Why do I like this boat ? 56ft Huckins Linwood

[rjtrane]

Grew Up on a Huckins

My Dad had a Huckins built back in the 50s - he was tall and tired of hitting his head on our 50' Chris Craft Constellation and dealing with the aging Hercules diesels. The Huckins was a great cruising yacht - I spent time on the ICW north and south, the Bahamas and part of the "Great Loop" as far as the intersection of the Illinois and the Mississippi (the only section left undone for me is from that point to Mobile AL).

I'm not sure why so much diss'ng of these fine yachts? She is designed for coastal cruising, which, my guess is, the most any of us ever do? Yes, a few take off for ocean voyages and need the range and sea-keeping ability of a Nordhavn, Kadey-Krogen or custom Neville or Seaton. But, most are within a reasonable distance of a safe harbor should storms start to brew.

I've crossed the Gulf Stream in 6 footers coming from the north on the Huckins - Yes, it was uncomfortable - but, certainly not dangerous. And we were able to maintain a speed that kept us in the slop a bit less than had we been aboard a true voyager. I feel there is confusion over sea-worthy and sea-kindliness? Most well-designed, well-built boats are sea-worthy (in the right hands) but many can be a bit less than sea-kindly.

For a fast cruising yacht, it is my guess that the Huckins rides as well as most - maybe a bit harder in rough weather than a deep-V, Ray Hunt-style hull. Having built quite a few modified V fast cruisers and a few deep-V ones, I feel I have a good idea as to a suitable ride - that crew that was whining about the Huckins on the Gulf coast maybe doesn't venture much outside the inlet?

One of the best features of the Huckins is the V-drive that keeps the 6-71s out back, under the cockpit - easy to work on with minimal noise and vibration in the accommodation. And, as mentioned elsewhere, practical and functional interiors - ours had a cork cabin sole that was easy to maintain and non-skid. Minimal bright work. An electrical/mechanical room separate from the engine room for all the high-maintenance pieces of equipment - easy to access.

As a fast coastal cruiser, you'd have to look far and wide to do better than a Huckins. If you buy a wood one, make sure you survey her.

Attached is a water color of our Huckins.

 

[roguewave]

Nice story, thanks for the info.

 

[harbor950]

"Grew Up on a Huckins"

Thanks for that Reuben. Along with all you said, John Austin Taylor paintings always compliment a yacht. The paintings are still valued as well.

 

[Nomad Willy]

rjtrane wrote,

"features of the Huckins is the V-drive that keeps the 6-71s out back, under the cockpit"

I'm not a fan of V drives.
One of the nicest things about inboards is the great balance achieved by the weight concentrated amidships. The Huckins as a light boat w her engines aft is probably a good formula for a hard ride.

I've always admired these boats w their long straight lines and no nonsense flair but I had no idea they had aft mounted engines. Heavy engines w the added weight of the V drives too.

Were some Huckins built w midship mounted straight drive engines?

 

[Peter B]

Fair question.

When I think more about it, I would say there is probably nothing that I dislike about them, more that I just don't like them.

If form follows function, then the function of a Huckins is to be seen on a Huckins. They don't seem to do anything else rather well. The remind me of a Rolls Royce Corniche convertible. Certainly they are both high quality, handmade items, but even if I had the means, I wouldn't be inclined to own such an object as their function has no purpose to me.

I just don't see them either attractive or admirable, that's all.

I'm with Spy here. To me they just look like 'speedboats'...and the superstructure lines are a bit 'busy' and conflicting in some ways...old fashioned, if you like...but that's just me...and Spy, I guess...

 

[Art]

Beauty to me represents functionality with a fair swath of artistically balanced curves and flairs and lines and colors and textures... all mixed together in applicable dimensions to correctly represent the inherent nature (the very being, so to say) of any particular item.

Boats as example:

13’3” Boston Whaler is a beauty. So are most Huckins. Tall mast sail boats present and hold a presence to behold. WWII Battle ships are beautiful designs, as are PT boats. Some models and years of Chris Craft as well as Tollycraft, Bertram, Uniflite, Grand Banks and other boat brands are also beautiful... to me, that is!

