Question on planing out...

[NealLauderman]

I have a stupid question that I believe I already know the answer too but figured for piece of mind I would ask it anyways...

I am running a 16' Lowe Big John (double wide) boat with a 2002 25hp Tiller Handle 2stroke outboard. When I was out running it by myself yesterday for the first time I could not get it to plane out. I got it to do it once but then backed off the throttle as the front of the boat was slapping the water pretty hard. I had no weight up front so I am pretty sure that is normal considering the motor, gas tank, battery, anchor, and me(260lbs) were all in the back of the boat.

Is my assumption correct that this is normal with no weight up front? If so, what do yall typically put up front? I was thinking about moving the anchor to the front and then putting a few sand bags in up front if I am by myself. Does that sound right?

 

[steelespike]

Re: Question on planing out...

Was the motor trimmed down,prop closer to the boat.
Prop away from the boat, harder to plane but may be faster but may porpoise,bow bounce,.
I have a 18 foot bare bones Crestliner utility with a 50 Evinrude.It flies!
I run with 2 6 gallon tanks and the anchor PFDs near the bow.
Manual trim is a compromise I usually run trimmed up ,prop away from the boat just enough so it doesn't porpoise.
I wouldn't add extra weight to the bow.Move gas anchor and gear forward and play with the trim so you can see how it acts.
By the way that double wide should carry a load well. My 18' Crestliner with a 25 Gale would plane easily with 6 adults
and light gear.

 

[NealLauderman]

Re: Question on planing out...

Thanks for the info. It is a manual trip as you mentioned and it seems to be more out away from the boat than in towards it. I reckon I just need to play with it like you are saying. It just makes it a pain as I think I have to trailer the boat to adjust it. Haven't messed with it before so im not really sure.

I took the boat out with a buddy for the first time last weekend and it ran fine with 2 people. Didn't take much to get on plane and the bounce wasn't bad. Yesterday when I was alone going for a short run it was pretty bad bounce and just wouldn't plane out. Maybe I need to mess with the manual trim like you mentioned and have it set one way when I am with someone and another way when I am by myself.

 

[JB]

Re: Question on planing out...

Hmmmm. Sounds like your outboard is trimmed too far out, Neal. Bring her in a notch and see what happens. I would start with the anti ventilation plate parallel with the bottom of the boat.

The bow slapping the water is called porpoising. It is caused by the outboard trying to lift the bow too high and dropping it back down. Moving the center of gravity forward should inhibit that, but make it harder to plane the boat.

 

[jestor68]

Re: Question on planing out...

Set the AV(cavitation plate) so it's neutral trimmed with the bottom as shown. It may be necessary to move the tilt pin IN one more hole.

You can adjust the pin setting while in the water by tilting the motor up and locking in place; then just reach down and move the pin to a different hole til you find the one that works best. Just be careful not to drop the pin in the water. :faint2:

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Question on planing out...

Having to move the tilt pin to compensate for load changes is just part of boating without having PTT (Power Trim and Tilt). I had a 10' Lowe's Lake John and my little 7 1/2 Merc had no problem powering it. Your 25 should make that boat fly, so power is not your problem.

On what to move forward, anything that you can till you get the desired results. You'd think that a 16' would be long enough to have enough weight in the air (before planing) to get the bow down without additional forward weight, but engine tilt is boss.

Mark

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Question on planing out...

good advice here. One should not add dead weight to a boat like yours, but move stuff around. Start with the battery and fuel.

 

[NealLauderman]

Re: Question on planing out...

Thank you all so much! I will give these tips a try next time I am out alone and report back what I find.

 

[steelespike]

Re: Question on planing out...

Most motors can be adjusted while your in the boat. some have a pin you rotate till it will slide out of the hole so you can slide it into a new hole.Some have a spring loaded mechanism with the motor tilted you can lift the pin from one hole to another.
Probably easiest to investigate the mechanism on the trailer. Once you understand how you can do it on the water just don't drop the removable pin.