Hi Cap'n Carp,
I have been following this thread with interest and as a Minnasoda refugee don'tcha know, here is my two cents. The other poster comments have been spot on, based on my own experiences. We operate our boat in a large, residential marina (very similar to a Minnesota lake) and the ocean.
In the marina, even with a stiff wind and light chop on the water, stabilty has never been a problem. The only thing to watch out for is weight distribution. I weigh about 245 pounds and if you have a couple of other larger, corn fed passengers (like myself) sitting on the stern bench or starboard side of the engine box, you will have a bit of a starboard list. We have had as many as seven people onboard, including helmsman, but it is tight, as you almost have to have one of the passengers in the cabin all the time. On the other hand, we have done sunset wine and pupu cruises with one or two other couples using the engine box as a buffet area for the food and had no problem finding a comfortable place for everyone to sit. The stern bench can easily accomodate three normal size folks. We use a smaller, square shaped Igloo cooler for the drinks, and keep it on the cockpit floor on the starboard side. This allows someone, usually the host or hostess to sit and face the stern while talking to the guests and recharging glasses as required.
The ocean environment is often a completely different story. Last Saturday afternoon we were heading out of the channel with a friend in town on a layover and there was a very pronounced southern swell. Just prior to crossing under the bridge that separates the marina from the ocean he asked me about the stabilty of the boat. He got his answer a few minutes later as the surf break turned into a wall of water in front of us. Karen was at the helm and I was standing behind her and you could not see anything forward of the bow but water. Kolo Iki chugged up over the top of the wave and down into the trough without missing a beat.
The area immediately offshore of the marina, where we do much of our boating is protected by a headland and is usually fairly calm, but once you get around it you are in the Molokai channel and two to four foot waves are pretty standard. At no time since we have had the boat, have I ever felt I was in a sea condition that the boat could not handle. You would proabably have to trailer a R-21 EC to Lake Superior to find similar wave conditions in Minnesota. I cannot imagine that you would have any trouble in one of the local lakes in the Twin Cities area unless the weather was very severe, like a summer thunderstorm.
We left Minnesota almost six years ago when I took a job at Hickam AFB. I had no idea at the time we would be here this long and as the Home Town Airline has now merged with Delta, I have no idea how much longer we will stay. We bought our boat last fall because I was tired of putting my life on hold. Hawaii is a very beautiful place and you miss a lot by not seeing it from the water. We have had no regrets as Kolo Iki is very economical to operate and she is well suited for the usual sea conditions and weather patterns found in the islands. Like any boat, there are times that you just don't leave the dock.
I wish you luck with your business idea, I hope it comes to pass. An R-21 EC would be a great boat for a summer's evening cruise down the Mississippi River or Lake Minnetonka. Please let us know how things work out.
Aloha,
Rick and Karen