Gregg and Kerry Carlson, 539 S Trenton Ave, Tulsa, OK, 74120

Style	Biloxi Lugger
Designer	Designed/built by Bob & Ching Walters, commissioned 2001
LOA	55 feet
Beam	13 feet
Draft	2.2 feet
Displacement	32,000 pounds (19,000 pounds dry & empty)
Fuel	300 gallons in three tanks
Water	800 gallons in two tanks
Cruising speed	9+ knots @ 3+ MPG
Power	John Deere 4045 TFM diesel, 130 hp
Drive system	Aquadrive CV joint drive shaft turning a 24 inch 4 blade prop, in a mild tunnel

Alligator has proven herself to be a fast, safe, tough, and capable cruiser, covering twenty eight thousand miles in perfect comfort during the past 4 years. Walter's goal was to build a vessel that would be superior to the average cruising powerboat in every way. There is simply no comparison between this Biloxi Lugger and the typical “built to a price” production trawler. She was designed and constructed in Pensacola, FL, by Walters Boat building company, a business officially accepted by the U.S. Coast guard as a recreational boat manufacturer. Alligator is Coast Guard documented and was issued a Hull Identification Number by the U.S. Coast Guard. Alligator won first place in at the prestigious Wooden Boat Festival in Madisonville, Louisiana, the largest gathering of Luggers in the world.

The hull is cold molded African mahogany with a light sheathing of fiberglass cloth set in West System Epoxy. This, along with her Awlgrip exterior paint makes her maintenance schedule similar to that of a fiberglass boat, but Alligator is smooth and quiet, stiff and strong, and outperforms the average pleasure trawler by a wide margin. Most interior furniture is bright finished Honduras mahogany. This easily handled vessel is optimized for a live-aboard couple, but she can sleep up to six as well as feed and entertain plenty of your friends.

Alligator is fully outfitted for long-term live-aboard cruising. Every component was carefully selected to be robust and as bulletproof as possible. The equipment list includes:

• 3.5 kW diesel genset plus a 4.5 kW hydraulic genset.
• 3.5 kW inverter.
• 8 large solar panels producing an 960 watts of 12-volt power.
• Large 880-amp hour house battery bank.
• Load sensing, engine driven hydraulic pump, powering:
• Oversize vertical windlass w/chain gypsy and drum
• Custom hydraulic bow thruster
• Hydraulic generator
• High-pressure (2500psi) fresh-water wash down pump.
• Village Marine Tec 250 gpd water maker.
• Well insulated, 15 ft3 holding plate style 115-volt refrigerator/freezer in the galley.
• Holding plate style deep freeze with a separate 115-volt condenser unit.
• Refrigerated cold drink cooler on the aft deck.
• Large head with bathtub/shower and electric fresh water flush toilet.
• Sat TV, Cruise TV dome system tracks in azimuth and elevation even in rough seas.
• Sophisticated PC based navigation and instrument system linked to autopilot.
• Radar and wind instruments.
• Flow Scan brand fuel flow meter with instant MPG reading.
• Air compressor and onboard hookah type diving air supply.
• HF weather fax system.
• Powerful PC computer and photo quality printer.
• Extra large “tow boat style” spotlight.
• Avon RIB dinghy with 15 hp Yamaha outboard.
• Oversized ground tackle, w/200 feet of ˝ inch BBB chain, on hydraulic windlass.
• Full sized Bosch washer and dryer.

The Awlgrip lost some shine. Bottom and sides in good shape but needing some spot repairs.	Refaired the rub rails and shot new Awlgrip 2000.	Bottom didn't need much more than new paint.
Back in the water after about 2 months.	Back in the slip after a run down to Orange Beach to test the paint.	A fresh coat of paint on the rigid awning looks nice.

June 2007 - Cruise 7 - Orange Beach, Fort McRae

Orange Beach, Alabama.

Joe Shelby is one sexy beast.

Redfish point looking east.

March 2007 - Cruise 6 - Daughin Island, AL

East of Redfish Point.	Lounging in the afternoon.	Impromptu airshow at NAS Pensacola.
Intracoastal waterway StM 157.	Added a new "pocket" door on head using 4 ballslides.	Built a settee to replace futon.

Sept 2006 - Cruise 5 - Pensacola, FL

Ft. McRee at Pensacola pass.	Looking east from Robertson Island.	On top of Roberts Island.
Fellow traveler near the Oyster Bar.	Kerry at Pirate's Cove.	Gregg in the leaky kayak.

Aug 2006 - Cruise 4 - Pensacola, FL to Bon Secour, AL

Joe and Gail Shelby's new house on the Bon Secour River, AL.	Alligator's new dock at the Shelbys, Bon Secour, AL.	A view of Bon Secour River from Shelby's 3rd floor.
Kerry paddling a folding kayak on the Bon Secour River, AL.	Setting pilings with Joe Shutt's shrimp boat - uggh.	Underway in Pensacola Bay.

June 2006 - Cruise 3 - Pensacola, FL to Destin, FL

Fort Walton Beach Yacht Club, FL.	Santa Rosa Island at Fort Walton Beach, FL.	Kerry at Santa Rosa Island, FL.
Alligator at Santa Rosa Island, FWB, FL.	Underway in the ICW west towards Pensacola, FL.	Buider Bob and Ching Walters, Ocean Springs, MS. Bob's photography.

May 2006 - Cruise 2 - Ocean Springs, MS to Pensacola, FL

Horn Island, MS.	Horn Island, MS.	Miss. Sound looking east at Dauphin Island, AL.
Lulu's (Buffet) in ICW at Lillian, AL.	Dolphins in ICW at Pirate's Cove, Lillian, AL.	Kerry at Pirate's Cove.
Redfish Point on Perdido Key, Pensacola, FL.	ICW West on Perdido Key, FL.	Kerry at Pirate's Cove Wooden Boat Festival.
Pirate's Cove Wooden Boat Festival, Lillian, AL.	Pirate's Cove Wooden Boat Festival, Lillian, AL.	Underway in Grand Lagoon, Pensacola, FL.

February 2006 - Cruise 1 - Shakedown at Ocean Springs, MS

Kerry and the illustrious designer/builder Bob Walters.	Gregg and Kerry toasting their new lugger and favorite photographer.	Bob and Gregg toasting their mutual, happiest day.
Looking aft.	Saloon and galley.	Under rigid canopy, looking forward.

Links

• Carlson's Biloxi Lugger Alligator on Craft A Craft

• William Atkin's River Belle, a 35' by 8'10" by 17" Tunnel-Stern River Cruiser

• Dave Gerr's Summer Kyle, a 41' by 12' by 1' tunnel-hull cruiser, 1, 2

• Mark V's riverboat designs

• Nigel Iron's narrow-hull designs