Fishing, boating and marine photography are always dependent upon the weather. On this day, the Bahamas' weather was right out of a travel brochure: picture perfect, except for that one little cloud in front of the sun that seemed to continually replace itself as fast as the gentle trade winds could blow it away. We-boat owner, builder, crew, photographer, and writer-waited for the light to really sparkle so the photo we had set up would be worthy of the unique vessel we were trying to show off, the Buddy Davis 68-foot Convertible Sportfisherman Alfina.

I was standing in chest-deep water with one hand on the swim platform, which was remarkable because I'm less than six feet tall and most sportfishermen over 50 feet require my full height in water depth to avoid hitting bottom. This amazing boat with her patented propeller tunnels designed by naval architect Donald Blount draws only 3'9" of water. We were attempting to illustrate her ability to navigate the notorious Bahamas banks by showing her anchored in depths normally plied by personal watercraft and Hobie Cats.

The owner of the boat, a man named Gilbert, is a world-renowned art dealer. For reasons of security and privacy, he asked that we not use his surname or mention exactly where in the Bahamas he and his charming wife, Alfi; live and keep their new boat. Earlier in my visit, I'd chatted with Gilbert while he showed me- around the luxurious compound he has created on a private island. When our conversation turned to the reasons he chose Buddy Davis Boat Works to build his dreamboat, he began by showing me a photo of a barren, rocky outcrop with a lone palm tree. Looking at the photo, it was impossible to equate the lush, intensely landscaped paradise that surrounded us with that earlier reality. "We raised the land 15 feet and brought in every tree except for the one palm in that photo," said Gilbert. "See that beautiful sea grape tree there? We had to take it down the streets of Nassau at 4:00 a.m. to get it to a boat to bring it here. Isn't she lovely?"

Gilbert's and Alfi's appreciation for beautiful objects is evident everywhere in their home. It was this same aesthetic sense that kindled their interest in legendary builder Buddy Davis' boats. Gilbert admired the lines he saw on several Buddy Davis boats visiting the Bahamas. That prompted him to investigate the possibility of having his own boat built by the North Carolina manufacturer. "Buddy Davis and I are alike in that we make our living purveying beautiful and luxurious objects where aesthetics are of the utmost importance," Gilbert told me.

Practicality is also one of Gilbert's strengths. His home sits atop a 28O,000 gallon freshwater cistern that holds rainwater but also has lO,000 gallons of potable water fed by two 1,500-gallonper-day reverse-osmosis units. Electricity for the compound (with 1,650 feet of oceanfront and myriad homes, cottages, offices and bath houses) is supplied by two Caterpillar diesel generators. Gilbert drew upon his experiences living on the island when planning his boat.

Totally self-sufficient
"I told Buddy I had to have a boat that drew less than four feet to get where I wanted to go in these islands. I wanted Cat engines because my generators never cause me trouble. I requested triple Racor fuel filters in case we get bad fuel somewhere-we might have to fuel from drums. We also need a lot of water-making capability. We have to be totally self-sufficient when we anchor out behind some island that has no manna. We still need to be able to wash the boat down in that situation. I love wood, as you have seen~ in the house, and wanted wood in the interior of the boat, but no exterior teak. It's just too hard to maintain here and looks terrible if it's not properly kept up.

"On only my second phone call to the Buddy Davis company, I was talking to Buddy himself," Gilbert told me. "I had also contacted other custom builders to make comparisons, but some of the others acted as if they were doing me a favor. The Buddy Davis yard worked with us and treated us the way I do my clients."

For his part, Buddy Davis saw some potential problems in trying to maintain such a shallow draft in a 68-foot, 9O,000 pound boat. But when Donald Blount told him it was possible, owner, builder and naval architect began negotiations.

AlJina's layout is unusual in such a large boat, with only two staterooms, yet three full heads. There is one master cabin with a queen-sized berth, an office area housing wireless voice and data communications, and a head with toilet, shower and bidet. The guest cabin, with twin over-and-under bunks, also has an en suite head with toilet and shower. There is a third head down below, forward of the salon. The enclosed bridge has a marine toilet, hand basin and a refrigerator, so the skipper can live on the bridge during long passages or when anchored in secluded locations.

We finally got the light we needed, and after shooting several rolls of film at anchor, we made a series of highspeed runs. Buddy Davis himself was impressed as we sped over shallow sandy ridges speckled with patches of sea grass and rock. "You just wouldn't dare do this in water this shallow with conventional running gear," he repeated several times.

Confident that photographer Robert Holland had gotten the necessary photos, we decided to go fishing the next day (after Gilbert had finished his morning's business, which required phone and fax communication with New York and London). Alfi put in a special request for some fresh tuna for sashimi the next evening.

"Call me so I can get a chicken if you don't get me my fish," she teased me over an after-dinner coffee and liqueur. The pressure was on!

The next morning, Dwight Miller, Gilbert's skipper of nine years, headed the boat northeast to an area where some of his charter boat friends had already found some action. The big 3412 Cats ate up the miles as we made 24 knots at an easy 1950 rpm. The wake streaming out behind Alfina had a different appearance from that of a conventional hull, but it wasn't like the wake generated by a jet drive or surface piercing-props. The water was clean but appeared aerated by its extreme exit speed.

"Donald designed these tunnels so the water from the props is accelerated to a higher velocity than it is from conventional propeller thrust," said Davis. "We are more efficient from our lowest planing speed up to cruising speed. We lose just over a knot at the top end right now, but we're experimenting with props and acceleration wedges in the tunnels.

"We have a patent and trademark on this tunnel design," Davis told me. "There's a lot more to it than just recessing any old shape into a hull. The tunnels, which leave half the props exposed, have only an inch of clearance between the tip of the prop and the hull. And we have special acoustic tiles over them to cut down noise. That's why this 68 is as quiet or quieter than a conventional boat."

Hydraulic rams dropped the big outriggers into position. I liked the idea of having adjustable rake and down angles at the push of a button, and it was much easier than trying to raise and lower conventional riggers around the corner of an enclosed flying bridge.

Finding skipjack and yellowfin tuna quickly eased any fears I had about not bringing home dinner. The wake seemed more likely to be an additional attraction than a problem, judging by the ease with which we got strikes. A1though the wake looks different, I don't believe it would bother a marlin anymore than it did tuna, barracuda and wahoo that afternoon.

Before we ran home, I simulated maneuvering on a fish. The low shaft angle and perhaps some component of lift created by the tunnels allowed the boat to back up exceptionally well. Having the rudders contained inside the tunnels, with the propeller stream directed fully on the rudders, made the 68 as responsive to the helm as any boat I have driven. It turned quickly and easily, even against a single engine in gear. I was convinced that the tunnels contributed greatly to the boat's maneuverability and would make catching big marlin or tuna a snap.

The only possible drawback of the tunnels would be a slight loss of fuel capacity, but Davis said there are areas onboard where additional tanks could be installed. With an almost 500-mile range at 20-plus knots, the loss of roughly 300 gallons (with 1,500 gallons still available) was not a big problem anyway.

Back at the home dock, there was a tidal current of at least two to three knots, but with the inherent maneuverability of the twin engines enhanced by the tunnels, and with a powerful American Trac 12 bow thruster, Captain Miller had no problem picking up the dock lines without ever once having to lean on a piling or fender.

If I am ever involved in the creation of a new boat whose owners want to spend time in the Bahamas, you can bet the farm I will be planning on a boat like the Buddy Davis 68 with its amazing tunnels.

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