# New 23' Panga Skiff



## Capt.Thomas White (Feb 9, 2005)

Capt. Javi Castillo just picked up this new Panga that is really a nice looking boat. The hull is from Imemsa Panga out of Mexico. They are the original fiberglass Panga builder that was in partnership with Yamaha 40 years ago in designing this fiberglass Panga. Now they are the largest fiberglass Panga builder in Mexico and the most popular Panga from Mexico throughout Central America. 
Capt. Castillo has the first "Lightning 23" Panga on the Texas coast and he is loving it. He said that he is getting around 7.5-8 mph and running 50+mph. He had a new Mercury PRO XS 115 hung on it and it is performing better that he had expected. 

The company that imports the Imemsa Panga hulls is in Corpus and arranged all the build out to meet Capt. Castillo's request. Really cool looking boat.


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## DA REEL DADDY (Jun 7, 2005)

Cool deal. Great looking fishing boat.


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## Capt.Thomas White (Feb 9, 2005)

I am going out on this Panga on Tuesday to see how it performs. I will try and get pics of the drift depth, running depth, get up depth and how it rides at various speeds. This is a cool boat that is not a $60,000 plus go fast fishing boat that is a great all-around affordable boat.


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## essayons75 (May 15, 2006)

Explorer23runner said:


> I am going out on this Panga on Tuesday to see how it performs. I will try and get pics of the drift depth, running depth, get up depth and how it rides at various speeds. This is a cool boat that is not a $60,000 plus go fast fishing boat that is a *great all-around affordable boat.*


"Mercury PRO XS 115 hung on it." How affordable?

The Panga boats looks like a versatile Texas big lake/bay boat that could cut some unpredictable waves.


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## SolarScreenGuy (Aug 15, 2005)

That Panga hull is very different looking from the first ones I ever saw. Looking forward to hearing the results of the test ride.
www.solarscreenguys.com


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## hoosierplugger (May 24, 2004)

Good looking rig!


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## bigfishtx (Jul 17, 2007)

How does water drain out of that front compartment? It looks like there is a solid bulkhead in front of the ice chests.


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## Bocephus (May 30, 2008)

Nice looking boat.

Just wondering, with the narrow beam how stable is it while drift fishing ?, I'd think it would rock quite a bit ?


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## ossnap (Jan 4, 2010)

Nice ride!


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## Snaggletoothfrecklefish (Jul 11, 2016)

23' with a 115 running 50+......?

Am I missing something?


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## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*Panga Design*

Was actually a collaboration in Mexico with World Bank funding the hull design was from a Mexican boat builder along the Baja coast, in the 1970s, Mexican President Luis EcheverrÃ­a authorized the building of pangas throughout the country. The World Bank financed the project, and Yamaha partnered with Mexican builders, including well-known Imensa in Mexico City, to produce the boats. The Japanese company provided engines, of course, as well as its own engineering expertise.

So now you know the real story, this man made them FIRST, Mac Shroyer estimated that he drew the lines in 1968, with the first boat in production at his building business, Embarcaciones Bajacalifornianos, in 1969-70. And it was the right boat for the right time, particularly since U.S.-built fiberglass fishing boats didnâ€™t suit local conditions.

The World Bank financed this venture and a standard design , because they were cheap and easy to build hand laid design that would serve third world countries builders.


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## Capt.Thomas White (Feb 9, 2005)

essayons75 said:


> "Mercury PRO XS 115 hung on it." How affordable?
> 
> The Panga boats looks like a versatile Texas big lake/bay boat that could cut some unpredictable waves.


The boat is rated for a 70-115 so you can make it "affordable" as you want. Capt. Castillo went with the 115 because of the extra weight of customers with extra stuff.

I am thinking this hull will be great for lake/bay crossover.


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## Capt.Thomas White (Feb 9, 2005)

bigfishtx said:


> How does water drain out of that front compartment? It looks like there is a solid bulkhead in front of the ice chests.


There are drain holes that go through the bulkhead and allow the water to drain.


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## Capt.Thomas White (Feb 9, 2005)

Snaggletoothfrecklefish said:


> 23' with a 115 running 50+......?
> 
> Am I missing something?


Light weight hull. I will be on the boat tomorrow and check the performance. Will post what I get.


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## hoosierplugger (May 24, 2004)

Snaggletoothfrecklefish said:


> 23' with a 115 running 50+......?
> 
> Am I missing something?


