Marinaut FAQ

How tall is the boat on the trailer?

- Generally speaking it's about 8' 6". That's with nothing added to the cabin top (like antennae, arch, radome, etc). However, the

basic height can and does vary with the trailer chosen. A trailer with 15" wheels (typically a 3700# capacity single axle) and

equppied with rollers may add a bit of height while a trailer with 13" tires (a 4100# tandem axles) and bunks will reduce the height.

How long is the boat and trailer combination?

- This will vary with the trailer chosen and to some degree with the main engine chosen. A 3700# single axle trailer is about 25' long,

the 4100# tandem axle about 23'. The typical engine is about 24" long when in the down (operating) position. That makes the

overall length about 25' to 27'. If you're trying to get the boat into a garage or storage space you can reduce the length of the

trailer by ordering it with a swing tongue which will save about a foot and a half.

How much does it weigh?

- The answer depends on what the question refers to specifically; the boat only, the boat and motor, or the boat, motor, and trailer.

The boat as manufactured with standard equipment is about 1,800 pounds. The motors can weigh between 320 pounds (an E-TEC 90

or Tohatsu 90) and 478 pounds (the Honda BF115/135). Kicker motors are typically in the 90 to 110 pound range. We figure rigging

items (controller, prop, batteries, etc) at 150 pounds. The trailers range from 900 pounds to 1100 pounds.

So the boat/motor combo will typically be 2,200# to 2,400# and with the kicker roughly 125# more (with the kicker bracket). Once

you add fuel (60 gallons) and water the boat will be in the 2,800# to 3,000# range (including the kicker). After that you add the gear

you want and it's darn hard to hazard a guess on that!

If you then add the trailer (average about 1,000 pounds) you'll typically be towing around 4,000 to 5,000 pounds (assuming both fuel

tanks and the water tank are full). You can, of course, make it lighter by really paying attenstion to weights, and it can also be a lot

heavier if you really load it up.

Which trailer is best?

- The truthful answer is...there is no "best". It really depends on what you want and how you use the trailer. The original Marinuat is

on a single axle trailer because the typical trip is from the shop to the lauch ramp, and because the boat was kept inside it's possible

to roll it around by hand on a single axle trailer (it can be done on a tandem but it's not fun and it won't turn).

Most folks choose a tandem axle trailer. It gives you a margin of safety on the road if you get a flat, there are four tires and four

brakes slowing you down if you need to stop in a hurry, the rear axle is further back and the front axle further forward than the

location of the axle on the single axle trailer so it takes more movement at the tongue to get the tansom close to the road (giving you

more clearance), the tandem axle trailer requires less tongue weight (5% to 7% rather than around 10%), and it tracks better in

crosswinds. Most folks traveling longer distances much prefer a tandem axle trailer. And, of course, it gives you an extra 400 pounds

of load capacity.

The choice between rollers or bunks is for the most part personal choice. There are specific situations where one or the other is the

better choice. This is a question that's best answered on an individual basis and we're happy to do so.

What thickness of aluminum is used for the fuel tanks?

- The fuel tanks are fabricated by Coastline Equipment in Bellingham, WA (they've been building fuel tanks since 1975) using 1/8"

material. There are two of these tanks installed; one port, one starboard.

Is there room to stand at the helm and drive?

- Probably not in the way you mean; basically it's a "sit down" helm and the boat is a "sit down and drive" boat; meaning you regulate

your speed and trim to get a comfortable ride; you're never standing up, hanging on, and blasting off the tops of the waves. It is

entirely possible to stand next to the helm in the center passageway and steer (and also keep an eye on the water and traffic).

Are there backing plates for the cleats, handrails, grabrails, etc?

- They're all backed up by large stainless washers and in the case of the cabin top handrail also by the interior grab rails. The

strength of the cleats is sufficient to pick up the whole boat using four cleats.

Is the boat self-bailing?

No. It's very difficult to make a small boat with a self-bailing deck that isn't slab-sided and ungainly. A so called self-bailing deck in

most small boats is a myth and a marketing ploy for the most part. If a small boat takes the full brunt of a breaking wave there would

be so much water weight that it would quickly submerge a self-bailing deck and then it becomes a self-filling deck; most are only a

couple of inches above the waterline. As such they're really self-bailing in name rather than in reality.

