Getting up on a plane

[Merc4ever]

I have wondered about and would like to hear some opinions on:

Is it better for the drive and engine to go from idle to full throttle to get up on a plane or gradually work your way up without EVER dumping the throttle WIDE OPEN?

 

[Levinz11]

Re: Getting up on a plane

I like to ease mine up on plane. The only time I really "dump" it is when pulling up a kid on a wakeboard. Why beat on it ya know? Then again my stuff is 25 years old. If I had a newer boat, I probably wouldn't baby it so much.

 

[ajgraz]

Re: Getting up on a plane

When I was 25 years old, I floored everything: cars, boats, etc. Now I'm an old fart I ease into it. :lol:

Besides, I do gotta figure that wasted rpm's = wasted fuel.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Getting up on a plane

I cannot think of any way that it would be 'better' for the engine/drive to be put at full throttle in order to accelerate and get on plane.

I typically use about 3/4 throttle and then back down once the boat is on plane.

 

[JB]

Re: Getting up on a plane

It makes a difference how the ignition timing is managed.

I/Os and some big 4 stroke outboards advance timing based on actual rpm with a bit of boost from vacuum. The risk of the spark being advanced to a point not particularly good for that rpm is low.

On the other hand, most smaller outboards manually advance timing based only on throttle position. There is some risk of timing being advanced beyond optimum for actual rpm while accelerating.

For those reasons I accelerate outboards gradually. I don't think it matters with I/Os.

 

[Natty Light]

Re: Getting up on a plane

I always go full throttle to get on plane, then back off when I'm up. It annoys me when I let people drive my boat and they drag its rear in the water trying to slowly get up. The waters I boat can be very shallow at times and dragging puts the most risk on my prop hitting something. Get the boat up is my opinion.

 

[Mischief Managed]

Re: Getting up on a plane

On an I/O, unless you have issues with the prop blowing out (many GFBL boats have this issue), or the boat is under-powered, there's hardly any difference between full throttle and 3/4 throttle for getting up on plane. When trying to accelerate a properly powered boat onto plane, the engine won't come anywhere near its WOT RPM and the HP it will produce at 2000-3000 RPM won't be affected much by moving the throttle between 3/4 and full.

Full throttle will probably make the air and fuel mixture overly rich and that will only cost you money with no benefit.

I always move the throttle smoothly and somewhat slowly, in either direction. Passengers seem to appreciate that. Most people don't like abrupt changes in speed or direction. I do like to get on plane quickly though. You won't see me plowing along.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Getting up on a plane



The boat in the first photo squats radically and looks at the sky on a hole shot. For that reason and to maintain control, I accelerate at partial throttle until she breaks over into plane. On my other boats I simply accelerate at what feels right at the time: Pulling a skier up requires full throttle from a dead stop, but at other times there is no sense blasting away from a dock. However, none of my boats is "eased" into a plane. I always use a relatively high throttle setting.

The boat in the second photo is so much fun on acceleration that it never sees partial throttle unless coming back to the dock. Hit the throttle and it will bounce once and be planing at 45. Feed in up trim and she accelerates to 60 MPH top speed as the engine comes up.

 

[JEBar]

Re: Getting up on a plane

When I was 25 years old, I floored everything: cars, boats, etc. Now I'm an old fart I ease into it. :lol:

Besides, I do gotta figure that wasted rpm's = wasted fuel.

:tea: .... that makes two of us

Jim

 

[Another retired guy]

Re: Getting up on a plane

I'm running a 25 year old boat with 800 hours. I let the old girl build up speed at a pace she's happy with.
Happy is good - unhappy usually results in an expensive visit to a mechanic!

 

[rallyart]

Re: Getting up on a plane

The longer you take getting on plane, the longer your motor is working the hardest. You will use less gas getting on plane quickly than you will getting on plane slowly. Less fuel is less work and is easier on the engine and driveline. You don't get near maximum RPM when you accelerate to planing speeds so that's not an issue.
Some boats you can ease into full throttle and that works best and some might only need 3/4 to get on plane quickly but that's a powerful boat. Half throttle is harder on everything

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Getting up on a plane

The longer you take getting on plane, the longer your motor is working the hardest. You will use less gas getting on plane quickly than you will getting on plane slowly. Less fuel is less work and is easier on the engine and driveline. You don't get near maximum RPM when you accelerate to planing speeds so that's not an issue.

Yep. Full throttle for this o/b guy. Otherwise the bow will be up and 1/2 the boat will be plowing water................ How much throttle you need to use will vary from boat to boat...