Also a pretty narrow beam compared with similar hills that length.


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## Texan J.C. (Aug 12, 2015)

*Panga*

Just like any other boat scenario, you have to give up something....well this boat its the beam. If you can get past that, you can pretty much do what you want to. I've ran these panga boats in the flats in LLM to 50 miles off shore in 3 footers....Capt, you've got your self a nice ride! My experience and options....take it...or leave it.

-JC


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## Squid94 (Nov 15, 2010)

Who's dealing these in Corpus?


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

Would love to see how one of these would perform with a small 3 or 4 cylinder diesel in the center console moved forward a bit, with either a half keel, or pocket tunnel/keel drive. 28-32mph with 10-12mpg is my rough guess. Plus you get room for a live well or fish box across the transom.


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## Capt.Thomas White (Feb 9, 2005)

Squid94 said:


> Who's dealing these in Corpus?


Panga USA LLC. In Corpus is the exclusive U.S. importer of the Imemsa hull and they are having it finished out in Corpus. The great thing is that it is custom to what the customer wants on the floor, decking and motor. I will be demoing the boat tomorrow and will post the performance numbers and impression of how it handles with pics.


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## jgc (Aug 8, 2012)

Hey, my boat was sitting a few ft from that same place Thursday. I am pretty sure I saw yours being built/rigged off of NAS Dr. I just picked up the bare 25' hull (with Yamaha attached at the last minute).

I took it out Thursday, but did not push the motor any. Want to put a few breakin hours on it. It planes easy enough, but at less than 1/2 throttle, runs fairly nose up. A 70hp on a 25' will never be a speed demon, but should get me from A to B if I am not in a hurry.


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## Capt.Thomas White (Feb 9, 2005)

jgc said:


> Hey, my boat was sitting a few ft from that same place Thursday. I am pretty sure I saw yours being built/rigged off of NAS Dr. I just picked up the bare 25' hull (with Yamaha attached at the last minute).


Yes, the boat was getting rigged and glass work there. You picked up a 25 that you are running tiller steer, right?


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## jgc (Aug 8, 2012)

25' tiller steer-the way the vast majority of them are run outside the US. Not my first tiller steer boat, but defiantly my longest so far. Worse case is I will do more rigging off season.

Time to go outside and continue rigging the hull...


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## alant (Dec 7, 2006)

I've read good things about the pangas. What is the width of your hull?


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## Jerry-rigged (May 21, 2004)

Pocketfisherman said:


> Would love to see how one of these would perform with a small 3 or 4 cylinder diesel in the center console moved forward a bit, with either a half keel, or pocket tunnel/keel drive. 28-32mph with 10-12mpg is my rough guess. Plus you get room for a live well or fish box across the transom.


I think it was AnglerPanga - they were selling a 26' Panga with a 120hp Cummuns I/O. There was a 2-cooler with one. I seem to remember him talking about 35mph top speed, with 6mpg at about 30mph. I could be off, that was a few years ago.


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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

Richard Beck down in Corpus is a really nice guy and straight shooter

He is the exclusive USA dealer for the Immensa Panga hulls -

Cost effective is KEY ....

He can sell you a bare hull or help with build out including the motor and trailer-

If you need a fancy rig - there are plenty of them in the classifieds - if you want cost effective and a proven hull in Central America Panags should be considered.

NOTE- this is the first time I have seen the flats boat/ hull .... interesting - and I feel its over powered.... with the beam designed to be shorter you don't need the hp you think .... I bet a 70hp would push it in the low 40's.

The cost is where you get to spend it on power poles, tirm tabs and trolling motors.


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## fishinguy (Aug 5, 2004)

jgc said:


> 25' tiller steer-the way the vast majority of them are run outside the US. Not my first tiller steer boat, but defiantly my longest so far. Worse case is I will do more rigging off season.
> 
> Time to go outside and continue rigging the hull...


How do you like this tiller setup? I am really tempted to go pickup one of the W-25BA's as a toy to experiment with, might not be a bad option to start with the tiller and go from there. How fast will it go with a 40HP? What is the largest tiller that you can purchase? Do you have any pics of your setup?


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## jgc (Aug 8, 2012)

Perspective is important. I have a 16' Jon boat (it is a wide Jon). At it's widest, it is about 72" inside the gunnels. At it's widest, the 25' panga is 68". In all fairness, the gunnels are more vertical in the panga, and ribbing takes up a decent amount of space in the Jon boat-so the panga has more usable width. Likewise, collar makes the panga slightly wider. 

