Boat Attitude in water (PICTURES)

[SuzukiChopper]

I'm going to try and get a picture of what this question is about on the weekend if I can so it's a little more clear. But in a nutshell I rebuilt my boat, all the wood was replaced, the splashwell section was cutout and customized quite a bit and a 19 gallon permanent gas tank added to the bow (was 2 6 gallon removeable tanks before). The transom is also now a 1/2" thicker as well. The boat is definately lighter than with all the rotted wood it used to have. <br /><br />This is apparent because now the boat sits about 6" higher in the water than it used to. It used to sit so that there was about 2" of water above the outside chine until about a 1/4 of the ways back from the bow. Now even with 3 people (180lbs, 140lbs, 210lbs), plus a full tank of gas, anchor with 10' of chain, tackle, battery, etc, etc, etc, it now sits with the last chine out of the water and the waterline about 4" below that. I thought this was a good thing until I really started to notice balance issues. With 2 people to the port and me at the helm (I'm 210lbs), the battery on my side, anchor and chain on my side, tackle boxes on my side and even a 5 gallon pail full of water on my side, it still likes to lean to port. With just me and my girlfriend, once I'm on plane and trimmed out it's great, usually just have to put the anchor at the middle of the boat. It just seems really weird and I'm almost thinking that the boat is too far out of the water. The slightest movement of anything in the boat while on plane will throw it off balance. I have noticed almost every other boat has the outside chine almost level with the waterline.<br /><br />Is this something I should be concerned with? Something that I can maybe fix?

 

[QC]

Re: Boat Attitude in water (PICTURES)

Originally posted by SuzukiChopper:<br /> a 19 gallon permanent gas tank added to the bow (was 2 6 gallon removeable tanks before). The transom is also now a 1/2" thicker as well. The boat is definately lighter than with all the rotted wood it used to have.

It is hard to imagine that the boat is lighter than when original. That fuel is a big shift of weight stern to bow. That could possibly account for the chine being out of the water in the stern. Doesn't sound right to me.

 

[SuzukiChopper]

Re: Boat Attitude in water (PICTURES)

The original tanks were always in the front. My best guess is because the boat is over-powered (rated for a 70hp and has a 100hp). When trimmed fully down it has a tendency to bow steer, but once I trim up it's fine with me an my 'ol lady on board. Also even with the tank there the bow sits high up just like the stern, it's not nosed down what-so-ever. I've even looked back over the gunwhale while underway, when trimmed, and the spray from the hull is still below the outside chine. I guess some pictures would help. I can take some on the trailer tomorrow and draw out the waterline and outside chine.

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Boat Attitude in water (PICTURES)

Sounds to me like you're bow-heavy and your center of gravity way too high. And your rebuild made it heavier up front by effectively adding a 3rd fuel tank. I never heard of a boat with all it's fuel up in the bow...usually it's in the stern or down under the floor in the center of the boat. Plus your motor is 30hp too big, and probably too heavy for the transom. Any combination of these may be the reason for the problem. For any vehicle at all, best handling is achieved with your center of gravity low and central. With your oversized motor and added fuel tank in the bow, you have all your weight high and at each end. This will certainly cause significant handling issues that may not be easily correctable. As a test, you can put 200 or 300 lbs of sandbags in the bottom of the center of the boat while your fuel tank is down below 1/4 tank and see if it handles better. This test could answer your question and allow you to consider how to get your weight transfered to where it should be.<br /><br />Not cheap, but I'd suggest a smaller motor and a fuel tank mounted below the floorboards.

 

[SuzukiChopper]

Re: Boat Attitude in water (PICTURES)

Well I already researched every possible fuel tank that can fit under the floor and none of them would fit my boat without raising the floor 3". I already know the boat isn't bow heavy, this I know by the fact that I can now lift the tounge of my trailer when the tank is full, whereas I couldn't before. Also with two people in the back of the boat, the tank full, and me at the helm, the boat has a tough time planing to begin with. I really think the weight of the motor effectively cancels out the extra weight of the added fuel. I can see the weight of the fuel being above the floor in the bow being a bit of the problem but most boats I see still sit in the water with the outside chine level with the waterline and mine sits 4" above. I'll get some pictures and they should show how the boat sits in the water.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Boat Attitude in water (PICTURES)

Take it to a truck stop and get it weighed. Then you will know if it is lighter or not.

 

[SuzukiChopper]

Re: Boat Attitude in water (PICTURES)

Alright, finally got some pictures of the boat to show how it sits in the water, also a picture showing the attitude while trimmed and moving. This should give an idea of my concern and shows where the water line is in relationship to the outside chine where I see most boats sit.<br /><br />(these were not taken on the water but I purposly made it easy for me to tell where the water line was when sitting and while moving)<br /><br />Sitting.... <br /> Boat while sitting in water <br /><br />Trimmed & moving<br /> Boat while trimmed and moving <br /><br />Anything not seem right about this?

