Cope Design - Cortes Island 30 Build

Waterwolf2230

Well-Known Member
Well I pulled the trigger on my next boat. 2018 was an emotional roller coaster for me. As many of you know I had purchased a new 26’ RH Sea Hawk Pro last spring. I fished hard through the summer and honestly it was a fantastic fishing machine that went like a rocket. I loved many things about the boat…until it sank. I had left it in the marina as I had planned to return in a week for another trip with friends. Over the course of the week a small leak eventually killed the batteries and down she went in the marina. The boat was a total write-off and I was absolutely GUTTED...

The investigation took the marine surveyor months to figure out, in fact it wasn't until he solicited help from Daigle that they were able to pinpoint the issue. The exact cause ended up being a failed weld in the starboard/transom corner. It was letting in approximately 1 TBSP per second which he said equaled to approximately 100 gallons/day. They couldn’t tell me if it was a poor weld or a structural issue but at this point it no longer matters to me. I stayed very quiet about it as I didn’t feel that it was fair to speak about it until it was determined what caused it to sink. I know that some of you warned me about RH Boats and you can now say I told you so. Anyway, I’m on to bigger and better things!

I’ve decided to go with a Cope Design – Cortes Island 30’ with pod to be fabricated by Leon at Cutting Edge Aluminum in Campbell River. Leon is an Aussie who has been fabricating aluminum boats for over 20 years. He’s built 3 Cope Design boats so far. I spoke with Bruce about the quality of his previous boats and he highly recommended Leon. Bruce said that he won’t endorse someone if he hasn’t personally inspected his work and said that I’m in good hands! I had Bruce’s team make some customizations to the plan which I think will make it near perfect for me. There will be nearly 10’ of rear deck space which is great for jigging.

This is what I’m planning for my build. I’m open to suggestions on some things (except power) so fire away if you have ideas.

2019 Cope Designed – Cortes Island 30
Color: TBD
Power: Twin 300 Evinrude G2’s w RX4 props
Kicker: Evinrude 15HO Kicker
Fuel: 120 Gallons / 545 Litres

Cab:
Seats – Black Corbin with Shockwave Suspension Modules x 2
Table with bench – Port
Bench with storage - Starboard
LED Style Cup Holders
Small sink with a bank of drawers
ProMariner TruePower Inverter/Battery Charger Combo
USB Charge Ports and 12v lighter outlet
Hella Marine NaviLED Navigation Lights


Aft Deck:
Doors and windows by AJR
Offset cabin door to starboard side
24” x 16” helm – Starboard
16” x 16” storage - Port
Dual Premium Binnacles
Waterproof USB Charger
iTroll for kicker
Evinrude iDock System
Custom Drawer Tackle Station
Large insulated infloor fish box – 165 US Gallons
Transom fish box w/aerator (still working on details)
Hella Marine Sea Hawk-XLB LED Floodlights (Rear facing)
Starboard side walkthrough door
8’ locking rod locker – Port Side

Top
Simrad Halo 24 Radar
Simrad HS60 GPS/Compass
Shakespeare 6225 – 8’ VHF antenna
Shakespeare 5420-XT Little Giant FM Antenna
Stryker LED Spotlight
Marinco Dual Trumpet Horn
8 Aluminum Rocket Launchers on roof overhang
Hella Marine NaviLED All Round White Navigation Lamp

Electronics:
2 x 12” Simrad EVO 3 Chartplotters w/Vancouver Island Navionics
Airmar SS175HW – 1kW thru hull transducer to be hung off transom
***Possible 3D Transducer – TBD***
Simrad RS40 VHF
Simrad NAC-2 AutoPilot
Simrad RPU-80 Pump
Simrad WR10 Wireless Remote
Fusion Apollo MS RA770 Touch Head Unit
4 x Fusion 7.7” Chrome 280 watt LED speakers
1 x Fusion Sub
Polk Audio 5 Channel Amp

Cuddy
Jabsco Lite Flush Electric Toilet w/holding tank
LED Lighting

Accessories
ACR Globalfix Epirb – Auto Release
Bennet 12” x 12” Bolt Electric Trim Tabs
Bennet AutoTrim Pro Controller
Lewmar Windlass – TBD
Whale 1300gph auto bilge
Whale 3000gph manual bilge
Freshwater tank
Saltwater Washdown - stern, port side
2 x Group 27 starter batteries
1 x Group 31 AGM House Battery
Saviour Battery Trays x 3
OceanLED Sport Series S3116 Blue Underwater Lights x 2
Scotty HP Downriggers

Let the debt begin!

WW
 

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Well I pulled the trigger on my next boat. 2018 was an emotional roller coaster for me. As many of you know I had purchased a new 26’ RH Sea Hawk Pro last spring. I fished hard through the summer and honestly it was a fantastic fishing machine that went like a rocket. I loved many things about the boat…until it sank. I had left it in the marina as I had planned to return in a week for another trip with friends. Over the course of the week a small leak eventually killed the batteries and down she went in the marina. The boat was a total write-off and I was absolutely GUTTED...

