Am I missing something?

[Hasbeen]

Re: Am I missing something?

Just to pump you up a little more, I just paid $6000 for an 18' Glass Bass Tracker dual console with a merc 150! Its like new, but you got a great deal on a Ranger!<br /><br />Is the jack plate electric? and yes, they do work!<br /><br />Are you sure the hub is spun or were you just trimmed up too much! If it is actually spun you will know it right from th start, and would not likly even get up on plane!<br /><br />Congradulations!! <br /><br />Hasbee

 

[suzuki40]

Re: Am I missing something?

I have the prop at the boat shop now being fixed. The hub was spun. But, $114.36 was the ticket for the repair. Unbelievable!!! but it beats $470.00 for a new one. Im about to bust waiting to get it back so I can see how fast this big boy will go. The answer on the jack plate: yes, it is electrical but I have no idea what I am doing with it? I have moved the motor up and down alot so I dont remember where it was exactly? I'll let you know how it runs when I get the prop back. they said around 5:00pm tonight. (Im itchin to go)<br /><br />Suzuki40

 

[Xcusme]

Re: Am I missing something?

Hey Suzuk, Wanna sell your 4HP?? ...just kidding! Congrats on your new toy. Be careful! That sure is a big jump in power.

 

[Hasbeen]

Re: Am I missing something?

PLEASE TAKE YOUR TIME LEARNING THE BOAT BEFORE YOU GO FLYING ACROSS THE LAKE!<br /><br />When you get to the lake run the jack plate all the way down to start with! Trim the motor all the way in! Get boat up on plain and run around awhile at say 35 MPH to get the feel of it! After a few minutes of that, if the lake is nice and smooth and not much boat trafic, open it up until the RPMs stablize then start trimming the motor out, watch the RPMs and when they stop climbing check the tach, Max RPMs for that motor is around 5800, if you still have some RPMs to go start raising the jack plate while watching the tach, do not let the motor rev more than 5800, you can raise the engine until you over rev or the speed starts to back off or you may start to bounce! When you are ready to back off, slowly back off the throtle while trimming down. When the bow comes down the boat may bow stear a little (as the V hull enters the water) so have a tight hold of the stearing! As the boat settles down befor it comes to a complete stop you may want to give it a little throtle to stop the back wash (water overtaking the back of the boat and flooding the back of the boat) When the boat comes to a stop try getting on plane with the jack plate left where it is and the trim in the fully down position, if the boat does not jump up on plane as it did before run the jack plate down some and try again this is where you are going to have to get used to the settings the boat likes!!<br /><br />Please read this over and over before you actually go for it as this is a lot of boat for anyone not used to it! This boat is capable of between 60 and 70 MPH and no toy and requires a certain amount of skill to handle, PLEASE BE VERY CAREFULL, WERE YOUR LIKE JACKET, AND PUT THE KILL SWITCH LINE AROUND YOUR WRIST!! THERE IS A REASON MOST OF THE BASS BOATERS WERE THERE LIFE JACKETS WHILE THE BIG MOTOR IS ON!!!<br /><br />Enjoy your new boat!! <br /><br />Hasbeen

 

[suzuki40]

Re: Am I missing something?

hey excusme...that little motor has been a jewel! Most reliable motor I have ever seen. I think I'll keep her.LOL!<br />Hey hasbeen, I thank you very much for the info on safety and how to set the boat up. I know im all excited about the first run in the boat. Im about to leave and go pick up the prop in a few minutes. Im putting it on at the boatshop. Then here I come. If I can get 60MPH out of this boat...I will be more than happy. Im taking my garmin 315 GPS to see the actual MPH I can get. I got to run and get the prop now, wish me luck and I'll report on this later tonight.<br /><br />Suzuki40

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Am I missing something?

Theres two kinds of boat racers (substitute boaters who wanna jam the throttle with 0 experience in a given boat if you like) -- those that have been wet and those that are gonna get wet.<br /><br />If youve never driven a pad bottom boat heed the excellent advise given. And remember -- do you trust this guys rigging ability with your life?<br /><br />Be careful!!

 

[CharlesW]

Re: Am I missing something?

If he gets away OK with this, maybe we should try Vipers in driver's-ed to speed the process up a little.<br />Pardon me for possibly being too blunt, but suzuki40, you sound like an accident looking for a place to happen. First time out in a new to you boat that you know nothing about. Previous experience being a 12 footer with a 4hp motor.<br />Hey man, just go out and cruise for a trip or two. Maybe even do a little fishing from your new fishing boat. Fast is fun, but don't get in over your head.<br /><br />Charles

 

[biloxiriver]

Re: Am I missing something?

Amen CharlesW. Suzuki140, don't end up a statistic! Wear your life jacket and kill-switch disconnect. Start easy, learn the boat and how it responds on plane, and then at different throttle levels; it will get out from under you in a hurry if you are not aware. I have ran rivers in a bass boat at 55, it is absulutely terrifying to a novice. Not to mention painful if your face impacts an uwary bug or two. Heck, even at 40 they don't feel good!

 

[Hasbeen]

Re: Am I missing something?

I hope we hear from him tonight!! We have no idea if he is 16 or 60 but he sounds young! Hope he has a good head on his shoulders! I was spooked a little the first time I took my new boat out as i went from a 15' with an 85 to an 18' with a 150! I was surprised at the difference in handling and didnt want to open it up for a few trips! I dont think he knows that he is mostly going to be flying!<br /><br />Hasbeen

 

[suzuki40]

Re: Am I missing something?

