BBII or BBIII HELP!!!!

G

gary k

Member
Gents,

I just purchased my first Devlin Boat and it is sweet. I need some help in deciding if she is a BBII or a BBIII. I have cheked all the prior posts and researched all of your great pics but I still dont know. I have plans to put a dodger and a flap system blind on her after a repaint. Any tips or suggestions are greatly appreciated. The previous owner states she ran 28 mph with a 25 2 stroke merc,2 guys, and it got right up on plane. The boat was built in 2003 and he was not sure what brant it was. I will hopefully be taking her for a ride over the weekend to she how she performs. Thanks in advance for your input. If you need more pics let me know.

Gary King

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Gary,

With that motor, I think that speed would be tough with a BBIII and impossible with a BBII. Who built it? Maybe we know him. Also the hull looks like a BBIII - not enough rocker to be a BBII.

Looking at the transom I would think you might be hitting the motor on the sides of the sponsons when it is in shallow drive. Just something to watch out for.

Nice looking boat. At least from a distance it looks like the builder did a good job.
 
Gary,

Have to agree with Pete that it would be hard to get 28mph with a 25hp on a BB2 loaded with 2 people. I was barely able to squeek that out of my BB2 with just me and the engine set so high the boat was "loose" on the water. However, I think it looks more like a BB2 than a 3, but it is hard to tell with the camo/shadows. A picture of the front of the bow may clear it up. Either way you have a great boat. Here is how my dodger/cover is set up http://duckboats.net/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2419;search_string=bb2%20dodger;#2419

-Bill
 
Bill and Pete thanks for the input. Like I said thats what the previous owner states, so who knows. The builders name is Tim Hastings from Berlin MD. He is a super nice guy and yes the boat is built well. Bill your boat is sweet, thats exactly how I want my dodger to be. I will enclose more pics for you guys. Is their any measurments I can take to tell the difference. I especially like the two custom made 4 gallon aluminun gas tanks she has. Well everyone enjoy the holiday weekend and hopefully I will get her out on the water.

Thanks

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Gary, I think it was him and his 11-12 YO daughter.
Thats a big difference than a couple of old fat duck hunters like me.
 
Bill and Pete thanks for the input. Like I said thats what the previous owner states, so who knows. The builders name is Tim Hastings from Berlin MD. He is a super nice guy and yes the boat is built well. Bill your boat is sweet, thats exactly how I want my dodger to be. I will enclose more pics for you guys. Is their any measurments I can take to tell the difference. I especially like the two custom made 4 gallon aluminun gas tanks she has. Well everyone enjoy the holiday weekend and hopefully I will get her out on the water.

Thanks
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Might want to get that gas tank fixed, marine tanks are supposed to be top draw, not bottom.
 
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Todd,

It does draw from the top on the other tank. The one in the picture is the reserve tank. Does that still matter? The fitting on top acts as the vent. Yes David he did mention his daughter maybe thats why he got the speed out of it. I will have to check for myself and I will let you guys know.

Thanks
 
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I keep going through the pictures but I can not find anything specific that looks to be a BBII or a BBIII.

Thought for the think tank. Could we be looking at one of the original Black Brant? I remember talking with Sam at one point and I believe there was a Black Brant before the II and III.
 
Gary, I think I have it nailed down to a BB2. Take a look

This is your boat.
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This is Lee Harker's BB2
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And this is my BB3. Kind of hard to see the chine line on this but I think you can see the differences.
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Pay close attention to the line of the chine from the mid point rearward. See how it sweeps back up towards the deck as you get aft? On BB3's the back about 1/3 of the hull is flattened out a bit to aid in getting up on plane. The BB2 has full rocker all the way back.

In either case you have a great hunting platform that you are going to love.
 
Gary,
the ABYC http://www.abycinc.org/ recomendations on fuel tank design is intended to keep large, enclosed engine space, inboard boats from having a gas leak disaster when some electrical related event ignites gas vapors from a leaking low tank fitting.
In your open boat with no equipment installed under the deck..... ie battery chargers, water heaters....ect.... it is my opinion that you will be OK with the set up you have. But if you do own the boat long enough to need a new tank you can have it built with a top pickup and the "No fittings" in the bottom of the tank idea in mind.
You should be watchful for a fitting failure in that low fitting, just like the tank welds. But if it is installed with a good fit, it will work just like the Thousands of older boats built before the standard was put into place.
 
Pete,

I must say I think you are correct about her being a BBII. From all the pics I have seen I think that makes sense. Either way I cant wait to gun her. Thanks for all the input guys. I am not sure what I will do with the gas tanks, maybe just go with my 6 gal plastic. I wont get a chance to get her out today due to the weather, hopefully tomorrow. Back down to the shop to mount some more birds. Have a good one.

Thanks
 
Gary,
the ABYC http://www.abycinc.org/ recomendations on fuel tank design is intended to keep large, enclosed engine space, inboard boats from having a gas leak disaster when some electrical related event ignites gas vapors from a leaking low tank fitting.
In your open boat with no equipment installed under the deck..... ie battery chargers, water heaters....ect.... it is my opinion that you will be OK with the set up you have. But if you do own the boat long enough to need a new tank you can have it built with a top pickup and the "No fittings" in the bottom of the tank idea in mind.
You should be watchful for a fitting failure in that low fitting, just like the tank welds. But if it is installed with a good fit, it will work just like the Thousands of older boats built before the standard was put into place.
Click to expand...


2 gallons, 20 or 200 - I think we agree that top siphon is meant to protect the user from fitting failure. What I woudl say is that whomever welded that tank up wrong (with a bottom draw) probably isn't too experianced with tank making and thus the tank is suspect for other reasons. Was it pressure tested after it was built? Either way, I'd get a new one or have that fixed. Pretty minor, but I don't want someone hurt or property destroyed if I could point it out what was wrong.
 
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