Does this Camargue seems to be plowing?

I'm curious how folks feel about this Camargue on plane. To me it looks like it is plowing to much water forward at the bow. But I've been wrong once or twice in life, okay maybe a million times.

I'd be interested on your take of the Camargue. I'm wondering if it is trimmed down too far.

I don't know that particular boat, but on our boat.. Once up on step the more you can keep the bow down and the ass out of the water the faster you can go for any given RPM. So lets say I am Full Bow up at 13.5kt and 2800rpm. If I push the bow down a bit I can then do 14.5 at 2800rpm. If I go too much its difficult to keep on track, sprays on the front deck and I then lose speed.

From the looks of it, I would say its trimmed right for the water conditions.

Not really to me....


here's a lobsterboat race....compare.....

Looks about right to me. Some hulls like to be trimmed flatter than others for best speed. And it depends on conditions too. In a low deadrise hull you trim down in a head sea for a better ride, as it keeps the pointy part better into the waves.

LOL! That is my boat, ASD. This was the video that was posted with the "Yachtworld" posting.

Now back to the OP's posting. These boats are 'Bow Light.' I put 550ft of chain in the bow and it lowered the bow only a half an inch!

This boat when running WOT is doing about 24 mph. It would almost go over the hump to be on plane, but just wouldn't do it.. Also In the video the owner was not using the huge trim tabs. (They were found to be broke on the survey). When the tabs are used, they do push the bow down. Maybe if I took all my junk off the boat, it might get on step. Maybe......

Move some weight aft and trim down more and it might climb out of the hole. With big tabs you can gain enough lift that way to more than offset the drag from having the tabs down further.

Move weight aft?

It appears properly trimmed to me. I notice the wake is not too high (stern dragging) or too low (lift in the stern). Also, the bow is up at a nice angle for a dry ride, but not too far so the maximum dead rise can cut through the chop.

I used to run 44’ and 50’ (same boat with cockpit) Vikings, and I think they were similar hulls, but they had a bit more horsepower.

Tom - do you know the position of the trim tabs when they were broken?

psneeld said:

Move weight aft?

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Yeah. I've found on some boats with large enough trim tabs plane better and run faster with weight moved aft. All I can figure is that with weight aft, it takes more tab to get it trimmed to the fastest angle. And with the tabs down further, you have more total lift and less boat in the water. My own boat gets noticeably slower as people move forward on plane. The difference from one person going from stern to bow is as big as half vs full fuel tanks speed wise.

IRENE said:

It appears properly trimmed to me. I notice the wake is not too high (stern dragging) or too low (lift in the stern). Also, the bow is up at a nice angle for a dry ride, but not too far so the maximum dead rise can cut through the chop.

I used to run 44’ and 50’ (same boat with cockpit) Vikings, and I think they were similar hulls, but they had a bit more horsepower.

Tom - do you know the position of the trim tabs when they were broken?

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One side up and the other flapping in the wind....

Greetings,
Mr. ASD. I also thought it wasn't quite just over the hump...The bow never seemed to drop at speed but as mentioned, some boats "plane" differently than others. A LOT of sport fish boats seem way to stern heavy to my eye but they're supposedly on plane.

Some NA design books claim 4deg is angle of incidence ,( hull to water,) to shoot for.

I just sea trialed a Chris Craft Catalina 480 which I believe is the same hull as the Camargue. It was a gasser at roughly 35,000 pounds. It trimmed out quite flat. In fact I was concerned it was too bow down, but this may have been the only way to get it on plane. The boat was burning 37 gph and turning 19 mph at roughly 3400. The Camargue with diesels and a much finer interior will weigh much more I would think (especially aft) and with out the use of the nearly full transom width tabs (the tabs are massive assuming same as CC) the bow will be up, but I think it is really the stern will be down. That picture looks stern down versus bow up to me. The tabs would lift the rear. With a quality pair of efficient diesels it is hard to imagine a nicer boat than the Camargue in its class. It simply has it all in my mind. Bill

Looks like good trim to me. Looks heavy too.

Ski in NC said:

Looks like good trim to me. Looks heavy too.

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The hull/boat was designed by Charles Chung who went on to design Off Shore and OAs.

The boat weighs 47,000lbs dry (and with all my junk off of the boat).

I gotta tell you ASD gets up and moves when you get the kitties purring. The stern actually lifts out of the water and the exhausts are out of the water with a hugh wake!!

There is no connection between this boat and the Uniflite Yachtfisherman 48 and the Chris Craft Corinthian/Catalina 480? My mistake. The hull looks very similar and I thought it was just these hulls done right, or very much better. Bill

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

The hull/boat was designed by Charles Chung who went on to design Off Shore and OAs.

The boat weighs 47,000lbs dry (and with all my junk off of the boat).

I gotta tell you ASD gets up and moves when you get the kitties purring. The stern actually lifts out of the water and the exhausts are out of the water with a hugh wake!!

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Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

LOL! That is my boat, ASD. This was the video that was posted with the "Yachtworld" posting.

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LOL!! When I saw the Antioch Bridge in the video, I was wondering if it was your boat, Tom!

moparharn said:

There is no connection between this boat and the Uniflite Yachtfisherman 48 and the Chris Craft Corinthian/Catalina 480? My mistake. The hull looks very similar and I thought it was just these hulls done right, or very much better. Bill

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They look very similar. Some even ask me if it is a Tolly!

It could as a lot of manufactures would trade different parts of the boat they were building at that time.

Camargue comments

HI ASD. Looking at purchasing a 1990 Camargue 48 in Alameda. Just checking in to say hello. It's a little tough pulling the trigger because the brand is so little known and no way to get a company history or feedback on build quality. Sounds like you have been happy with yours. Love the layout and how well the boat has aged. All the best.

Welcome aboard. When you are looking at an older boat the individual boat condition is way more important than the original build quality. You can have a gold plater that has not been maintained and it can be a piece of crap. Then take a middle of the road build quality that has been well maintained and it will be a better value. Look at the individual boat and assess it’s value and condition and that will give you what it’s worth and value is. If the boat is in good condition and you like it then go for it. Get a good survey and sea trial and good luck.

Wild Goose Loose said:

HI ASD. Looking at purchasing a 1990 Camargue 48 in Alameda. Just checking in to say hello. It's a little tough pulling the trigger because the brand is so little known and no way to get a company history or feedback on build quality. Sounds like you have been happy with yours. Love the layout and how well the boat has aged. All the best.

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We are very happy with ours. Good luck.

The Camargue has far to many matching features to not be an offshoot from the Uniflite / Chris 480. Hull features, superstructure features, windows, transom door, interior configuration all make me believe that Camargue purchase raw moldings from Chris and then finished them out themselves. I know a guy who should know and will check with him. And by the way... My Chris Catalina 480 is stern light, bow heavy so I'm working to remedy that issue this winter. Will report in the spring.