What’s Deep Vee?

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Deep vee boats have taller or deeper sides, allowing them to navigate rough seas without water covering occupants or cargo. They require more power but ride more smoothly, making them popular for fishing, military ships, and offshore powerboat racing. They also offer added safety benefits for families.

When referring to the types of boats, the vee deep describes the height of the side walls of the boat. There are shallow V boats that have short sides, and deep V boats that have taller or deeper sides. The benefits of a deep vee boat lie in its ability to navigate through rough seas without the water covering the boat’s occupants or cargo.

Deep vee hulls will generally be deeper in the water than a shallow vee or flat bottom boat, and are therefore used in larger or deeper water. The design is found on fishing boats as well as military ships. In these cases, the boat is subjected to a wide variety of different seas and must perform well, even in bad weather.

Many small boats operating on inland lakes have deep V designs. This allows the boat to take bigger waves and can be much more stable for a novice operator. River craft are usually shallow vee or flat-bottomed designs; however, on larger and deeper rivers, deep V boats can also be found.

By design, a deep V boat will require a bit more power to push it through the water. The hull shape allows more boats to sit below the waterline, putting the engine to work harder to push more of the boat through the water. Sitting below the waterline, deep vee hulls typically ride much more smoothly through rough water than a shallow vee or flat bottomed dinghy. Boats with the latter design will ride on the rough surface of the water, while the deeper, vee-shaped hull will cut through the waves and remain more stable.

Many of the world’s best offshore powerboat racers rely on a deep V design for their racing boats. By allowing the boat to ride through the waves instead of jumping across the top of the water, the boat is much more controllable. It is also less prone to damage and requires fewer repairs.

By keeping the boat in the water longer between waves, the motor’s propellers also stay in the water longer, resulting in more stable power and speed. In rough seas this is extremely useful. In flat, smooth water, the engines can be tuned for more power, and the boat can be trimmed to keep it higher in the water, resulting in a very fast boat on any type of water.

Many anglers enjoy the deeper hull for its added safety benefits. With taller sides, younger children are less likely to fall on their sides. This layout is a good boat option for families who enjoy fishing.




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