Hull type
There are all kinds of boats out there suitable for sea fishing, varying in shape, size and purpose. Choosing the hull type is a good way to start narrowing down your choice.
Displacement hull
Displacement hulls are used for slow, heavy vessels like trawlers and tugs. A displacement hull moves through the water by pushing the water aside and cutting through it at a slow, steady speed. Fishing boats with displacement hulls are economic on fuel and move through the water easily and efficiently. They don’t tend to rock around and are able to cope well with rough seas.
Planing hull
Planing hulls are designed to rise up and skim or ‘plane’ over the water once they have reached a high enough speed (usually 15 knots or more). They require large powerful engines to build up sufficient speed to plane. Most boats designed to plane are made of light materials to keep their weight down.
Planing hulls are V shaped in section at the bow, to help the hull cut through the water, extending to a flatter bottomed, wider shape towards the stern, allowing the boat to skim over the water at speed.
Semi-displacement hull
A semi-displacement hull is normally narrower than a planing hull, with a fine bow but a more rounded hull shape than a pure planing hull and a flat part at the stern to help create lift. The more rounded shape of the hull makes it more comfortable than a planing hull in a rough sea.
Semi-displacement hulls are well suited for rugged, sea going boats such as pilot vessels, which are able to move quickly through heavy seas.
Cathedral hull
A cathedral hull is a variation of a planing hull and a popular shape for fishing boats. Cathedral hulls have a deep V shape along the centre with two smaller V shaped sections on either side, similar in design to the roofs of old cathedrals. This design gives a stable platform that is suited for fishing and copes well with rough conditions.
The hull shape also enables greater speed than a heavy displacement equivalent, which gets you to the fishing ground quicker and back home quicker if the weather turns nasty.