Im back from the shop. had to stop in and get my life jacket. I'll be back soon fellas...wish me luck. Hey Dhadley, I heed what you are saying. I understand that im making a big leap from a 12' jon boat with a 4 hp johnson on back. Im going to treat her with respect, I promise. My buddy is going with me. He has had big bass boats all his life. The mechanic told me the motor sounds like it has had some work done to it. It sounds like A big cammed automobile motor, It got a very distinct THUMP,thump,thump THUMP,thump,thump to it, except its coming from a 6 cylinder. Anyway we are off...talk to ya'll later.<br /><br />Suzuki40

 

[suzuki40]

Re: Am I missing something?

To answer your question...im 36years old.<br />Got to go...<br /><br />Suzuki40

 

[walleyehed]

Re: Am I missing something?

As the story goes.......hope his buddy's "bassboat" isn't a 17' tracker with all 40 horses..........He'll be back!

 

[suzuki40]

Re: Am I missing something?

Hello all. Not good news tonight.First thing happend was my boat buddy didnt show for the set up of the Jack plate. I think I got it figured out after a few easy passes.<br />I took your advice and ran her around a bit, never getting past half throttle. She was very nice feeling,tight and smooth. I made my first pass at wot in smooth water, I was white nuckled the whole way, so nervous I didnt get to look at my gps to see how fast I was going. I made a few more passes at wot and reached a top speed of 78MPH says the gps. I was very happy and the feeling is like nothing else. Now the bad part...on my way back to the ramp I had about a half mile left to go. So I opened her up one more time.I was at about 75 MPH in totaly smooth water when without warning I thought the boat was coming apart. I started to shake like crazy from portside to starbord and I swear I was airborn several times before I got her slowed down. The shake from side to side was so bad, I lost t doors off my drywell storage, My Garmin gps 315 is on the bottom of the lake, and my trolling motor was ripped loose, 1 bolt held that kept it from falling to its death too. I cant explain what happend but I dont want to experiance that again! Has this happend to anyone here before?<br /><br />Suzuki40

 

[Wingnutt]

Re: Am I missing something?

You just had your first experience with high-speed chine walk. This condition is not only terrifying at speed but extremely dangerous even to a skilled operator. I'm glad you survived to tell us about it. A pad type hull only has a very little bit of the hull touching the water at speed unlike a V-hull, you are basically flying the boat at those speeds as you found out. On that type of hull I'm not sure how to eliminate chine walk but I'm confident that some of the experts will help you out. Remember those things can throw you out of the boat in a heartbeat, and the water doesn't feel much different from concrete at those speeds.. Take it easy and be safe. You dodged a very big bullet tonite.

 

[CharlesW]

Re: Am I missing something?

Just remembering the title of your thread.<br />"Am I missing something?"<br />Well, it isn't balls.<br />Might be brains, though.<br />Glad you made it through what could have been the end of your short high speed career. (And life)<br />Now just go fish! <br /><br />Charles

 

[suzuki40]

Re: Am I missing something?

Chine walk? That should be changed to chine "lets beat the sh*t out of you,and destroy your new boat!!<br />I can replace the doors that were flapped off the hinges, and the trolling motor is going to take some engineering to fix but thats about all that was hurt I can find. I feel like I was drug through a tunnel...but ok. I swear I thought the boat was going to flip over. I think this is way too much motor for that boat. It will turn 6000rpm at 78MPH. This was my first go at it. It might have even more with someone with more know how behind the helm? It was something I will never forget. cant wait to do it again without "chine walk" Is there anything I should check before going back out?<br /><br />Suzuki40

 

[neumanns]

Re: Am I missing something?

I am no pro but it sounds like chine walk of the severe kind. Proabably due to not knowing the right combination of trim and jackplate. At those speeds this hull is inhearently unstable, Add the wrong trim/height and you compound the unstability. This is not to say these hulls are unsafe but rather dependent on opperator input. Now that you have understood what can happen you will have to slow down a bit and learn what the boat likes. As you learn this you can slowly( over many trips not many minutes) increase operating speed till you know the correct setup and what the conditions dictate. <br /><br />Glad you were not hurt and only lost some material goods. Hope it scared you enoufgh to respect it but not enoufgh to make you give up!<br /><br />As you expierment and come up with specific question people will be able to help point by point but no one hear will be able tell you all that you need to know to correct the problem tonight. Expierence comes with practice and patientce.

 

[DJ]

Re: Am I missing something?

Suzuki40,<br /><br />Welcome to the world of Bass rockets.<br /><br />You experienced chine walk-BIG TIME! You are VERY lucky.<br /><br />I'm sure the boat can handle the 200 ponies, it's the combo of jack plate and trim gremlins that paid you a visit.<br /><br />Remember, you DO NOT have to go 78 mph. Going from a 4 hp, I would think anything over 30 would seem like flying.<br /><br />Keep the speed down until you know this rig like the back of your hand.<br /><br />Fish out of it, don't try to break speed records. Your wallet and backside will be better for it.

 

[suzuki40]

Re: Am I missing something?

I am letting all this ya'll tell me soak in real good. Im not going to lie to ya...That scared the pants off me! I felt totaly out of control at full speed. and all I lost and the damage that was done was all in a matter of seconds. It went from totaly smooth like riding in a rolls royce to Bullriding at the p.r.c.a. rodeo. Should this motor push this boat that fast? The mechanic said the motor has had some work done to it. at ildol it lopes like at funnycar dragster. Will this cut out some of the engine life being hopped up a little?<br /><br />Suzuki40

 

[DJ]

Re: Am I missing something?

suzuki,<br /><br />I'll let the REAL go fast pros like Dhadley answer that one.