Has anyone tried to make a hydrofoil?

[bcpolley]

I hav been woking on a boat for 6 months and finally i was able to put it in the water yesterday for its maiden voyage! My 1960 Johnson Sea-Horse 18 started on the first pull and it was off to the races! Unfortunately ventialtion was a serious problem.... so much in fact that one of the times it caught the water after it caused me to break the seat mount and fall down! I cannot lower my motor anymore as it is all the way down on the transom, and my cavitation plate sits about 2" above the keel on my 1964 Starcraft Arrow 14 footer.. I have read on several websites and forums that a whale tale or hydro foil mounted to the anti ventilation plate may help this condition, so my question is this... Has any one tried to make on of these devices?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Has anyone tried to make a hydrofoil?

and my cavitation plate sits about 2" above the keel

Ayuh,... You need a different motor, or lower that 1....

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Has anyone tried to make a hydrofoil?

A Hydro-foil will not help you. It appears from your post that you have a short shaft engine. See if you can get a long shaft conversion kit and then raise the engine about 2 inches to put the cav plate even with the bottom.

Or do like Bondo says and get a different engine.

You didn't raise the transom 2 inches, did you?

 

[steelespike]

Re: Has anyone tried to make a hydrofoil?

Those old 2 piece gearcases are sensitive to too much height and can't be raised
much.Yours is way too high.I doubt a foil will solve your problem.It appears you may have a short shaft on a long shaft transom.If you can find the parts those old motors are easy to make long shaft.

 

[bcpolley]

Re: Has anyone tried to make a hydrofoil?

No I didn't raise the transom... Ha ha ha... I wouldn't even know where to begin to do that... So I'm just stuck is the consensus huh?

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Has anyone tried to make a hydrofoil?

No, not completely stuck. The engine is relatively low powered and small. You could make a box similar to a jsckplate (and bolt it to the transom) that sets it off the transom and a couple of inches lower. Or, you could search the auctions for a used smaller jackplate.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Has anyone tried to make a hydrofoil?

Here's a link to a thread about building a homemade jack plate. This one was used to put a long shaft motor on a short transom but I'm sure it could work the other way around http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=321432

 

[bcpolley]

Re: Has anyone tried to make a hydrofoil?

That's good information.. I will look into that. Thanks guys!.