Same as it ever was.....

charlie_the_tuna

charlie_the_tuna

God
So, the V20. The design hasn***8217;t changed a lick in almost 60 years. The classic Bertram hull. The original deep V. A well built, heavy boat that handles a solid chop.
BUT......
Compare the iconic V to it***8217;s modern counterparts. Let***8217;s be honest. It***8217;s not a great ride. It***8217;s rough and it***8217;s wet. The boat is a dime a dozen, and there are a million of them out there. Take a regulator or yellowfin, or even a Grady. There***8217;s no comparison between the ride. Nobody in their right mind would choose that 60 year old hull design over these modern, water slicing Vs.
I guess the draw for me will always be price point. While I couldn***8217;t begin to afford any of the newer V hull center consoles....... the V20 will always be in my price range.
 
V20 / V21 could become collector items .......remember I may have turned down offer to sell mine for over $ 100,000
 
all true, charlie. But every year, at the ramp or dock, I get several people who say

"Man. I had one of those hulls, the best riding, driest, fish catchingest boat I ever had.
The biggest mistake I ever made was getting rid of it."

I'm just trying to keep from making that same mistake
 
Hey, don’t get me wrong.... the boat is gorgeous! It’s certainly got “the look”. It runs a decent chop, if trimmed well. It’s not the driest riding boat, but will provide you with a shower if run just right.
In fact, I’m currently in the market for a new boat, and the V tops my list. The main reason of course, is price. As I said, it’s a solid, well made boat and they’re a dime a dozen.
Which is not to say, if I could find a maritime skiff in my price range, I’d jump on it! Seeing as how i can’t afford the skiff..... I’m looking for a V.
It’s by no means a bad boat. It was the standard for almost 60 years. That’s gotta say something.
 
The thing is, you're comparing the V-20 to more modern 23+ foot hull's. Compare it to other hull's in it's size range, and it's still ine of the vest riding 20 footers out there. And most of those larger hull's you're comparing the V to are built largely off of hull design's just as old as the V-20. If the V-20 hull was so outdated, why does Dusky still to this day build new boats based off of the V-20 hull?
 
Ok. Let’s take the dusky of the same size. Or the 20 foot Robalo they’ve been making for decades. All things equal, the old Ray hunt design just doesn’t hold up anymore. The dusky hull is identical to the moppie/V20. The point is, the design of the deep V has evolved and it left the V20 behind.
 
I think engine evolution has had more to do with outdating the V20 than anything. When the basic boat was built, a 150 was top dog. Now you have 24 ft 350hp bay boats. What we have was an very well designed entry level 20 ft production boat made 30 to 40 years ago. Like a 65 mustang or 68 camero compared to todays cars

To me the most outdated aspect of the V20 is the windshield, and a nice hardtop makes one look a lot better.
 
I look at boats, all day, every day. I can tell you hull design hasn't changed that much for 90% of the boats out there. They may have vented chines, steps, rails, and all kinds of key marketing words, but overall, they are still the same old V hulls with some small mods. Yes, stepped hulls, designed correctly do make a difference, but the majority of stepped hulls never run on the step. They are tricky to handle and not designed for the average boat owner to operate. all those things are designed to attract the average boat consumer. The biggest difference in boat design in the past 20 years has all been around the idea of supporting heavier outboards with higher hp. Key things that sell boats nowadays are hull color(has to be dark), tan cushions everywhere, flat screen displays and blue tooth. Seems ironic that most boat owners are not the least bit concerned with hull construction, design, handling ,and long term cost of operations.
 
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