is an aquastar oceanranger hull as good as a nelson hull

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kwester3

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hi i currantly own a 1973 halmatic nelson 34, it has completely lived up to all expectations regarding seakeeping, we have put the boat through some very heav weather, and she has shrugged off the lot, and been nothing short of brilliant. but the downside of the nelson type hull is that dont offer that much in the way of accomodation, we have for some time now considered trading kwester for something else with a bit more room, but we would like to keep to having something strong and seaworthy like the nelson, and what we have seen is a aquastar 33 oceanranger with an aft cabin, fantastic accomodation in a hull which is no longer than the vessel i currantly own, but whilst the aquastar felt very well built and solid i would like to ask for anyone else's coments on there seakeeping abilities, how would an oceanranger hull and a nelson hull compare with each other in heavy sea conditions, thankyou to anyone who responds to this thread you may help me to make up my mind on this matter
 
I used to drive a 38...

I used to operate a commercial aquastar 38 patrol boat for almost 10 years which had the same hull as the Ocean Ranger 38 and before that a Nelson 34 ex customs launch. I think theres very little to differentiate as far as sea keeping goes. The only thing I notice with the aquastar is that they do have very blunt bows which tend to barge through the water rather than cut. Our Aquastar was very very wet but the wheelhouse windows were much fruther foreward than on an Oceanranger so I suspect the ocean ranger would be a bit better. I looked very closely at the Oceanranger 38 and 33 when I was looking for a liveaboard recently but ended up with a trawler yacht instead just for the space. I took the 38 through most conditions that a leisure boat would ever want to be in and then some and she never once felt that she was on her limits. I think the Ocean ranger 33 would be a very seaworthy boat for her size but you might also look at a Weymouth/Halmatic/Humber 34 which are all Nelso derivatives but with much more accomodation... cheers Iain
 
I have owned an aft cockpit Aquastar with the same hull since 2007. I can't speak for very heavy weather but she's as comfortable as anything both up and down wind in a steadyish 6. Rolls like a pig of course and quite (!) wet. But no doubt you are used to that.

Oddly, I was saying to someone else only yesterday that when I bought her, I had been looking at Nelson 38s but the extra beam of the shorter Aquastar meant that the interior volumes were not as different as might be expected and the layout of the Nelsons I looked at wouldn't have worked so well for me as the layout I have on my Aquastar.
 
Aquastar 33/38 verses Nelson

Every boat is a compromise.

The original Nelson came out in the 1960's.

The Nelson is a very narrow low freeboard design.

The Aquastar is a much wider boat than the original Nelson and much fuller in the bow.

The Aquastar has much more usable space for accomodation, width and height are greater so volume is much greater.

My boat is an Aquastar 48 much wider than the equivalent length Nelson and heavier but the bow is much finer than that of the 38. I ran alongside a Nelson 44 in a force 4 which was rolling and steering off to port and starb with the sea while my boat was hardly rolling and the steering much better.
 
so really for me who would only be using the boat for leisure journeys there would be no difference in there comparitive seakeeping abilities, interesting one of the replys to my origional question about occomodation, was about use of space, as when i stepped aboard the aquastar i couldnt belive i was in a boat that was no longer than my nelson and only one foot wider, the interior volume was huge, i think im starting to feel more happy about making this potential change between these boats, thankyou to all who have taken the time to reply.
 
Kwester 3

Is yours a Nelson or a Halmatic 34 as designed by John Askham.

Loa 34ft
Lwl 32ft
Beam moulded 10ft 10in

AKA Weymouth 34 and Humber 34

?
 
the hull looks the same but the top is very different, we have been told before that she may not be a true tt boat design nelson, but she was out once on the hard next a 40ft pilot nelson, and there was no difference in the hull design other than length, visualy there was nothing to tell them apart, i did once read that after john askham left tt boat designs to work direct fo halmatic he carried on with the nelson type theme which could explain the simalarities but with an extra foot to the width of the boat
 
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Askham

The Askham Halmatic 34 is wider as a ratio length to beam than the original nelsons.

The hull is rounder.

I loved my Halmatic 34 the design was by brick *hithouse and we went through some big ones, I never got concerned that she would get me home.
 
Are you not going a tad OTT. A Nelson is indeed a fine hull and great for work boats where fuel and economy are not a big issue. But as a leisure boat, do we want to go out in bad weather that often. My P35 has dealt with seriously bad conditions on many occasions, never missing a beat and certainly never causing concern.
 
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