So a 25' panga is about as wide as a 16' Jon boat . I did not notice it being tippy, but with the bow so far away from the tiller, I did imagine it looked like an oversized canoe.
---
I suspect 40 would be very underpowered. I am betting on mid 20's with my 70hp at cruise. I suspect a 40hp would struggle to get the boat on plain. The 40hp on my Jon boat is not all that fast. I will know more when I get the motor broken in.

You can get tillers larger than you want to put on a Panga. My humble understanding, the largest factory attached tiller from Yamaha is a 40hp. Above that, Yamaha sells a tiller kit that is installed by the boat rigger-and pretty much could be installed on any of their outboards-but at some point, torque steer would make operating it difficult.

Mercury (IIRC) one ups this, offering a power tiller (the tiller handle controls the hydrolics that steer the motor). Way overkill for a mere 70hp, but torque steer on say a 250hp would probably be a wrist breaker without it.


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## capone (Feb 25, 2013)

So what is the cost for this setup?


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## iwant2fish (Jan 28, 2005)

TrueblueTexican said:


> Was actually a collaboration in Mexico with World Bank funding the hull design was from a Mexican boat builder along the Baja coast, in the 1970s, Mexican President Luis EcheverrÃ­a authorized the building of pangas throughout the country. The World Bank financed the project, and Yamaha partnered with Mexican builders, including well-known Imensa in Mexico City, to produce the boats. The Japanese company provided engines, of course, as well as its own engineering expertise.
> 
> So now you know the real story, this man made them FIRST, Mac Shroyer estimated that he drew the lines in 1968, with the first boat in production at his building business, Embarcaciones Bajacalifornianos, in 1969-70. And it was the right boat for the right time, particularly since U.S.-built fiberglass fishing boats didnâ€™t suit local conditions.
> 
> The World Bank financed this venture and a standard design , because they were cheap and easy to build hand laid design that would serve third world countries builders.


yep, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panga_(boat)


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## jgc (Aug 8, 2012)

Cost is pretty much up to the owner. A new Yamaha 70 is about $8k, $4k for a 25' aluminum tandem axel trailer (w/o brakes-TX does not require brakes or inspections on trailers rated below 4K lbs. I am sure some states require brakes). Then add about 1k for rigging, prop, battery, portable fuel tank, etc... 

The hull can be purchased in Monterrey if you are adventurous for 5-6k (or so I have read). I am not sure what the Mexico tax is, or what the import duties are. Then, besides the fun of taking your vehicle (and the trailer, not sure how you get the custom trailer built before you have the hull), then you need to deal with the possible fun with customs-read of a few horror stories then. After that you will need to register it. Not sure what that entails. I do know my tax office requires the statement of origin to be in in English, they do not translate them for free.

Or you can simply pay someone else to do all of that for you. Since you are then purchasing a US boat, registration is quick and simple. Richard charged me about 5k for his value added. That also included him being a general contractor on the trailer and the rigging and whatever the Mexico tax and import duties were. The choice is up to you-I felt his value added was worth it's cost.

After that, the sky is the limit. Custom fiberglass and custom stainless does not come cheep. I "splurged" and got a old fat man's wading ladder (as opposed to a teenaged skier's swim ladder)-that was a time $600. I will not hazard to even guess what the woodless deck and all the beautiful custom stainless on the OP's boat cost.


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## Im Headed South (Jun 28, 2006)

So 10 to 11 grand for a bare hull 25 footer?


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## alant (Dec 7, 2006)

What's the weight on the bare hulls?
I wish they posted some basic on their website.


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## jgc (Aug 8, 2012)

I think hull weight is posted on the IMEMSA web site- http://www.imemsa.com.mx/lanchas/w25.html. 992lbs if I am guessing the right line


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## chaco (Dec 24, 2010)

Explorer23runner said:


> Capt. Javi Castillo just picked up this new Panga that is really a nice looking boat. ...
> 
> ... Really cool looking boat.


I could not agree more with this being a really cool looking boat. Seriously good looking and great eye appeal to me. I've enjoyed these boats since the first one I saw on a trip to Mexico, way back in time.

I dont exactly know what to make of this thread. 
~ First, I do not recognize the name "Javi Castillo". Should I, does everyone else know him?

