New boat Qs - Tilt, Live Well, Transducer

[davescountry]

All -

More than ever, it seems I am beginning to learn how much I don't know. I have had boats for years, but they were pretty old vintage ('60s and a 1970), and so I have questions with my new, used boat, a 1998 Astro with a 135 Opti Max.

I am not sure if I violating protocol since I have three questions that aren't neccesarily related. If so, please forgive me and point me the right direction.

First, I have never had Tilt before. This new boat has tilt and a little gauge on the dashboard. I was under the impression that gauge was supposed to serve as somewhat of a level and tell me whether to raise or lower the engine. Basically the goal being to keep the line centered.

When I went out today, there were several times I was having a hard time coming up on plane. The gauge was showing centered, but it seemed if I dropped the engine way down, I would come on to plane. My question is whether or not this is the right way to do this. Should I be droppng the engine way down to come on to plane and then center on the gauge?

My second question has to do with my live well. My live well has a pump to bring water in with two settings, one is 'on' and the other is 'Auto.' To release water is a dial that appears to simply serve as a valve to let the water out. If I set that valve to "open" when I am on the water, either standing still or moving, is the water actually going to come out? I tried it today and nothing happened, but then when I pulled out of the water discovered that my drain was blocked. So, I don't know if the back pressure created by being on the water would keep the live well from draining. If so, I guess I don't understand how to keep the water in there fresh.

I also had problems with my sonar today. I mounted an Eagle Status that I had on my old boat. Per the directions from Lowrance, the transducer is on the transom at least a foot and a half away from the lower unit. When I would hit about 30 mph, the sonar would effectivly quit working. Then when I slowed down to about 20 mph, come back on again. Is this mounting to close to the lower end? I had this unit on my old boat which was a pretty anemic 60hp and never had a problem. Do I need to move the transducer further out towards the edge? I can post a pic of how/where it is mounted if that helps.

I guess I even have one more question and that has to do with porpoising. It seemed with this boat that I was getting a lot of porpoising coming up on plane until I would hit about 40 MPH. I can't tell if that was the water condition today or, again, was I not setting something right relative to my tilt. When I would come off of 40 MPH, the boat would do OK until I got back down to about 20 MPH. No porpoising there, but I was getting some decent bow rise.

Obviously, today was my first day out and overall it was a great day. I have not had a boat or motor this nice and driving it was a dream compared with my old 1970 boat. So, I just want to make sure I am doing everything right and maximizing my use.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[stubblejumper]

Re: New boat Qs - Tilt, Live Well, Transducer

The boat will normally plane quicker with the engine trimmed down all the way,but will normally run best trimmed up.Trimming the engine could very well eliminate the porpoising.The trim gauge is a reference so that you can determine where your boat runs best ,then remember that setting for those load conditions.

 

[5150abf]

Re: New boat Qs - Tilt, Live Well, Transducer

When you start out the engine should be trimmed way down, as you accelerate trim up until the boat is on plane.

Play with it at different speeds just to see what happens, you will get the feel for it pretty quick.

Porpoising is caused by having to much trim, the motor tries to lift the bow but it is to heavy so it drops then the engine tries to lift it again ect, if you trim down just a bit that should solve that problem.

I would get used to trimming by feel instead of with a gauge at a point more trim costs you speed so if you don't have a tach watch yur speed and trim till it drops then back off abit.

The livewell, it should have a fill, a drain and an overflow and yes they do get plugged now and then, try pushing a coat hanger throught the drain to unplug it.

I don't know your set up but I would imagine "on" makes the pump run all the time and"auto" is a timed fill, mine fills every 3 minutes for 1 1/2 minutes then shuts off.

Sonar, possibly have your transducer too high and as you go faster it isn't in clean water anymore so it doesn't read.

Again the porpoising is caused by trim, trimming up lifts the bow trimming down drops it, you want to drop the bow in that condition.

Also once you are on plane you only want to tap the trim and make very small adjustments.

hope that helps.

 

[davescountry]

Re: New boat Qs - Tilt, Live Well, Transducer

All -

Well, i was excited to read these responses yesterday morning and take the boat out for another spin. By and large, I kept the engine trimmed down much more than before and it seemed to run much better. Trimming down sure seemed to help with the hole shot as well as keep porpoising much less.

I think I may have over compensated the other way though a couple of times. I tried to keep the engine trimmed down when giving gas coming off of a slow speed. I think two times I had it down too far. The engine bogged down when I gave it throttle. Then the engine died and would not re-start for a minute or two. It felt similar to either flooding the engine or not getting enough gas, but that was just the way it felt. I would wait a minute or so, restart, trim the engine up and it ran fine. When I would get a little speed, I would go ahead and trim down a bit more and come up on plane just fine. So, it would seem that trimming down too far is also not a good thing?

I may just still be getting used to all of this, but this seems a bit sensitive. I know when I would start to porpoise, just the smallest tap down on the trim would stop the porpoising. Granted, it was pretty windy but I don't think the water was terribly rough. I am wondering if a hydro foil stabilizer is something I should be looking into? I have never used one but sure see a lot of them out there.

Time to switch subjects again, but I am attatching a couple of pics of my transducer mount. I had the same problem on Saturday, which did not surprise me since I did not do anything different with it.

You will see in the pics where I have it, and I tried to include some aspect to see where the engine is in relation. I could move it further away from the engine, more out the endge of the boat. I don't know how to describe it, but there is another level to the baot slightly under where I have the transducer mounted. I was intially a bit concerned about trying to mount it under there since it looked like it might be likely to hit the bunks on the trailer. I guess it could be done but would be pretty tight. I could also move it under there, and center it near the drain plug and the livewell drains but that would be direct behind the prop and I have always been told that is not the place to put a transducer.

So, any advice on this would be helpful as well.

Thanks again for the advice. It might just take me a bit more time to get super smooth but I appear to be on the right track.

 

[erlindbl]

Re: New boat Qs - Tilt, Live Well, Transducer

For your transducer to work, it must remain in contact with the water. From the pictures I can see you are not on the lowest portion of the hull. Until you get up and plane it is in contact and you have no issues. Once you are planing, I am sure it is losing contact with the water causing your problems.

It looks to me like your going to have to move it or be content with using it at slower speeds only.

 

[Boatist]

Re: New boat Qs - Tilt, Live Well, Transducer

I agree the transducer must be on the lowest part of the hull. Very hard on boats like your with a stepped hull. Looks like you can move it down some with your current mounting and I would try that befor drilling mor holes.
For it it work right your going to have to move it closer to the motor and see it will fit on the lower part of the hull. Where you have it even if it is in the water at speed that step in the hull would create a lot of air a turbulance that will stop the transducer from working.

The trim guage is just that, it tell you where you trim is set so you do not have to go back and look at the outdrive to tell how it is set. So weather your moving or not it will tell you how the trim is set. Also works when on the trailer to show you that the outdrive is up. Most people will trim down or in until get up on plane then set for the best ride for the current water conditions.

Live wells the auto setting can be different but most of the time have a manual fill (comstant ON) The auto setting will turn it on and off to keep the water fresh and cool. Example it may turn it on for 1 minute then off for 4 minutes then back on for 1 munute. Some units are adjustable so can cause the fill pump to be on more or ajust so it on less and same the battery.