Cars as example:

Vetts, Porsche, MB’s, Tesla, Wildcat, 1955 Cadillac... and... many other models/years provide real beauty to some peoples mind’s eye... such as mine, that is!

Humans as example:

Boy we could get deep into this one – LOL! What may be appealing to another person may be thought of as not too good by another... nuff said!

My conclusion to the above is that each design emanating from human brain, and/or powers beyond our control, and/or needs of natural necessity becomes capable to form visual pictures of complete independence to each person viewing. And, the mind driven context that each person uses to distinguish beauty is as independent as fingerprints... in that, said context is a sum culmination derived from the person’s life learning and experiences.

I like most boats, love some, adore a few. Those I like, love or adore are my personal choices that stem from my decades of boating and marine encounters. Yours likes may well differ from mine... I can nearly guarantee you life in the marine world is/was different than mine. That’s why beauty not only stems from being in the eye of the beholder... but also stems from every second of our individual lives... the fabric of what we have developed into!

Cheers!

 

[Frankb]

Beauty to me represents functionality with a fair swath of artistically balanced curves and flairs and lines and colors and textures... all mixed together in applicable dimensions to correctly represent the inherent nature (the very being, so to say) of any particular item.

Boats as example:

13’3” Boston Whaler is a beauty. So are most Huckins. Tall mast sail boats present and hold a presence to behold. WWII Battle ships are beautiful designs, as are PT boats. Some models and years of Chris Craft as well as Tollycraft, Bertram, Uniflite, Grand Banks and other boat brands are also beautiful... to me, that is!

Cars as example:

Vetts, Porsche, MB’s, Tesla, Wildcat, 1955 Cadillac... and... many other models/years provide real beauty to some peoples mind’s eye... such as mine, that is!

Humans as example:

Boy we could get deep into this one – LOL! What may be appealing to another person may be thought of as not too good by another... nuff said!

My conclusion to the above is that each design emanating from human brain, and/or powers beyond our control, and/or needs of natural necessity becomes capable to form visual pictures of complete independence to each person viewing. And, the mind driven context that each person uses to distinguish beauty is as independent as fingerprints... in that, said context is a sum culmination derived from the person’s life learning and experiences.

I like most boats, love some, adore a few. Those I like, love or adore are my personal choices that stem from my decades of boating and marine encounters. Yours likes may well differ from mine... I can nearly guarantee you life in the marine world is/was different than mine. That’s why beauty not only stems from being in the eye of the beholder... but also stems from every second of our individual lives... the fabric of what we have developed into!

Cheers!

Well stated

Most of us are in the same sea of ideas as we chug along separate courses to different destinations.

 

[Mabru team]

Huckins yachts

rjtrane wrote,

"features of the Huckins is the V-drive that keeps the 6-71s out back, under the cockpit"

I'm not a fan of V drives.
One of the nicest things about inboards is the great balance achieved by the weight concentrated amidships. The Huckins as a light boat w her engines aft is probably a good formula for a hard ride.
E
I've always admired these boats w their long straight lines and no nonsense flair but I had no idea they had aft mounted engines. Heavy engines w the added weight of the V drives too.
Wavy
Were some Huckins built w midship mounted straight drive engines?

Deep V was my best choice, cruising to the Bahamas on a 31 Bertram head seas was in my opinion the very best, then the Trojan 10 meter with a delta conic hull came out, what a ride!!, soft, fast and DRY, we still own that 1982 boat, 30 kt full speed, or 24 kt cruising 1 MPG with cummins 6bta 370 HP.
I also purchased a deep V Luhrs 40 open with T 500 HP yanmar, removed the heavy tower, the engine hatch, cockpit and cabin floors and made new ones in Nida core, new special furniture, a fwd ballast tank to help during bad seas.. We did 38kt!!! But my wife refused to come back with us to the Bahamas... Then A customer came to us with a Huckins 65 cold molded, was to me the most elegant classic boat, practical engine room, easy to service, mid engines with straight shafts, no V drives, T 650 HP v12 d25 man, FLAT bottom!!! I was working also for Bertram yachts fabricating all their 67 hulls and decks, installing on all of them the air conditioning and accessories, we had to sea trial them often, the ride was incredible but the fuel consumption was very high.
The 65 Huckins hull #406sea trial at 18kt was showing almost 1 MPG.. The ride was very very nice, so nice that after 35 years dealing with yachts and mega yachts and 9 years waiting for the right Huckins few weeks ago I made the move. "Huckins is contagious"

