lifting strakes

[lakegeorge]

For those of you who have lifting strakes, do you notice the front end of the boat rise up at a certain speed when the strakes kick in or is it so gradual that you don't notice it?

 

[The Rooster]

Re: lifting strakes

The two we've owned w/ strakes just rise gradually without noticing. We're on plane in about 3 seconds and it's just not something you are aware of inside the boat. Once up and running, you are aware that the front 1/2 of the boat is out of the water, but that's about it.

 

[5150abf]

Re: lifting strakes

Concur, I have run a few work boats with chines and as Rooster said it just kinda rides up but you can definately tell there is something going on, they are certainly worth the money if you have the engine to use them, the deal with chines/foils is you need a decent amount of power to have them work right, a 150 is reccomended.

 

[tudunka]

Re: lifting strakes

I am new to this site, well not new, been lurking around, but I do have the experience of having them added AFTER i purchased the boat, so I was able to really tell the difference.

Pontoons, float on the water and when underway, they plow thru the water. With three pontoons, I pretty much stayed on top of the water, even without the liftstrakes, but when you are pushing with a hefty engine behind you, you're rear end always seemed to sink when going underway.

When I added the lifting strakes, there was NO immediately lifting at normal cruise/trolling speed, but as you hit 3.5k rpm, then the boat seem to lift up out of the water, and at 4k rpm, the front half of the toons are completely out of the water. The toon felt different, you could feel the ripples of water under the boat like you would a bayboat or deskboat. Now I'm not trying to say that my toon is now a bayboat or deskboat, but just trying to describe how the feeling when you go from sluggish/plowing to more of "On Top" of the water. As someone mentioned before, I wouldn't waste money on them if you don't have the muscle to push it.

I have a 175hp 4Stroke hanging off the back and I'll do close to 39-40mph on mine, and its funny to see people look at us when we pass their boats up........lol.

Hope this helped.