The investigation took the marine surveyor months to figure out, in fact it wasn't until he solicited help from Daigle that they were able to pinpoint the issue. The exact cause ended up being a failed weld in the starboard/transom corner. It was letting in approximately 1 TBSP per second which he said equaled to approximately 100 gallons/day. They couldn’t tell me if it was a poor weld or a structural issue but at this point it no longer matters to me. I stayed very quiet about it as I didn’t feel that it was fair to speak about it until it was determined what caused it to sink. I know that some of you warned me about RH Boats and you can now say I told you so. Anyway, I’m on to bigger and better things!

I’ve decided to go with a Cope Design – Cortes Island 30’ with pod to be fabricated by Leon at Cutting Edge Aluminum in Campbell River. Leon is an Aussie who has been fabricating aluminum boats for over 20 years. He’s built 3 Cope Design boats so far. I spoke with Bruce about the quality of his previous boats and he highly recommended Leon. Bruce said that he won’t endorse someone if he hasn’t personally inspected his work and said that I’m in good hands! I had Bruce’s team make some customizations to the plan which I think will make it near perfect for me. There will be nearly 10’ of rear deck space which is great for jigging.

This is what I’m planning for my build. I’m open to suggestions on some things (except power) so fire away if you have ideas.

2019 Cope Designed – Cortes Island 30
Color
: TBD
Power: Twin 300 Evinrude G2’s w RX4 props
Kicker: Evinrude 15HO Kicker
Fuel: 120 Gallons / 545 Litres

Cab:
Seats – Black Corbin with Shockwave Suspension Modules x 2
Table with bench – Port
Bench with storage - Starboard
LED Style Cup Holders
Small sink with a bank of drawers
ProMariner TruePower Inverter/Battery Charger Combo
USB Charge Ports and 12v lighter outlet
Hella Marine NaviLED Navigation Lights


Aft Deck:
Doors and windows by AJR
Offset cabin door to starboard side
24” x 16” helm – Starboard
16” x 16” storage - Port
Dual Premium Binnacles
Waterproof USB Charger
iTroll for kicker
Evinrude iDock System
Custom Drawer Tackle Station
Large insulated infloor fish box – 165 US Gallons
Transom fish box w/aerator (still working on details)
Hella Marine Sea Hawk-XLB LED Floodlights (Rear facing)
Starboard side walkthrough door
8’ locking rod locker – Port Side

Top
Simrad Halo 24 Radar
Simrad HS60 GPS/Compass
Shakespeare 6225 – 8’ VHF antenna
Shakespeare 5420-XT Little Giant FM Antenna
Stryker LED Spotlight
Marinco Dual Trumpet Horn
8 Aluminum Rocket Launchers on roof overhang
Hella Marine NaviLED All Round White Navigation Lamp

Electronics:
2 x 12” Simrad EVO 3 Chartplotters w/Vancouver Island Navionics
Airmar SS175HW – 1kW thru hull transducer to be hung off transom
***Possible 3D Transducer – TBD***
Simrad RS40 VHF
Simrad NAC-2 AutoPilot
Simrad RPU-80 Pump
Simrad WR10 Wireless Remote
Fusion Apollo MS RA770 Touch Head Unit
4 x Fusion 7.7” Chrome 280 watt LED speakers
1 x Fusion Sub
Polk Audio 5 Channel Amp

Cuddy
Jabsco Lite Flush Electric Toilet w/holding tank
LED Lighting

Accessories
ACR Globalfix Epirb – Auto Release
Bennet 12” x 12” Bolt Electric Trim Tabs
Bennet AutoTrim Pro Controller
Lewmar Windlass – TBD
Whale 1300gph auto bilge
Whale 3000gph manual bilge
Freshwater tank
Saltwater Washdown - stern, port side
2 x Group 27 starter batteries
1 x Group 31 AGM House Battery
Saviour Battery Trays x 3
OceanLED Sport Series S3116 Blue Underwater Lights x 2
Scotty HP Downriggers

Let the debt begin!

WW
Curtis, thsnk you for posting this! I shed a tear last year when Kevin showed me these pics. This new build is gonna be next level!
Rip your beautiful blue boat from last year. Hello wicked boat of this year! Just in time for @ the completion of ReelSlim and @ExFlyGuy’s fantastic build and restoration. Perfect timing!
 
i'm surprised insurance would write of a welded aluminum boat.
I was a bit too but the dock came down on it and it would need to be stripped down the the hull. Absolutely everything is toast. The batteries when submersed caused incredible corrosion. Melted off the posts all over the battery compartment. It was crazy...
 
I was a bit too but the dock came down on it and it would need to be stripped down the the hull. Absolutely everything is toast. The batteries when submersed caused incredible corrosion. Melted off the posts all over the battery compartment. It was crazy...

oh that is crazy!!
 
Curtis, I know it took some courage to be able to post about what happened, good on ya! I'm glad the mourning period is over for you and that you can be excited about something again. Build on!
 
Are you sure you're going to have enough range with only 120 gallons on board?

Edit: I note it shows 545L which is 120 Canadian gallons or 143 US gallons.

What are you expecting for performance and mpg per US gallon?
 