~ And then I cannot quite decide if this is an advertisement/promotion for the panga boat, or is it simply a discussion amongst the 2cool group about a neat looking, and different concept, boat?

I'll be intrigued to see any replies here, but in the meantime, I am enjoying the thread and would also like to see pics of the panga boat that member "jgc" just got from the dealer.
.


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## bd24 (Aug 24, 2016)

I just sold my Andros 22 panga. While much different than the one the OP has shown, it is a very versatile boat for Texas waters. My 22' had a 150hp on it and would run low to mid 40's. Much heavier boat though with a liner and other accessories the boat shown does not have. With all the being said they are great fishing platforms. 

Only drawback, and this is just integral to the design, is the narrow beam. Most of you guys coming from a big wide Texas made bay boat might not like the narrow beam. Otherwise, great boat that you don't need a giant motor on to scoot around.


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## jgc (Aug 8, 2012)

I will try to take pictures tomorrow-but mine is nothing to look at. It looks like the boat on the IMEMSA page I linked, but with a US 70hp rather than an Interneational 60hp Yamaha on back. Oh, and I mounted a few ******* rod holders. With any luck, will be running some crab traps and various putting arround the bay tomorrow.


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## alant (Dec 7, 2006)

bd24 said:


> I just sold my Andros 22 panga. While much different than the one the OP has shown, it is a very versatile boat for Texas waters. My 22' had a 150hp on it and would run low to mid 40's. Much heavier boat though with a liner and other accessories the boat shown does not have. With all the being said they are great fishing platforms.
> 
> Only drawback, and this is just integral to the design, is the narrow beam. Most of you guys coming from a big wide Texas made bay boat might not like the narrow beam. Otherwise, great boat that you don't need a giant motor on to scoot around.


So what were your impressions of the narrow beam? Did it rock and tip significantly? Or did it just limit the space?


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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

I did a great post on Andros Panaga a few years back you can search for....when I ran it we had three guys in it on one side as I wanted to fell the "tipping".... There was no different than any other v-hull....to the tipping is a non issue

BTW- these hulls are what Panagas are all about IMO.... But those Andros are some fine boats


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## jgc (Aug 8, 2012)

Not counting close to a dozen kayaks and canoes, this is essentially my 5th boat. First one was a 14' bass tracker. It was a relatively narrow modified Jon. It rolls around quite a bit when you moved. Then came a heavier V, but not all that much wider. The weight and bit of extra width, really calmed it down. Then a bay boat, naturally it was the stablest, then a wide Jon (it leans, but is not unstable for me-but it keeps my kids a bit on edge). The little I have been on the 25' Panga has not bothered me with being tippy-but will see how that holds. A lot is perspective.


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## alant (Dec 7, 2006)

So does the narrow beam impact how quickly it jumps on plane? Faster, slower, about the same?


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## Toby_Corgi (Mar 11, 2015)

Enjoy the panga. I think you'll be very satisfied with it. I run a 23' Pangamarine panga (very similar to the Andros; both are built in Florida) with a 115 Yammy and am very happy with it. The relatively narrow beam isn't an issue at all. In fact, there is no feeling of excessive tippiness at all. It runs 30+ knots/hr at WOT. Very versatile boat from offshore to relatively shallow bays due to about a 12" draft. Fuel efficient too at about 5-6 mpg. Perhaps the best feature is the narrower beam allows it to fit in my garage with room for my wife's SUV. If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.


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## Capt. Marcus Canales (Aug 25, 2005)

chaco said:


> I could not agree more with this being a really cool looking boat. Seriously good looking and great eye appeal to me. I've enjoyed these boats since the first one I saw on a trip to Mexico, way back in time.
> 
> I dont exactly know what to make of this thread.
> ~ First, I do not recognize the name "Javi Castillo". Should I, does everyone else know him?
> ...


Hey Chaco

Capt. Javi is our chef and soon to be another guide with us at Baffin Bay Rod and Gun. I don't think this post is a advertisement at all, just showing the boat off and discussing it.

It's actually a pretty boat in person. I haven't been on it yet, but can tell you that Capt. Javi is pretty excited about it.

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## Capt.Thomas White (Feb 9, 2005)

Squid94 said:


> Who's dealing these in Corpus?


Panga USA 361-877-2447


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## Capt.Thomas White (Feb 9, 2005)

alant said:


> So does the narrow beam impact how quickly it jumps on plane? Faster, slower, about the same?


