Panga Cabin to compete with the C-Dory???

[Brudenship]

We put 40 years of design experience to offer an alternative to the C-Dory brand. Our 290 PC Cabin offers more standard features like a proven hull design that rides smooth in rough water; 16" draft; 4 mpg @ 35 mph w/150 hp OB; 50 gal. hot and cold fresh running water; galley; 6' shower & head; waste tank w/ dock side or at sea pump out; self bailing deck; full foam floatation; self righting; solar panels, windlass. The best 29 for boating in the Northwest U.S. waters capable of shallow water access in rivers and lakes. Great for wilderness excursions that were beyond reach until now.

Pangacraft.com 29 and 27 versions? Seems a bit sketchy as not much info. Interesting concept though as I've been on several Pangas and they are 95% of boats from Mexico down to ???

 

[JamesTXSD]

Interesting website... besides the quote that they are a direct competition to the C-Dory brand, they also say that Panga boats are the preferred boat for "the drug trade" in the Caribbean. :shock:

Sketchy? Well, certainly a different type of promotion on that site. We see some Panga boats here in deep south Texas, and used to see them frequently when we traveled in Mexico (all open boats, no cabin). I have been on a couple, and they have been decent riding; they seem to rely on waterline length for that ride, with a long hull compared to the beam, upswept bow, fairly shallow sides; more deadrise than the C-Dory hulls, sharper V at the bow. The boats I have been on are stout.

My take on the look of that cabin boat: it looks odd, with the cabin looking like an add-on as opposed to the C-Dory line that looks purposefully designed to be a cabin boat. The photos on that site look rudimentary, and without a layout sketch, it is hard to tell what the flow would be like in the cabin. It is clear they took a lot of ideas from the C-Dory boats. With the solid enclosed head behind the helm, the all-around visibility would not be as good as in the C-Dorys.

I admit a bias towards the C-Dory design, as each model has always looked right to my eyes. Other boats I considered before getting a CD-25 were Nimble (it was a Nomad that a neighbor had that first got me interested in a cabin type power boat), Rosborough, AdventureCraft, and SeaSport. The C-Dory was the best balance of weight, economy, and use of space for us.

 

[thataway]

First, this is not a C dory type of boat. There are several designs of Panga's and I am not sure which one this is. Are the narrow Pangas sea worthy? Yes, I have seen Panga's up to over 100 miles at sea. Usually these boats are heavily laden, and cannot run as fast.

Panga is a general type of design. Many builders take liberty and increase beam, deadrise, change topside hull height, change shear, etc; Many are to the IMEMSA design, but some are others.

I sea trialed a Panga built locally in Alabama, and more recently Pensacola. It was the wettest boat of that size I have ridden on. Yes when the boat is light and in smooth water they will reach these higher speeds. But with chop/swells, you will want trim tabs to get the bow down, like a C Dory....but if you get the bow down running with seas, and get up in the higher speed range you have to get that sharp bow up to keep from broaching or bow steering.

Not where's the beef; but where's the galley? Out in the cockpit on the starboard side, and mostly a sink--little room for a stove or prep. Steering second station--well it is OK for fishing & docking, as long as you don't need to see forward. I prefer to have the outside helm on the starboard side--easier for docking and locks.

There were a few nagging phrases the Panga ad--and I was suspicious about where the hulls were molded: (yes, the writer claims "US Built, CG approved" or something to this effect.)--If the boats are completed in the US with foreign components, it is "built in the US". All boats sold thru a commercial builder have to have CG approval.

Here is what I found on The Hull Truth:

Pangacraft is Allmand. Imports chinese and Sri Lankan hulls

Many Panga's are built in Mexico, China, Thailand etc. Then the hulls (Stacked for transpot, because they may not have full stringers and grids,) plus the second and or 3rd moldments, components of the grid or liner are put on the hull and the boat is "built in the US". I don't know if the cabin floor is down between stringers or on top of the stringers/grid to get the standing head room. (be sure that the grids have limber holes, so water does not get trapped between the grids.)

Another alarm was the sea trial. Only if you paid $3,000. Yes that included some transport and a hotel room. Even to communicate with them was a $350 charge.
They don't have finished hulls to check out or sea trial.

Also a number of "links" were "Error 404 cannot be found".

The front windshield does not open. Fine for up north, or if you are running an air conditioner..but not for hotter climates.