 

[Mabru team]

The Huckins #406 65 1971

Deep V was my best choice, cruising to the Bahamas on a 31 Bertram head seas was in my opinion the very best, then the Trojan 10 meter with a delta conic hull came out, what a ride!!, soft, fast and DRY, we still own that 1982 boat, 30 kt full speed, or 24 kt cruising 1 MPG with cummins 6bta 370 HP.
I also purchased a deep V Luhrs 40 open with T 500 HP yanmar, removed the heavy tower, the engine hatch, cockpit and cabin floors and made new ones in Nida core, new special furniture, a fwd ballast tank to help during bad seas.. We did 38kt!!! But my wife refused to come back with us to the Bahamas... Then A customer came to us with a Huckins 65 cold molded, was to me the most elegant classic boat, practical engine room, easy to service, mid engines with straight shafts, no V drives, T 650 HP v12 d25 man, FLAT bottom!!! I was working also for Bertram yachts fabricating all their 67 hulls and decks, installing on all of them the air conditioning and accessories, we had to sea trial them often, the ride was incredible but the fuel consumption was very high.
The 65 Huckins hull #406sea trial at 18kt was showing almost 1 MPG.. The ride was very very nice, so nice that after 35 years dealing with yachts and mega yachts and 9 years waiting for the right Huckins few weeks ago I made the move. "Huckins is contagious"

More pictures

 

[Mabru team]

Huckins yachts

More pictures

This is our Trojan delta conic hull, we also love this boat...

 

[Mabru team]

Huckins pictures

This is our Trojan delta conic hull, we also love this boat...

Old brochure

 

[Mabru team]

Huckins/ rolls royce Corniche

Fair question.

When I think more about it, I would say there is probably nothing that I dislike about them, more that I just don't like them.

If form follows function, then the function of a Huckins is to be seen on a Huckins. They don't seem to do anything else rather well. The remind me of a Rolls Royce Corniche convertible. Certainly they are both high quality, handmade items, but even if I had the means, I wouldn't be inclined to own such an object as their function has no purpose to me.

I just don't see them either attractive or admirable, that's all.

You have to own them or work on them for few years to understand the "Value"
The RR corniche was not a Ferrari was just an hand made custom car, with seats for 5, elegant to go to the restaurant or... Mine was a 1986, paid $52k in 1993 sold it on 2003 for the same amount, after several Mercedes, Porsches, corvettes, I will go back soon to a RR corniche.
Huckins is the same, some of them are elegant and some of them are just plain ugly but...but be careful Huckins is contagious.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Mabru wrote "but be careful Huckins is contagious"

Indeed I think they are "distinctive" and product identity is often important.

Is the boat in post #38 a Huckins? Sure dosn't look like a Huckins.

I think I would be happy w a Rolls Royce. I'll need to settle for my 73 Buick.

 

[Tad Roberts]

This is our Trojan delta conic hull, we also love this boat...

Harry Schoell patented that as the Duo Delta Conic Hull in the early 1980's, and it has nothing to do with the much earlier Huckins hulls. Harry's patent was a standard vee-bottom with convex forefoot and wide chine flats. I believe the patent proved indefensible......

 

[Nomad Willy]

TAD,
That looks like a boat that would pound on her Chines a bit like my 19' Winner ... Only worse. Never been a fan of concave bottoms. And large flat Chines are too similar. Extra wetted surface for no gain. Does look nice in the forefoot though.

 

[dhmeissner]

Here's one, come and get it...
60 ft huckins yacht.....

 

[capt.George]

Here's one, come and get it...
60 ft huckins yacht.....

1940 = war years. Not a Huckins Yacht, just an old military craft built by Huckins - maybe?

 

[Nomad Willy]

It's sad but anybody that could afford to fix and maintain it wouldn't want it.