This is the science behind what makes a Panga a Panga. Several FL boats that are really nice boats that claim to be Pangas are more a Americanized version of a Panga that takes the benefits of a true Panga out. They are basically a Panga from the water line up.


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## alant (Dec 7, 2006)

Explorer23runner said:


> This is the science behind what makes a Panga a Panga. Several FL boats that are really nice boats that claim to be Pangas are more a Americanized version of a Panga that takes the benefits of a true Panga out. They are basically a Panga from the water line up.


Very interesting. I've been reading about Pangas for a few years now. The lines of the boat first caught my eye, but there appears to be much more to it than just looks. Based on those that have been on a Panga, it seems to be one of the most versatile boats around, and I'm not hearing of a significant downside to the narrow beam. It seems the narrow beam would make trailering easier. It takes low horse power, reasonably shallow draft, and handles waves well. I'm not in the market for a boat now, but I would certainly consider one. What I'm not understanding is why they aren't more popular. Is it just that they are radically different than most bay boats maybe don't have the "cool factor"? I'm more of a function over form guy and just don't understand it, especially since they've been around for years.

If someone is interpreting this as me promoting the boats, I'm not. I just find the concept of these boats interesting.


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## Jerry-rigged (May 21, 2004)

alant said:


> Very interesting. I've been reading about Pangas for a few years now. The lines of the boat first caught my eye, but there appears to be much more to it than just looks. Based on those that have been on a Panga, it seems to be one of the most versatile boats around, and I'm not hearing of a significant downside to the narrow beam. It seems the narrow beam would make trailering easier. It takes low horse power, reasonably shallow draft, and handles waves well. I'm not in the market for a boat now, but I would certainly consider one. What I'm not understanding is why they aren't more popular. Is it just that they are radically different than most bay boats maybe don't have the "cool factor"? I'm more of a function over form guy and just don't understand it, especially since they've been around for years.
> 
> If someone is interpreting this as me promoting the boats, I'm not. I just find the concept of these boats interesting.


That narrow beam/low HP only works if you keep the hull minimalist. Also, it is designed to be run slow-ish. Get them above about 25mph, and they don't ride very good in a chop - you must run with that sharp bow down. USA buyers want two things that a Panga is not good at - lots of extra ****, and speed. When you start adding all the **** us USA boat buyers want (liners, baitwells, center consoles, floors, 28 rod holders, 3 coolers, lots of aluminum) the boat is no longer light weight. Plus all that extra stuff costs $$$. Then the USA buyer wants to power it to run 50mph. Faster than the hull was designed for, plus all that extra weight, so now you need similar sized outboards as "normal" USA bay boats.

Pangas are designed to be simple, cheap, basic boats. It looks like the boat in the OP was trying to stay mostly within that program. Nice looking boat, IMHO!


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## jgc (Aug 8, 2012)

a couple of pictures of a fairly stripped 25'. The first picture shows how it sits in the water. I think I have about 40lbs of ice between the 2 coolers and 12 gallons of gas under the rear deck. The water line is below the hulls rear recess. I would guess it is drafting about 7" at the transom. The prop sticks down 12-13"deeper. I think I have 6 crab traps and a 50 qt. yeti on one side of the boat between the seats - it is about 8 1/2 ft between the tops of the 2 bench seats. The black mess behind the bench is probably my life vest - I put it on as soon as I got into the boat.

The second picture does not do justice to just how far the front feels from the rear deck. It is the driver's eye view, while sitting still (or possibly trolling at idle).


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## BocaSeaCraft (Dec 26, 2021)

jgc said:


> a couple of pictures of a fairly stripped 25'. The first picture shows how it sits in the water. I think I have about 40lbs of ice between the 2 coolers and 12 gallons of gas under the rear deck. The water line is below the hulls rear recess. I would guess it is drafting about 7" at the transom. The prop sticks down 12-13"deeper. I think I have 6 crab traps and a 50 qt. yeti on one side of the boat between the seats - it is about 8 1/2 ft between the tops of the 2 bench seats. The black mess behind the bench is probably my life vest - I put it on as soon as I got into the boat.
> 
> The second picture does not do justice to just how far the front feels from the rear deck. It is the driver's eye view, while sitting still (or possibly trolling at idle).


Sorry to dredge up an old post but would love to know more about this particular panga. Mostly how it performs with that 70 Yamaha. I'm looking to build this same exact boat.


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