Sharkcat vs Formula. the best old school offshore hull.

[lembo]

Hey guys I'm currently having a bit of a friendly disagreement with a lad from work about the best old school offshore hull. I am a cat man and currently have a 560 sharkie sportsman and its great, but is no comparison to my old 23 foot sharkcat with twin 200s, it was a weapon and could travel at amazing speeds over some serious stuff, and had room galore. so I recon its the best trailerable (just) oldschool (pre 90's) offshore hull ever made. my mate recons the 24 foot ( I think) formula is the best offshore hull handsdown.
Ive never been in a formula and hes never been in a shark cat. so we cant really argue properly. but just wondering what you guys think.
in regards to offshore were talking 100km roughly as we live in Mackay and the reef is a fair run, and I know the formula hull was made by a few people like haines and I'm not quite sure on the different models.
But would love to hear from someone who has first hand experienced both hulls.
Id love to do a run to the reef in 15-20 knots in my old sharkie next to a formula, as i just cant really see how anything roughly the same length could keep up in ugly water. only thing is the bloke from work thinks the same about the formula .

[airlock]

Well thats the old cat vs Mono can of worms isn't it, both hull shapes at the same or similar lengths have their pro's and Con's it depends what you consider important i suppose. Even though i'm a multihull man, in this case i would steer away from the Shark cat. The only one around that length i had a ride in suffered from unbearable sneezing out of the back and was a real pig when it came to higher speed turns and just wouldn't sit right at anchor for some reason or other. The fact is these old Hulls are so very rarely left in original prestige condition and can be so different with the add on's, motors and general refurbishment that its hard to find two alike to get a definitive answer.

[myusernam]

I wouldn't like to pay the fuel bill for either

[Noelm]

Two very different boat to compare, where one is a clear winner, the other will be a winner somewhere else, so, to break it down, stability..no question, the cat can't be beat! general soft cruise speed, the cat will have the top spot..trolling, the mono is far better, no contest..accommodation options..mono again, simply because the cat has no room under the deck at the front, ability to move around at low speeds (like a marina and onto the trailer"..once again, the cat wins, and it will just go on and on, one better here, one better there.

[Chris Tucker]

The only one around that length i had a ride in suffered from unbearable sneezing out of the back.

wouldn't a sneeze out the back be a fart?

[Noelm]

Don't know about sneezing out the back! sneezing out the front tunnel was common, never thought of it being an issue though.

[Noelm]

OH, and high speed turns are not a cats strong point for sure, but then, never really see a need for high speed turns at sea, but also, never seen a cat as a ski boat either, nor competing in some sort of slalom race either!

[captain rednut]

Formulas win hands down 👍🏿

[Noelm]

Aahh, no, definitely not hands down, you don't think the cat has much better stability? you don't think in moderate chop, the cat will be smooth?

[Flex]

Has anyone here been in a formula and a sharkcat enough times to do unbiased comparison?

closest for me is a 21f striper v my 18f shakcat. Sharkcat wins hands down in that comparison.

[Noelm]

Yep, been in both hundreds of times.

[Lovey80]

I think the comparison was heading 100km to fish the reef. In that case surely the shark cat wins? In less than ideal weather the cat is going to beat it for ride and manageable cruising speed all the way there then be more stable on the reef marks. Unless the comparison starts heading down the overnight/accommodation route the cat wins hands down.

[Noelm]

Yep, very different boats to try to compare, either one would make any fisherman smile.

[captain rednut]

Aahh, no, definitely not hands down, you don't think the cat has much better stability? you don't think in moderate chop, the cat will be smooth?
Come on Noelm it's not all about stability you know !! I havent seen too many cats over take me when it's rough or is it because they have stability issues then too??
I do like my formulas and also a little bias. No hard feelings intended mate.

[Noelm]

No hard feelings from me, it's all about opinion, and yours is just as valuable as mine, that said, it would be a pretty rare day that a well powered 23' Sharkcat couldn't over take almost any mono, but that's not in question either, no one wants to go fishing and have to hang on for dear life all day long, it's all about being the best all round, and to that end, stability comes into it.

[Flex]

Having never been in a formular or similar.
do they actually ride better than your average glass mono?
As I mentioned I owned a 21f striper which is same Mould to 680 Haines.
They are considered the better riding glass hulls, but I found the ride good but not great.

Does the formular bang like Buggery through each wave with epic horsepower to keep them going? Or do they actually land soft? I know my striper didn't!
I noticed alot have insane hp behind them.
So given exact hp if imagine the formular would be s little faster due to planing efficiency.
But add in in average 10-15knot wind. Surely sc would be the more comfortable ride home doing 30 knots v the formular?

[myusernam]

the formulas i see at the reef are always tucked well inside. you dont see too many guys trying to sleep in them. and both, for all that horespower (and fuel usage) overhead are overkill most of the time as owners still wait for a calmish day to go fishing.

680's are definatley overrated in the ride department imho

[snatchy]

As I mentioned I owned a 21f striper which is same Mould to 680 Haines.

Different length, deadrise and beam (Striper 21 is overwidth for AUS). Are they really the same mold?

[Smithy]

Suppossedly the 680 hull is a flop of an older Striper, not the current few generations. I think someone put a pic up at one stage. Probably lost now due to server crashes.

[myusernam]

yes my first ride in one was a seaswirl. same as the 680sf

[Crunchy]

Suppossedly the 680 hull is a flop of an older Striper, not the current few generations. I think someone put a pic up at one stage. Probably lost now due to server crashes.

I was of the same impression, read it somewhere deep in the archives of the interweb.

[Noelm]

I think things tend to get all twisted up when someone is declaring a certain boat is the "best" the best at what needs to be determined first, a full on ocean racer, with all the HP under the sun might be the fastest, but certainly not the "best" fishing boat, so, in a way, the best is not always the best for everyone.

[Smithy]

What does the jury think? 680 or not?

[Noelm]

Look like twins to me, looked at a walk around like that about a year ago, near went for it, but changed my mind, shame really, because I am thinking about one again!

[Crunchy]

Strikingly similar, appears to be some merit in that theory.