Tiller Guys Get Screwed!

[AaronP]

OK, I like to fish in a boat with a tiller because it adds extra room, and sometimes I go out with several people, and need the space.<br /><br />Why is it that with Aluminum boats that us tiller lovers get so screwed on the max horsepower ratings on our plates?<br /><br />My boat is a tank, and can easily handle a 115hp motor (the plate says 115 is the max if I use a steering console). At the max tiller capacity of 60hp, this boat tops out at maybe 30mph.<br /><br />I don't think that these capacity plates limit HP because of common sense. It is a conspiracy by the boat makers. They put low ass HP ratings for tiller to get people to spend more money on fancier, more expensive boats. I SAY SCREW THAT!

 

[JB]

Re: Tiller Guys Get Screwed!

Hi, Aaron.<br /><br />Typically, a tiller controlled boat has most of the weight in the stern. When coming out of the hole, the operator can't see anything foreward, and when running on plane the bow is so light it is vulnerable to wind gusts that may flip it over.<br /><br />The son of a very good friend died this way. His duck hunting boat was rated for 20-tiller, 40-console. He insisted on putting a 40 on it. He was cruising along on plane, bow high, and hit a wake. The boat flipped over on him and he was dead when witnesses pulled him up from the bottom where all the ammo in his jacket had taken him.<br /><br />He was 17. That was nearly 30 years ago and my friend still grieves. I became an anti-overpowering fanatic, and still am.<br /><br />You may be getting screwed, but it is keeping a lot of folk, including you, alive.<br /><br />Red sky at night. . .<br />JB

 

[jeffers]

Re: Tiller Guys Get Screwed!

Amen JB,<br />I have ran both tiller and console steering. And I can say that hitting an under water obsticle with a tiller a person can easily loose control and slam into a bank or a tree or possibly throw somone out of the boat. This has happened twice and it's a very scary feeling to have a motor taken from your hand at 30mph and make a 90 degree turn at the snap of a finger. <br /><br />Now I own a console and when and an under water object is struck the boat remains under my control. Still makes you cringe when you here the transom pop.<br /><br />Over 25 years of running rivers and lake I have seen most every thing and have to agree with JB.<br />stay with rated hp. console in my opinion is safer with the higher hp.

 

[Forktail]

Re: Tiller Guys Get Screwed!

"It is a conspiracy by the boat makers. They put low ass HP ratings for tiller to get people to spend more money on fancier, more expensive boats. I SAY SCREW THAT!'<br /><br />Well, not exactly. To understand why there are different ratings for tiller vs. remote steering go to the link below.<br /><br /> http://www.uscgboating.org/reg/cfr/33cfr/part183/183_53.htm <br /><br />J.B makes a good point about the bow raise, but that's not exactly why the ratings are different. The design of the boat, weight of the boat, and trim of the motor also greatly affect this bow rise. For example, a remote steering boat may have passenger seating in the rear actually putting more weight aft than if there was a single driver with a tiller and passengers up at the bow.<br /><br />It has more to do with control of the steering at speeds, the type of bottom of the boat (flat or V chine), transom width, and boat length. The USCG uses a specific calculation method for boat manufacturers to follow. Smartly, tillers (however convenient for fishing) take a hp reduction because they are most likely harder to control.<br /><br />Here's another little blurb....<br /><br />"....the horsepower rating has nothing to do with speed. "Horsepower has only to do with weight," says Philip Cappel of the Coast Guard. "We're not so much concerned about the speed but that the boat will float upright if swamped so that people can hold on to it until rescued. That's the whole reason for the flotation standard and why we say how many people can be on board. Horsepower only has to do with engine weight. If you put too big an engine on a boat, you throw the flotation off."...."<br /><br />

 

[Brento311]

Re: Tiller Guys Get Screwed!

Hi, first of all , I totally agree with J.B. I am 17 years old, and have been wanting a larger motor, but am having second thoughts after what J.B. posted about his friend's son. On my narrow 14' jon boat, I have a 9.5 hp, and with me in the back, and a battery and maybe a few things up front and in the middle, it scares me. The bow comes up to where my vision is blocked, and when I hit a wake it is very dangerous(now I always make someone go with me). I totally understand how it is dangerous for someone to be in the back with an overpowered tiller control. Second, I don't think you can get a 115 Hp with a tiller control. I may be wrong, but I thought tiller handles only went up to about 40 Hp. Thanks<br /><br />Brent

 

[AaronP]

Re: Tiller Guys Get Screwed!

well, I have a 20 foot, 70 inch wide on the bottom, 1200 lb boat where the bow never gets in the air at all. It's one thing when you're talkin about a small boat that flips easy, and completely different when you're talkin about a barge.<br /><br />And with a console on my boat model, the person still sits in the same place on the back bench. <br /><br />Anyways, I ran it today on the river, and the 60 horse gets her to about 32mph or so, and it was goin really good. So, I'm happy.

 

[AaronP]

Re: Tiller Guys Get Screwed!

i;ve seeb 90's with tillers

 

[crab bait]

Re: Tiller Guys Get Screwed!

i don't want to mutate this post but this is for BRENT311.. it's great to see a teenager with some good horse sense .. iam proud of ya... ihate to wear a life preserver but i do wear an inflatable one around my waist.. i know ... they're not coast guard approved but it's better than nothing specially if your alone..also install hydrofoils ( doelfins, whaletails) on the cavatation plate ... i know you'll love 'em.. they really get you up on plane an throws that cottonpickin' bow down..

 

[Forktail]

Re: Tiller Guys Get Screwed!

Brent, Yamaha's F115 can be optioned with a factory tiller (as well as the F100). <br /><br />The 115 tillers are very popular here on commercial gill net skiffs. If you ever grab a hold of one, you will notice it is a lot of power, torque, and weight to hold on to with one hand!<br /><br />A narrow 14' Jon boat is a prime example of potential over-powering danger. Probalby a hard boat to control with a 15 hp. Its short length, narrow flat bottom, and shallow transom equate to a poor weight/power capacity. Tillers are about the only choice on smaller boats like these since there is little room for a remote console. I would guess the 9.5, your gear, battery, and your weight are maxing the rated capacity of the boat. Possibly over with your friend aboard. I'm glad you're aware of the potential safety problems. <br /><br />The USCG formulas for hp ratings that I posted above have been working safely for years. The hp certification plates are required for a reason.