Re: To Build a Boat (any boat)
lol ok back with the findings.... My wife needs more attention... need to get her a girlfriend... oops wrong forum j/k
<br /><br />Ok, I found that the angled transom is definitly a bad deal with this weedless setup... I found I need to carry extra plugs... I found I should not run it all the way rich on the high speed adjustment even if it does get more rpms... (fouling plugs) And I found that the rope on the throttle is entirely neccesary to get more weight fwd in the boat to pick up speed. I found I had to raise the motor to the very tippy top of the screws to get it out of the water enough so as to not create a load of drag and that it needed to be out at the furthest out position to get any rpms outof it. And I found a 4 x 8 boat can create one heck of a wake. Enough so that when you turn around and go over your own wake, the shovel shape of the front will get your butt a tad wet. I found a leak that allowed about a cup of water in the hull at the top back seam. And I found with simple adjustments you can go from a top speed of 4.7 miles per hour to a top speed of 9 miles per hour with this setup... that was by moving the motor up 1 inch higher, setting the gas tank in the front of the cockpit, and shifting my body weight to just about over the gas tank in the middle of the boat. <br /><br />Oh one more thing... need to take a better photographer with me next time.. this one doesnt understand how small this boat is and far away shots make ya look like a dot in the sunset.
<br /><br />Now, with all that fun behind me, I will be making a transom that is vertical to the back of the boat and about 16½" tall, and try again... this low powered of an engine needs all the help it can get and I'm doubting that airborne is going to be an nonissue with the prop in any position.<br /><br />I also have 2 more of the exact same prop for this motor so I may take a hammer to it and try to tweak the pitch a lil on one of the other props.<br /><br />If I fail to reach the 15 mph mark with these tweaks, I will cover in the cockpit with the exception of enough space to store the gas tank and put a lid over it so water coming over the front will continue over the top and back into the lake. I will install a seat that sets me up a lil higher and center steering and control console. and possibly put hand rails around it to mimic this boat...<br /><br />
<br /><br />I had a blast with it today and there will only be more modifications to come.<br /><br />I was amazed at how a few tweaks can almost double your WOT speed. Believe it or not its a valuable lesson learned on the physics of hull & motor combo and setup and how to get the most out of what you have. <br /><br />P.S. about 3 or 4 mph with a trolling motor. (GPS batteries died)
