by Hal Kelly
Here's a 23-ft. family boat with three bunks, two cockpits, all conveniences.
Hotei is 23 feet long with an 8-foot beam and every inch a family boat. Menfolk can ride in the forward cockpit where the helmsman has a clear view. Youngsters can sleep or amuse themselves safely in the large cabin which has 5-foot 11-inch headroom, bunks for three, galley and marine toilet. The gals can sun themselves in the roomy aft cockpit. All are well distributed, not crowded together near the stern. And with passenger weight shifted forward, Hotei levels off for speed under power of a Merc 800. The 80-hp motor drives her at 25 mph with six aboard! With only two aboard, Hotei does better than 27 mph and she gives a comfortable ride at this speed even in a three-foot chop. She also banks into a turn like a fine runabout--not digging in on the outside to throw passengers all over the boat like many a small cabin cruiser. Nor is she a wet boat We've been out in five-foot waves and stayed dry. A lot of thought went into storage space construction. There's a large compartment in the forward cockpit for charts and other items. The cabin has several shelves for small items and storage under the bunks for water skis, life jackets, etc. The aft cockpit has a 19x24-inch storage bin over six feet long that doubles as a seat. On each side of the motor well there's storage for battery, bumpers, line and spare props with six-gallon gas tanks below. The well itself is designed to take two Merc 800's or 500's if you wish and there's room for a 25-gallon long-cruise gas tank below it.
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