 

[Mark42]

Re: Boat Attitude in water (PICTURES)

Don't know about other folks, but I can't open those URL's.

 

[SuzukiChopper]

Re: Boat Attitude in water (PICTURES)

Weird, try:<br /><br /> http://www.nitrowebdesign.com/boat/sitting.jpg <br /><br />&<br /><br /> http://www.nitrowebdesign.com/boat/trimmed-moving.jpg <br /><br />Let me know if those work.

 

[QC]

Re: Boat Attitude in water (PICTURES)

Personally if the first one is accurate then I think it is normal, but if the second one (on plane) is accurate I have a problem. Anyway, I don't think this works without seeing it in the water. It's way too dependent on your understanding of where the water line is (on plane) while looking at it from inside. It is my experience that the only accurate guage while in the boat is your ear. i.e. listening to where the sound of the spray is.<br /><br />Look at Mak42's avatar. I would say that is about perfect for that boat at that speed, but there are so many variables that each boat and each speed will vary as far as the most efficient position of the trim etc. Get someone to take a pic of you underway, but where it sits at rest looks normal to me.

 

[SuzukiChopper]

Re: Boat Attitude in water (PICTURES)

I know where the water line is on the hull on plane by a bit of a mess up. Cleaned the whole thing with hull cleaner but never washed it off good enough, left a white haze. After a few outings you could clearly see where the haze had been washed off by the force of the water over the hull, as well as the slightly less, but still noticeable line from the boat sitting (while fishing). But I do agree that pictures on the water would help, these don't really do it any justice at all. Here is one more though:<br /><br /> http://www.nitrodesigns.ca/boat/boat003.jpg <br /><br />or<br /><br /> http://www.nitrowebdesign.com/boat/boat003.jpg <br /><br />If you look to the bottom right of the picture just above the year actually, you'll see some white tape I put on the hull (reference for me when editing for the waterline in the pictures), and you'll see what I consider the outside chine. Maybe this really isn't the outside chine (just above the tape)? All the boats I've seen with the same kind of hull sit with water up to that part of the boat. Maybe I'm just worrying over nothing and should continue to enjoy it.

 

[QC]

Re: Boat Attitude in water (PICTURES)

Originally posted by SuzukiChopper:<br /> Maybe this really isn't the outside chine (just above the tape)?

The chine is the one BELOW the tape. Kind of a weird hull, but not uncommon. I would expect the water to be where you show it.<br /><br />

Originally posted by SuzukiChopper:<br /> Maybe I'm just worrying over nothing and should continue to enjoy it.

I am startin' to think so . I am not convinced that the polished parts of the hull indicate the water line while underway. Every time you turn you affect that. Completely understand that it needs to be right, and I would investigate these things too, but it sure seems OK to me. Have fun!!

 

[SuzukiChopper]

Re: Boat Attitude in water (PICTURES)

Well just to confirm it all I'll get some pictures of it ON the water. Should help considerably. Just spent so much time rebuilding that boat, don't even know anything about that particular boat, and just need to know for closure Thanks Quietcat!

 

[Solittle]

Re: Boat Attitude in water (PICTURES)

With the motor down where is the cavitation relative to the bottom of the hull? It is hard to tell with the pictures.<br /><br />You said the the boat has a tough time planing. With that 100 it should jump out of the water. How long is the boat?

 

[SuzukiChopper]

Re: Boat Attitude in water (PICTURES)

It only has a tough time planing with two adults and a teenager at the back of the boat with me and my ol' lady closer to the front. As soon as the teenager moves forward it planes fine. <br /><br /> It's a 16' boat and at WOT it'll do 40mph when trimmed with three adults in it. The motor could probably be moved up another notch, but I wanted to make sure that where it sits in the water is correct before I start messing around with other stuff. The biggest problem with it, is the balancing act we constantly have to perform with three people in it to keep it level. Probably just time for some smart tabs

 

[goatherder]

Re: Boat Attitude in water (PICTURES)

It is a 16' boat, and with three full sized adults in it you probably do have to pay attention to weight and balance. I'm not surprised. I'm not sure trim tabs would help that. As far as planing with five people in it, moving the teenager to the front seems like an effective solution.

 

[SuzukiChopper]

Re: Boat Attitude in water (PICTURES)

Yeah I probably am worried about it too much. Just wanted to make this the boat as it should be and was unsure about how it was sitting in the water. Thought maybe that was causing the balance issues. I know that the smart tabs will help with planing when there are 5 people in it, the other three are my parents and little sis, so I'd like them to have an enjoyable ride if I can (they didn't their first time out). I'm going to work on some of the other issues plauging the boat now and try to come up with a good balance system.