21ft cruiser hull design

[sintax]

I'm spending some time looking for a cruiser again and had a few questions about hull design. I know a lot of the cruisers were pretty close to if not, a splash of each other. 10deg vs 12 deg hulls and what not.
Can anyone tell me any differences between the Spectra and Campbell 21ft hulls? Hull weights? degree differences? Bottom design differences?
thanks.

[InKahntrol]

There have been a few threads discussing this topic... if you do a search some of them are pretty in-depth. Also, OldRigger and SpectraBrent are both pretty good resources.
Here's what I know: Bud Baily designed most of the boats for Campbell. He eventually left and started designing boats for Spectra. After Spectra he ended up Hallett. That's why the Spectra looks like a Campbell, and the 30' and 34' Halletts look like a 32' Spectra.
As for bottom design, the Campbell is MUCH flatter than a Spectra or any of the other makes. They don't ride very good, and they handle like a giant flatty. Not bad necessarily, just not as smooth as a more modern design.
The Spectra was splashed like crazy. I believe the Howard is an exact copy, and the DiMarco is the identical hull with a slightly modified deck. The Schiada is its own design, with a deeper V and a low-profile deck.
Some of the biggest differences are in rigging. Obviously Schiadas have always been first class. Campbells are built like tanks (four TALL full-length stringers, lots of glass), which is why they last forever, but they tend to be heavy and some of the early boats had pretty low-tech setups. My boat had a 12-degree strut, the motor all the way at the back, and little mini-cav plates. We fixed all that and it runs great now. From what I understand, some of the later Spectras didn't have full-length stringers. Don't know much about Howards, but I hear they're well-made.
Unless you're really interested in the Campbell history and mystique, I'd say it really just comes down to personal preference. I love my boat. The only thing I'd ever consider trading it for is a Schiada. Hope this helps.
-Dan

[sintax]

That is good info. I did find a few threads that had some solid info in them. The reason I ask is because I'm trying to decide between two hulls. My cousin has a Campbell and there is another Spectra that is for sale that i'm going to look at tomorrow. Both are minus engine so they are both project boats. Both are set up for BBC. Both need gel / paint, and interior work. The campbell was posted up last month on here when my cousin bought it.
I'd be looking to toss a motor in and run for a season while I build up another motor, looking at maybe 500-700 hp. I'm thinking the deeper V of the spectra may be what i'll be after.

[InKahntrol]

Honestly, if they both require the same amount of work and are similar money, I'd go for the Spectra. I love my boat, but on most lakes these days where 28' boats are considered little and the waves are huge, you'd be better off with the deeper V. Just my $.02, anyway.
Dan

[SCHIADA 21 RC]

I have not owned a Campbell but have ridden in and driven them over the years. They are well built and comparatively fast but with the semi flat bottom the ride suffers greatly.
I have owned several 20’-22’ cruisers over the years. They included a 20” Mach One V-drive (basically a 20’ flat bottom) powered by a 427 Ford. Hauled ass in its day but the ride was not very good. The next was a 22’ Levy V-drive powered by a 427 Ford. It was very heavy, not real fast but the ride was decent. The next was a 20’ (actually 20’6”) Spectra V-drive powered by a normally aspirated 454 Chevy. Fairly decent ride but required a lot of power to get it above 55 MPH. Then came a 21’ Howard with a stern drive powered by a normally aspirated 502 Chevy. Needless to say with the stern drive it was faster than the V-drives of comparable power but still lacked a decent ride in rough water.
Finally after lusting for a Schiada 21 V-drive for many years I bought one about 4 years ago. It has a blown 468 Chevy in it and is by far the absolute best riding and fastest 21 I have ever owned. When the water starts getting rough just give it more throttle. It will smooth out like no other 21’ boat. It does not ride as well as the mini ocean liners that are common on the lakes and rivers today but for it’s size it is the best out there.