Any boat purchase includes a compromise between form and function features.  With that in mind, many prospective buyers base their buying decision on how a boat looks, rather than how a boat rides.  If cruising is in your future, the unique KEELFORM® hull of the Camano will deliver performance, comfort underway and fuel economies.

Naturally the slower a vessel goes, the more fuel efficient it will be.  At full displacement trawler speeds (6-7 knots), a Camano uses approximately 1.2 gallons per hour, giving her a range of approximately 630 nautical miles with a 10% reserve.  However at cruising speeds, her fuel efficiency is unmatched by other semi-displacement or planing hull forms.  For instance, at 14 knots, the Camano burns only approximately 5 gallons per hour. 

At any speed, the props are protected by a steel rudder shoe and a large rudder.

Further, her special bow-section flare offers a dry, stable ride, even in rough conditions. 

Comfort underway is derived by many factors, one of which is hull shape.  The KEELFORM® hull does not “roll” like a full displacement hull form and does not “pound” like a planing hull form.  The Camano KEELFORM® is unique.  Forward, her stem is deep, as it would be in a displacement hull.  Aft, the bottom flattens out into hard chines, just like a planing boat, but has a huge keel and barn-door style rudder that would never be found on a planing yacht.  The keel, which provides about 28 percent of the hull’s displacement, is one of the elements of design that makes the Camano an adept performer at any speed.

The 200 hp Volvo® turbo-charged engine is placed deep in the engine compartment, along with the fluid storage.  This places the center of gravity lower than in most boats, thus allowing a steady and level ride. Comfort is also derived from the low noise level, when underway, because of a combination of a quiet diesel and a well-insulated engine room. 

Merits of the Camano KEELFORM® hull

All design theory aside, the above photos show how the KEELFORM® hull actually works!

As the boat accelerates, the KEELFORM® hull keeps the transom from “squatting” in the water and the Camano quickly lifts onto a plane.

As she further accelerates, the Camano only changes angle minimally and planes at approximately 9.5 knots, with full fuel and water.

The net advantages: 

·        more efficient fuel consumption

·        a comfortable ride in choppy seas

·        improved handling in any sea condition

·        dry wake

KEELFORM® fuel comparison chart.

Click her to download the detailed performance statistics for the D-4.