Hey Curtis, great choice on the Cope. Once it's built the hurt of its predecessor will get easier but it won't go away , trust me I know the feeling times 200. Spend a little extra on the new boat with double pumps and safety equipment, it will give you some piece of mind
 
Very sorry to hear about your boat sinking. But great to hear you are getting a nice new custom boat built. A much better choice I might add too. I was one of the ones in the past posting some information about RH boats on this forum with info about them being sued, warranty problems, all kinds of issues so I was surprised when I saw you decided to go with that brand when you did. I've also been told recently that they have changed their parent company name to skirt around law suits and to continue on with boat productions I've heard through the grape vine. Also heard that the design and production manager from River Hawk now works at Katanacraft.. a brand I saw recently at the boat show and a brand that is advertising all over Craigslist lately.

Your boat sinking may have been one I heard about from a family friend we have in the marine insurance underwriting business. Was that in Victoria? And wasn't that failed weld also from a fix that occurred after there was already an original failed weld somewhere on the transom; like from where a plate was welded to the transom? Did it sink twice, or have a situation prior to the sinking? Not sure its the same one but sounds like it may be.

Keep us posted on your new build! Sounds like it's gonna be an awesome boat!
 
Are you sure you're going to have enough range with only 120 gallons on board?

Edit: I note it shows 545L which is 120 Canadian gallons or 143 US gallons.

What are you expecting for performance and mpg per US gallon?
Ya I think I used the wrong converter...its 120 US gallons. As for performance there are so many variables that I couldn't even guess at this point. I was super happy with the performance and efficiency of the G2's on my last build. For the fishing that I tend to do, I think that'll be a large enough tank.
 
1 USG = 3.8L. 1 Imperial gallon = 4.5L

I would verify with Cope what you can expect for performance. Suggest you have at least 300 miles range on a 30 foot boat. You'll be surprised how much you will use it for extended periods now that you will have more space on board. It sucks when you have to go for fuel every morning, or you can't travel to certain areas due to range constraints. You don't have to fill the tank all the time, but for those longer trips with long legs between fuel stops it's nice to have. It's also nice to not have to refuel each day in peak-season at the gas bar.
 
1 USG = 3.8L. 1 Imperial gallon = 4.5L

I would verify with Cope what you can expect for performance. Suggest you have at least 300 miles range on a 30 foot boat. You'll be surprised how much you will use it for extended periods now that you will have more space on board. It sucks when you have to go for fuel every morning, or you can't travel to certain areas due to range constraints. You don't have to fill the tank all the time, but for those longer trips with long legs between fuel stops it's nice to have. It's also nice to not have to refuel each day in peak-season at the gas bar.
Thanks BCI, they are tweaking a few things right now, I'm sure that there is room for a larger tank...what would you suggest?
 
Very sorry to hear about your boat sinking. But great to hear you are getting a nice new custom boat built. A much better choice I might add too. I was one of the ones in the past posting some information about RH boats on this forum with info about them being sued, warranty problems, all kinds of issues so I was surprised when I saw you decided to go with that brand when you did. I've also been told recently that they have changed their parent company name to skirt around law suits and to continue on with boat productions I've heard through the grape vine. Also heard that the design and production manager from River Hawk now works at Katanacraft.. a brand I saw recently at the boat show and a brand that is advertising all over Craigslist lately.

Your boat sinking may have been one I heard about from a family friend we have in the marine insurance underwriting business. Was that in Victoria? And wasn't that failed weld also from a fix that occurred after there was already an original failed weld somewhere on the transom; like from where a plate was welded to the transom? Did it sink twice, or have a situation prior to the sinking? Not sure its the same one but sounds like it may be.

Keep us posted on your new build! Sounds like it's gonna be an awesome boat!
Katanacraft bought out RH boats and moved their facility. Mine sank in Black Creek and had never been repaired, that must have been a different boat.
 
i was wondering why you were planning a new build.

Looking forward to following along with this one!
 
Thanks BCI, they are tweaking a few things right now, I'm sure that there is room for a larger tank...what would you suggest?

You'll have to check with Cope for centre-of-gravity calculations and performance for 120 gallons vs. larger.

To give you some field of reference, my 29 North River w/ 2 x F300 and kicker, 24 degree dead rise, bottom paint, gets 1.85 mpg below 30mph and then will dip between 1.5-1.7 mpg when I push it into the mid to upper 30 mph range. WOT 52mph.

I believe the North River has 170 US gallons capacity upgrade. I would suggest you go 150-180 gallons fuel depending on what Cope says. I suspect your G2s will get better economy than my F300s, and I suspect the Cope hull should get better economy since it probably is less than 24 degree dead rise.

Say you get 2.0mpg fully loaded.... then I would say 150-160 gallons would be better than 120. You can't add capacity easily once the build is done. Best to look into it now and see what the design can handle without compromising performance.
 
Katanacraft bought out RH boats and moved their facility. Mine sank in Black Creek and had never been repaired, that must have been a different boat.

Ah ok must have been a different RH sinking on the island then.

Well "bought out" is a loose term I do believe ;) Dave Provost = production/designer @ River Hawk and.... Dave Provost = production/designer @ Katanacraft :rolleyes: :)
 
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