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Getting up on a plane

I always ease up pulling skier's tube's whatever. I just like to hear that engine run smooth under a load..Now from there it's get's a bit hairy from time to time. What i have learned recently is letting the boat go airborn is a very bad ideal...In essence you unload all the tourqe on the leg and engine.....and a instant later bang full load (reentery). Very bad practice....:facepalm:

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Getting up on a plane

while we are learning, there is no L in the word idea...

I would say that the direct answer to the O/P's question is "no"

But myself I tend to be a bit aggressive with the throttle... not so much because it's good or bad for the engine but because I don't want to burn any more fuel at low speed with the bow in the air than I have too. the worst mileage your boat will get is while transitioning from hull speed to planing speed so the less time you do it the less fuel wasted.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Getting up on a plane

I'm running a 25 year old boat with 800 hours. I let the old girl build up speed at a pace she's happy with.
Happy is good - unhappy usually results in an expensive visit to a mechanic!

Ain't it the truth! I generally ease mine up to full throttle, and then back down when she's on plane. Once on top of the water, I can actually back the throttle off quite a bit.

 

[bassman284]

Re: Getting up on a plane

Well, I suppose every boat/motor combo is a little different. I have a 1650 Lund with a 60 Merc 4 stroke. I spend about 95% of my time on state park lakes with no wake regs so the motor is maxed out at 2000 rpms/6 mph. From time to time, I take it out on one of the Corp of Engineers reservoirs to leg it out and give it some exercise.

I've done it every way - slowly bring it up, hit about 3/4 throttle and ride up to plane or slam it wide open. I have to say, the motor seems happiest when I put the hammer down full throttle. Although maybe that's just my personal bias because it feels good. She just gives out a mighty beller and goes. She'll get on plane in about 3-4 seconds and just go honkin' down the pond. Only gets about 36-37 mph, but it feels fast. I really think outboards are built to their wide open speeds and do their best work there. I understand what people are saying about stresses, but these motors are overbuilt beyond those stresses.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Getting up on a plane

The hole shot is the max stress on the 2 stroke (at least) that I know of. The boat is pushing a wave ahead of it, you have full hull water contact, the engine is at low rpms trying to come up to power which is low because of the low rpms which to me is lugging. 2 strokes hate lugging, at least all the ones I have had in my life do.

Case in point is porting the prop. The difference in my boats (2 stroke engines) over the years with a prop and a ported prop are really dramatic at the point of max stress "the hole shot".

However, at 80% WOT and firewalling it, the response is immediate because the engine is up in rpms, the power is there, a lot of (most of) the hull is out of the water so the resistance is much lower, you are no longer pushing a bow wave that you are trying to get over (planing out).

So in my feeble analogy, It's like getting through something distasteful. You do it as quickly as you can.

Recalling some offerings by Mr D. Hadley (key figure in this site's forums), hopefully I am quoting him properly, when you are in the hole shot stress type environment, (2 strokes at least) the combustion temps increase dramatically and as a result, carbon deposits increase dramatically leading to fouled plugs, stuck rings and clogged up exhaust ports. To me that pretty much covers it. If that occurs and I totally believe it, then as I said, you want to get through it as fast as you can. I do.

I bet some of the mechanics that contribute to this site can vouch for what I said. If they get an engine in that is all crudded up as mentioned, I wouldn't doubt that they ask the owner how he operates his/her boat and possibly advises the owner accordingly. Course trolling all day is a different matter.

Now if you want to cruise around, get on plane as quickly as possible and then cut her back to where you want to run.

My 2c and worth every penny you paid.

Mark

 

[drrpm]

Re: Getting up on a plane

If I'm not pulling tubers, boarders or skiers its hammer down to get on plane. The boat is a 20 foot bowrider with a 5.0 L Mercruiser I/O.

 

[bubbahemi]

Re: Getting up on a plane

View attachment 178817View attachment 178818

The boat in the first photo squats radically and looks at the sky on a hole shot. For that reason and to maintain control, I accelerate at partial throttle until she breaks over into plane. On my other boats I simply accelerate at what feels right at the time: Pulling a skier up requires full throttle from a dead stop, but at other times there is no sense blasting away from a dock. However, none of my boats is "eased" into a plane. I always use a relatively high throttle setting.

The boat in the second photo is so much fun on acceleration that it never sees partial throttle unless coming back to the dock. Hit the throttle and it will bounce once and be planing at 45. Feed in up trim and she accelerates to 60 MPH top speed as the engine comes up.

i like the giant chrysler outboard