the fun ahead. It looks like you really enjoy that boat.

Don, I owned Salty Dog version of your boat. She was express sport fishing, powered with Crusader 270 HP. Mine was built in 72, we used her as a charter boat in New England. Great boat had a lot of fun. Dry, comfortable ride and good economy for her era. The big cockpit was a plus in a boat her size. We did White Marlin fishing on her and had some success. we practice the tag an release method as well.

John

Sortie said:

Don, I owned Salty Dog version of your boat. She was express sport fishing, powered with Crusader 270 HP. Mine was built in 72, we used her as a charter boat in New England. Great boat had a lot of fun. Dry, comfortable ride and good economy for her era. The big cockpit was a plus in a boat her size. We did White Marlin fishing on her and had some success. we practice the tag an release method as well.

John

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John, here's one similar to your Salty Dog. If you look carefully you may see the lifting strakes on the front of the hull. They had a deep forefoot for cutting head seas, but flatened to about 13 or so degrees at the stern. That made them run a little bow high. You had to keep that deep forefoot from biting too much water, or it would bow steer. It sure did make it comfortable in a head sea. The reverse chines were mostly responsible for the dry ride.

Don, that is correct. Mine had a small tower, she did ride bow high, I learned early on to be real gentle with the trim tabs. . She worked well in the New England rips for stripers and off shore for Tuna and Marlin.
John

Moonstruck said:

That's a great photo. I can almost feel the breeze, and anticipate the fun ahead. It looks like you really enjoy that boat.

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Thanks, we have enjoyed her. Been good to us.

FlyWright said:

LOL!! Could be me, but it's kinda small!!

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Very well then. Big boat, no steam.

HH,