Best photos of your boat underway

The older Uniflites probably rode more level w/o tabs. Especially the narrower ones like the 27.

Larry .. Gliding toward perfection.

Don-- In looking at some photos on the web I believe that Uniflite that my friend had in Hawaii was indeed a Mega or if not a very similar model. He bought the boat new in 1974 or 5 and had it barged to Honolulu. He had a friend at Pearl Harbor machine a stainless plate that we bolted to the cockpit sole for reinforcement and then mounted a fighting chair on it. We also installed the outrigger mounts, rod holders, etc. Later he replaced the factory flying bridge seat bench with a much stronger, full-width bench he built himself. He felt the flying bridge sole flexed far too much under the stock bench.

I never saw the boat out of the water so I don't know if it had the lifting strakes on the hull or not. It did not have trim tabs. But other than in Kaneohe Bay we could never plane it anyway as the water was far too rough over there for that. He tried it once and it came off a swell so hard it cracked two stringers.

Marin said:

Don-- In looking at some photos on the web I believe that Uniflite that my friend had in Hawaii was indeed a Mega or if not a very similar model. He bought the boat new in 1974 or 5 and had it barged to Honolulu. He had a friend at Pearl Harbor machine a stainless plate that we bolted to the cockpit sole for reinforcement and then mounted a fighting chair on it. We also installed the outrigger mounts, rod holders, etc. Later he replaced the factory flying bridge seat bench with a much stronger, full-width bench he built himself. He felt the flying bridge sole flexed far too much under the stock bench.

I never saw the boat out of the water so I don't know if it had the lifting strakes on the hull or not. It did not have trim tabs. But other than in Kaneohe Bay we could never plane it anyway as the water was far too rough over there for that. He tried it once and it came off a swell so hard it cracked two stringers.

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WOW!Cracking two stringers on a Uniflite is hard to do. There was no wood in the hulls. The stringers were foam cored hat sections bonded to the hull. For that matter the top deck was screwed and bonded to the hull at the deck seam. I came off some hard ones without cracking anything. The Mega had more cabin with the engines located aft near the transom. That change in balance may have done it.

The Salty Dog, Flybridge Sedan, and Mega were built on the same hulls. They all had lifting strakes. Unless I'm mistaken there was a lifetime warranty on the structure of the hull. Of course if they were out of business the warranty would be no good.

Moonstruck said:

WOW!Cracking two stringers on a Uniflite is hard to do. There was no wood in the hulls. The stringers were foam cored hat sections bonded to the hull. For that matter the top deck was screwed and bonded to the hull at the deck seam. I came off some hard ones without cracking anything..

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We fished 10-20 miles or more off the north shore of Oahu most of the time although a few times we went east to the Molokai Channel. There was nothing in the water between us and Alaska--- the swells started there and headed for us. So it was pretty big water.

Today I would look a little askance at taking a 28' boat out there but back then it was the normal thing to do. Most of the other sport fishing boats were the same size except the charter boats which were somewhat larger. My friend's previous boat-- which I never saw--- was a locally-built, wood 20-footer powered by a Corvair engine. He fished the same waters with it.

Even on nice days we were often taking petty heavy spray over the venturi on the flying bridge of the Uniflite. IIRC our trolling speed was about 6 or 8 knots.

After a few years with the Uniflite my friend realized it was a poor choice for those waters--- why have a high-powered planing boat when you can't plane--- so he sold it and had a boat custom-built for him in Seattle (I don't know who built it). It had a heavily-built fiberglass displacement hull based on the then-typical PNW salmon troller hull and was powered with a single Volvo Penta turbocharged aftercooled diesel. It was about 30 feet or so long.

I fished with him on that boat for a year or so until I left Hawaii for here. It had a more active ride than the Uniflite but it was much better suited for the water we were in.

If you look closely you can see the reflection of my boat underway off this guys gelcoat


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She would do 30+ knots and we could land our helo on her too!

After I waked him big time on Sarasota Bay, I snapped some photos of Cardude as he was on his way back from Key West with his Island Packett PY Cruiser.

Walt,
Pic says 2015 but I think I see Crusaders (F8U) on the foredeck.

manyboats said:

Walt,
Pic says 2015 but I think I see Crusaders (F8U) on the foredeck.

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Along with McDonnell-Douglas F-4s.......

And, last but not least, Douglas A-4 Skyhawks (Scooters) . . . . . .