Since reading about boats like a Marinaut, or a C-Dory, or an Arima founder and take on solid water is a rarity (I've never personally

heard of it) it isn't a situation that almost anyone is likely to face. We've concenrated on designing a seaworthy and seakindly hull

and made the sides and the transom tall enough to keep water out.

This isn't a deep-v hull which characteristically is quite depressed in the water. Due to the nature of a deep-v hull it tends not to lift

as readily when a wave passes. This can leave it vulnerable to being pooped more easily than a hull shape like the Marinaut and many

low sided deep-v hulls (usually fishing boats) do have self-bailing decks though they're most useful for wash down activites than as a

means to rid the cockpit of a wave.

Is the boat unsinkable?

- There is no USCG requirement for flotation in a boat 20 feet long or longer. None has been specifically added to the Marinaut.

However, all the coring in the hull (including the transom) is foam and it does add flotation to the boat though we don't consider it

enough to provide positive flotation. Also, the floor of the boat (the sole) is a one-piece molded unit that goes from the transom to

the bow and rests on a shelf built into the hull. The floor is bonded into the hull and essentially forms a double bottom, it also adds

significant air volume between the floor and hull. It's likley that the combination of the foam coring and the air enclosed in the space

between the floor and the hull would provide enough flotation to keep the boat afloat in a swamping but that has not been tested and

we can not certify that to be the case. We wouldn't want anyone to purchase the Marinaut 215 with the idea that it's "unsinkable".

In addition, should the hull be breached the bonded-in floor should keep incoming water out of the interior (the space above the floor

level).

In reality the space between the floor and the hull provides an opportunity for additional storage space. If hatches or access ports

are installed to access those spaces then perhaps the air tightness and/or water tightness of the bonded-in floor may have been

compromised (depends on the type of access). So it's a trade-off: potential flotation versus useful storage space.

We feel the best way to keep the boat on top of the water and right side up is to design it so that it would take a highly unusual

circumstance to capize or swamp. History of similar boats (like the C-Dory, Arima, Cape Cruiser, etc) shows that ingress of solid

water or capsize is not a typical experience. Could it happen? Sure. That's why the Coast Guard has boats built that can roll 360

degrees and still keep going, but typically the boat would have to be in extreme conditions to be in peril. There's not much about the

design of the Marinaut that makes it want to take on water or capsize; it tends to slide away from a wave and just like trying to flip a

on-the-loose hamburger on a grill it's hard to do.

If you take on the Columbia Bar in all its fury, and even the Coast Guard is going home, you're on your own.

Is the boat certified?

- Yes, there is a U.S. Coast Guard compliance sticker on every Marinaut 215.

How much horsepower is really necessary?

- This is a mostly subjective decision and it depends on the intended use of the boat. A 90hp engine is quite sufficient for a Marinaut

hauling "normal" loads (which doesn't mean empty by any means, just not heavily loaded). So if the normal mode of operation is

carrying standard fuel and water, 2 to 4 folks, some gear, and maybe fishing items (or similar) a 90 will do the trick.

Most folks aren't going to purchase a larger engine because of what it does for the top speed but rather, like a truck, for what it can

do when hauling a load. Potentially the Marinaut can carry 102 gallons of fuel, a large ice chest in the cockpit, four folks (or more),

15 gallons of water (or more in portable containers), and all the wordly possessions necessary for a long trip. There's a potential load

capacity of about 3000 pounds for people and gear (including fuel and water) so the boat could be at 5,500 pounds (or a bit more).

Running at those weights most folks would be happier with the power a 115hp engine has.

Put more simply: folks that use their boat for local fishing, crabbing, shrimping (prawning), taking friends out, and usually in nice

weather would likely find a 90hp engine works fine. Folks that are more apt to truly cruise the boat with the weight of pots, pans,

dishes, canned goods, spares, and such would probably be happier with a 115hp engine. Otherwise it's really a personal choice and

knowing what would most like.

Budget could come into play. Using Honda as an example the BF115 runs about $1200 more than the BF90. Enough that it's worth

thinking about but not so much that you shouldn't get what you want considering the overall cost of the boat, motor, and trailer.