MEET THE COMPOSITE YACHT 55
Boating|November 2022
"Can you build me a 55-foot deadrise that can run 55 knots?" That's what Jerry Murrell asked the crew of Composite Yacht located in Trappe, Maryland, on the famed Eastern Shore.Murrell loves the graceful, traditional profile of the sheerline, collar boards and deckhouse on these indigenous Chesapeake working boats.
Jerry Murrell
MEET THE COMPOSITE YACHT 55

Classic wooden "bay-built" hulls meet a variety of needs, from hauling crab pots and oystering to charter fishing. They feature sharp bows, big cockpits, forward helms, and semi-displacement, shallow V-hulls and straight-shaft inboards. They've never been built for efficient speeds above 20 mph, much less a soft ride at such velocities.

How did Murrell assemble a team to pull it off?

THE DESIGN

Martin Hardy and his sons, Lewis and Rob, of Composite Yacht (compositeyacht.biz) went to work. "Let's hire an architect, build it on paper, then test it." They signed naval architect Lou Codega, who's drawn Regulator Boats, Cabo Yachts and others.

Tank testing took place at the venerable Stevens Institute of Technology.

"The owner wanted a deadrise-style boat that's really fast. The tricky part of this design is the forward position of the helm," Codega says. As most boaters know, the ride gets rougher the closer that someone one sits or stands toward the bow.

"To run soft in bay chop, I had to make the forefoot as sharp as possible without inducing bow steer," Codega explains. "Being big is a trait that buys you ride quality, especially in the Chesapeake." The boat measures 55 feet, with only 16 feet of beam.

A narrower beam helps in achieving a softer ride and higher speed goals.

Esta historia es de la edición November 2022 de Boating.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición November 2022 de Boating.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE BOATINGVer todo
AFFORDABLE SATCOM
Boating

AFFORDABLE SATCOM

Communications devices using satellite technology are more abundant today than any time in the past. What's more, many are portable, ultra-compact, affordable relatively and designed for boating, dispelling any perceptions that you need a big, expensive dome antenna aloft to access satellite communications.

time-read
2 minutos  |
August/September 2023
IN THE BEGINNING
Boating

IN THE BEGINNING

REPOWERING FOUNTAIN HULL NO.1

time-read
8 minutos  |
August/September 2023
NAVICO GROUP FATHOM 2.0
Boating

NAVICO GROUP FATHOM 2.0

Engine charging at 48 volts could be a game-changer.

time-read
3 minutos  |
August/September 2023
PROPS FOR INNOVATION
Boating

PROPS FOR INNOVATION

Sharrow MX3 propellers live up to most of the company's performance-improvement claims.

time-read
3 minutos  |
August/September 2023
MERCURY RACING 500R
Boating

MERCURY RACING 500R

Supercharged power for a variety of boats.

time-read
2 minutos  |
August/September 2023
FLIPPING THE SWITCH
Boating

FLIPPING THE SWITCH

Much reporting focuses on reasons why one might choose electric marine power. The issues of range, speed, noise levels, winterizing and ethanol challenges, lake restrictions, environmental concerns and more all must be resolved on an individual basis. Little gets said about how a boater choosing to repower with electric actually gets that accomplished. Is it DIY? And if not, how does it get done?

time-read
2 minutos  |
August/September 2023
TOW-VEHICLE TECH
Boating

TOW-VEHICLE TECH

If it's been a while since you bought new tow vehicle, you might be surprised by the many built-in advancements in trailering technology. New tow tech ranges from integrated weight scales and adaptive suspensions to systems that automatically back up your truck to hitch up your trailer. Here are a few examples to look for. -Jim Hendricks

time-read
2 minutos  |
August/September 2023
MONUMENTAL TIPS FOR BACKING A TRAILER
Boating

MONUMENTAL TIPS FOR BACKING A TRAILER

Three Boating greats offer advice for a perennial reader query.

time-read
2 minutos  |
August/September 2023
STICKING POINTS - Anchoring alternatives, and why you will always need a traditional anchor.
Boating

STICKING POINTS - Anchoring alternatives, and why you will always need a traditional anchor.

My brother-in-law likes to fish offshore reefs, and the process once entailed navigating to a mark, dropping a float, and idling upwind or up-current to drop the anchor in hopes the set would drop us back to the float.

time-read
3 minutos  |
August/September 2023
FOR WANT OF A CLAMP
Boating

FOR WANT OF A CLAMP

When 100 miles from shore, home and help, this boater’s preparedness prevented potential catastrophe.

time-read
1 min  |
August/September 2023