Walt, my boat was the "Hanna" but we often found Enterprise on Yankee Station. For non Navy types, only squadron members or ships company could refer to their ship as their 'boat', all others were expected to call her by her name. So, while the taxpayers owned the Hancock, she truly was 'my boat' . . . . . .

manyboats said:

Walt,
Pic says 2015 but I think I see Crusaders (F8U) on the foredeck.

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Eric, the photo was posted on 6/21/2015 and you are right! We had a squadron of Crusaders on board, along with F4 Phantoms, an A3J Vigilante, A-6 Intruders & some A-4 Sky Hawks. Those were the days!

Walt the F8s have all gone to the boneyard have they not?

F4s are current I think.

Hard to believe they're still flying "Fords". I was blown away by the F4s vertical climb out at North Island. Watched them at night on night check on the flight line. With a low ceiling they would disappear going straight up into the clouds. I was an electronics tech ASW 2nd PO. 1961 - 1964.

And creep begins.....

I see you're on the thread creep patrol again Bob.

And it may be just beginning. Perhaps TF should capitalize on your habits and make you a moderator?

Also I could add that thread creep is not the topic of this thread either.

Well played sir!

manyboats said:

F4s are current I think.

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Eric--- F-4s have been out of service for decades. A few other countries may still have them in their Air Forces but I suspect not.

I spent a week filming on board the USS Constellation back in the mid-1980s out in the Pacific. The fighters were F-14s, the attack planes were A-6s, the jammers were EA-6Bs, and the airborne control planes were Grumman turboprop E-2s. The newest plane in the lineup at that time was the F-18 (the Constellation was the first carrier to have its catapults modified to take the F-18, which is why we were out there.)

Today the F-14s are gone, replaced by a variant of the F-18. The EA-6B is gone, replaced by another variant of the F-18. And the A-6 is gone, replaced by the FA-18. The Navy is awaiting its version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Bob Cofer said:

And creep begins.....

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Yes, and I must confess to being guilty of that on occasion…

Personally I have always found it very difficult to get a shot of any boat I've ever owned under way, because I'm the main pic taker, and when we are under way, I'm always driving as well.

Sadly when and where we have boated, there are few folk we know well enough to link up with who could do the honours, as it were.

I did get one such pic of our first yacht thought. I was impressed. It was taken by a total stranger who snapped us returning up the channel to the boat ramp in our Tasman 20, when we were back in NZ, at the Napier Sailing Club. He sought us out at the ramp and gave us the pic some months later, saying he did it for fun, and because he knew how hard it was to get an on-the-move photo of ones boat, so he made it his 'thing'. I still have fond memories of that small act.

I got a couple of new ones taken of our boat this past weekend....

Bringing "Mollie" into her new home in Anacortes last weekend. Lovin' our new boat!!! Davis Defever 42. Single screw, no thrusters. That's how she rolls.

Nice looking boat! I couldn't help myself...I put in a 2 degree correction in the horizon. I do it to everyone. Ask Mark!

GFC said:

I got a couple of new ones taken of our boat this past weekend....

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Nice Mike. Beach Comber is looking good there. Can't wait to see pictures of her on the West side.

USS William H. Standley CG 32 "haze grey and underway" Yankee Station and 40 miles off Hanoi on PIRAZ station. Best of the Best.
Bill
MMCM USN SW RET.

GFC,
I usually don't care much for boats of this type but this "Beachcomber" didn't even need to grow on me. I liked it immediately. Nice pics too. TWO thumbs up.

Papa Charlie said:

Nice Mike. Beach Comber is looking good there. Can't wait to see pictures of her on the West side.

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Ahhhh, be patient young grasshopper. It will happen.

manyboats said:

GFC,
I usually don't care much for boats of this type but this "Beachcomber" didn't even need to grow on me. I liked it immediately. Nice pics too. TWO thumbs up.

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Thanks Eric. At times I feel like an intruder when I hang out here seeking wisdom. It's nice to hear your comment.

GFC,
I wouldn't be shy about parading that one around.
On a special note she has a big beautiful butterfly bow wave.

A friend took these the other day. 10 knots on the button.

Mak'in good headway w that magnificent old boat Dirk. It's a plus to see a real boat now and then.

manyboats said:

Mak'in good headway w that magnificent old boat Dirk. It's a plus to see a real boat now and then.

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+1 Eric. A real boat indeed. Beautiful. Thanks for the pictures.

+1 Looks like she can take care of business

Ted

These are Boatpix before they got smart... East coast off NJ.