trim or move weight?

[Shizzy]

I was tinkering on my boat this evening trying to remove unneeded weight since the little 6 horse is having troubles keeping up with all the gear I have packed in when I started to wonder if it is more efficient to move weight around and trim the motor in or leave it where it is and trim the motor out. Am I wasting power having too much weight up front with the motor tilted out? Is the engine wasting power trying to pull the nose up as well as propelling the boat forward? With only 6 horse every little bit helps.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: trim or move weight?

what boat, and how much gear do you have in it. how many people?

 

[Shizzy]

Re: trim or move weight?

14' Alumacraft FD, basic small lake fishing gear, trolling motor and battery, small cooler and usually just myself. I keep the battery pretty much in the middle of the boat and both anchors stored up by the bow. I was thinking if moving the battery back and storing the anchors by the stern and trimming the motor in.

 

[ziggy]

Re: trim or move weight?

will it plane? w/o any gear at all....

weight distribution in a small boat can have a large effect.

any weight. in a small boat can have a large effect...

 

[QC]

Re: trim or move weight?

I have a 14 foot tinny and 5 horse. It will plane and runs 12 MPH with two people, no battery or trolling motor or cooler. Trim holes and weight distribution always make a difference. Get the most weight out you can and experiment. Only real way to tell . . . A little forward help her plane, but then I want it back . . .

 

[CATransplant]

Re: trim or move weight?

6 hp and a 14' tinny is always marginal. Weight distribution and trim angle are the keys, if it will plane at all. You want the nose down, but not too much, or it'll plow. On my 12' with the battery up by the front seat and the fuel tank near the middle seat, second hole out is the sweet spot...give me 14-15 mph. Add another small person, and it's the third hole out and about 12 mph.

A 14' tinny likes a 15 hp best, although a 9.9 or 10 hp are OK, too. 6 hp is always marginal.

 

[Shizzy]

Re: trim or move weight?

6 horse is for sure marginal when loaded, but its staying till next spring. the boat does plane nicely empty with just me. its when I have the trolling motor and all my gear when it slows down. Im hoping to have a 10-15HP by spring. I guess Ill have to take a closer look at all I have in the boat and maybe move some weight around.