tips for adding a new center toon to a ponton

[Bamaman1]

Re: tips for adding a new center toon to a ponton

For sure add the underskinning and you'll be surprised at the difference it makes in smoothness and sheer noise. We'll be looking for your next postings and anticipate better speed numbers.

 

[Rancherlee]

Re: tips for adding a new center toon to a ponton

Under skinning is needed more on tritoon then a 2 logger. I've helped on 3 tritoon conversions now and every one of them picked up at least 2-3mph speed even the one without any strakes. I'm willing to bet your props are slipping pretty bad with your new setup as mine gets pretty sensitive to trim and blowing out the prop once I'm up on the strakes above 20mph and I'm swinging a big ear 14x13 stainless on a 70hp engine, its dang near impossible to maintain prop bite with my spare 14x13 aluminum prop. When I lose "bite" the RPM stay about the same but I loose 4-5mph and I'm willing to bet the same is happening with your toon. That Yami 115 is a torque monster and your going to need a 14" diameter prop designed for a pontoon/big load. Doing the math a 15 pitch prop is good for 36-37mph on that engine with 10% slip, your only seeing 25mph which is near 40% slip! A tritoon should be able to achieve less than a 15% slip with a light load and I'm thinking a 4 blade 14x13 would do wonders for your toon.

 

[crb478]

Re: tips for adding a new center toon to a ponton

Thanks for the insights Rancherlee, I know that I am having some blow out issues especially in turns or rough water. I also think that I now need to lower the motor another hole, or to where it is one up from the lowest position. With two of us onboard 2 up from the bottom was good, but yesterday we were maxed out at 14 on board and dropping down one hole seems like it will be needed for those times the boat is loaded. My old solas 4 bladed prop is 13.25 x 13 pitch and I will probably put it back on when I drop the one hole. I still think that I may have to look for another 4 bladed prop in the 15 pitch range though. The three blade prop on it now was replaced initially with the four blade because it slipped too much on the pontoon and now probably on the triton also.

 

[crb478]

Re: tips for adding a new center toon to a ponton

Took the boat back out of the water at the ramp today and dropped the motor one hole as well as putting the 13 1/4 x 13 four bladed prop back on and then put the boat back in as a storm was approaching. When I got out of the no wake zone I gunned it in smooth water and the boat accelerated to 30 mph non gps and hit 5500 rpm and was probably still gaining some when I had to back off to no wake speed again. Distance was probably no more than 1/2 mile if that. My speedo is fairly close to gps speed and if anything it, usually reads a mile lower, so needless to say I am pleased with the results. I still plan on adding the rest of the underskinning, but may wait a month or at least add up all the bills I have fixing up the boat over the last month. I believe that I may need to reprop after underskinning, but will wait to see. Right now I am waiting for the storm to pass and for time off to test it out with its current set up. It is hard to believe that one hole can make such a drastic difference. It is of course the last hole I tried, but just shows again shows that proper set can make the difference from a marginal boat and a good one.

 

[crb478]

Re: tips for adding a new center toon to a ponton

Tested the boat out this morning in slightly choppy, but fairly smooth water and got 28 gps mph at about 5700 rpm with just me and the dog. Not the 30 from yesterday, but I am still happy. The water was smoother yesterday and there was a breeze from a fast approaching storm so that may have aided me. I ordered the underskinning today from a place on line and should have it in a couple of days. I could definitely feel water hitting the bottom of the boat, and since I added the third pontoon there is water that is forced up under the console area from the bottom that soaks the carpet. I didn't have this problem with the pontoon so the underskinning should fix this. As said before ride is much improved and now the tilt and trim actually have a function and can be used to tweak the ride. In rougher water it is way faster than the pontoon was. I think I may need a new prop after I skin the bottom, but will wait for that. If I do I should gain a little speed, and I still need to clean the outside pontoons.