gone with the wind

[yourkiddin]

I have a smokercraft 1866. It's 8 ft wide and has 75 merc on it. A 54 pd tolling motor. I love the boat with a couple exceptions. The worst problem is when its windy I can't control it. The *** end will swing around . Is this just the way a aluminum boat is or is there something I can do to help. I may be crazy but I've considered letting a little water in to add some weight. It's got a full composite floor so it would never be seen. Any ideas would be welcomed. I chose this boat so I could fish bass.crappie and catfish. And go up the river. But its aggravating on windy days

 

[H20Rat]

Re: gone with the wind

what conditions/speed? Need to be a little more specific. Assuming you are talking low speed manuevering with the main engine, you could go to a lower pitch prop. That would help a little bit, but for the most part it is a very poor hull design for wind. That boat has a more or less flat bottom, very wide in relation to length, vertical gunwales (catch the wind), and no chines (or very small ones).

Adding water isn't going to do much, and will possibly make your boat unsafe... (water = HEAVY!! you would eat up capacity really quickly)


Now if you are talking trolling performance, that is an entirely different topic. Not much of a fisherman here myself, but look up 'drift socks'...

 

[5150abf]

Re: gone with the wind

Ya, wind blows so to speak and not much you can do about it, if you are anchored you just need to get creative and compensate.

the wind here always seems to be opposite of current so I started letting all my back anchor line out then drop the front and reel the back in a bit so the boat is held between them.

The problem is each situation is different so they all have a different solution.

 

[EddiePetty]

Re: gone with the wind

I kinda believe you are having this problem when using the trolling motor. Keeping the outboard fully trimmed down and pointed straight ahead will help.

I had a similar problem using a much smaller boat and only a trolling motor.
I either used an empty gallon bucket as a drift sock or dragged a 5# sash weight behind me.

BTW....if this is your rig...whow!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pkHXoVebks

 

[yourkiddin]

Re: gone with the wind

Mine is not a center console. It's side console and is green in color. Otherwise its same set up. Very roomy . I don't have a live well and keeping it straight in the wind are my only complaints. I'm wondering it its got anything to do with tolling motor placement. When I drop my tolling motor it to the left of center.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: gone with the wind

I use a small drift sock deployed off of the stern to keep my boat going straight when using the trolling motor in the wind. It works well, trolling motor pulling in the front and the drag of the sock in the back makes for a rock solid straight line course.

 

[yourkiddin]

Re: gone with the wind

Tell me more about the gallon bucket.lol that sock is like 67 dollars. Do u let It down like 3 ft.

 

[EddiePetty]

Re: gone with the wind

".....Tell me more about the gallon bucket".

Just a short piece of line off a stern cleat. Try to secure the line off center of the bucket so the bucket stays tilted. Works for me!!!

 

[5150abf]

Re: gone with the wind

The bucket should work really well, just watch that it is pretty sturdy or you will pull the handle off of it.

I was really frustrated one day and used an old Wal-Mart bag which worked alot better than I though it would.

Shorter line is better.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: gone with the wind

Where is your trolling motor located? Bow mount or stern mount? To give you an answer before you reply to my question, boats have to be "led to water" if you don't have enough HP to "push them to water".

If Stern mount, that's normal operation. If bow mount you have something else causing your problem. Simple as that.

Come on back as I would like to help you with things I learned about 10's of years ago.

Mark

 

[yourkiddin]

Re: gone with the wind

Although I own a boat, I'm not really up on all the boating lingo. Like stern,bow and all that . Sorry but its mounted on the front. I think that's bow.lol . It's a 54 lb thrust and it pulls the boat fine. This is a 2003 smokercraft its extra wide. One of the biggest aluminun boats Ive seen around here. Most people own fiberglass bass boats. But I like the river also.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: gone with the wind

Bow is the front, stern is the rear, port is left facing forward and starboard is right.
Since it is mounted up front, if you want to move forward that is the best place for it. You mentioned that you like the river....does that mean that you boat on a river where there are river currents to consider in addition to wind speed and direction to consider?

 

[yourkiddin]

Re: gone with the wind

i mostly go into the river during the hybrid/striper run in the spring. mostly all main lake fishing right now. i was thinking maybe i need to move trolling motor so it would be center of bow. but i read somewhere not to do that.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: gone with the wind

Tell me more about the gallon bucket.lol that sock is like 67 dollars. Do u let It down like 3 ft.

I paid $15 for my drift sock, got on clearance from Cabelas.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: gone with the wind

i was thinking maybe i need to move trolling motor so it would be center of bow. but i read somewhere not to do that.

Depending on the depth of the V in the forward section of the hull (especially) if your TM is not directly in front of the V, it hat to drag the V sideways if you are not going straight ahead. If directly in front it "leads" the v through the water whereby turning in either direction it has to pull or push it....lotta extra load that you don't need and apparently can't tolerate.

Would be interesting who said not to do it.....what do they know about it....reputable comment or just someone blowing wind?

Mark