Shakedown complete, Beast is at the home port.

[JasonJ]

Got up bright and early, hooked up, and headed to the launch. I figured at six in the morning, should be pretty clear, but four other boaters launching dispelled that myth. Waited till everyone was gone to avoid potential embarassment, and dropped her in. Let it float for a bit, not leaks. Fired it up, motor running good, so I unhooked bow line from trailer, parked rig, and took off. <br /><br />The motor hadn't been used in who knows how long (last registration was 2000), so I cruised slow for a bit, and then it was show time. I eased it up a bit, and it got on plane very quickly, within a few seconds. I crused at planing speed for a bit, getting the feel of the boat. The steering is a bit stiff at speed but oh well. I did some tight turns and junk like that and then I floored it. It gets going right now, I'll say than. According to the speedo it was doing over 40 when I backed off. I never let it get up to full speed, so who knows. I do know that it skims along just fine. I found some good chop and wakes and plowed through them, and it didn't pound or any of that, it just cut through nice and comfortable, again dispelling that myth that all tri-hull are uncomfortable. As said in another post, this boat does have a deeper V than most tri-hulls I see, so who knows. I'm not complaining.<br /><br />Cruised it to the home dock just in time to catch a ride with the better half on the way to her work so I could bring back my rig. That trailer is a sorry sight, but thats another project for another time. So....Project Skanky Beast is a success, thank God.<br /><br />

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[DJ]

Re: Shakedown complete, Beast is at the home port.

Jason,<br /><br />Congratulations!!! I can share the feeling of accomplishment you must have.<br /><br />Good job!!!

 

[bubbakat]

Re: Shakedown complete, Beast is at the home port.

Job well done. Good things do come our way every once in a while

 

[Walleye King]

Re: Shakedown complete, Beast is at the home port.

Great Job Jason!! Looks good and glad to hear the motor is running great too!<br /><br />I am so far from being where you are it makes me sick! Have to remove the deck plate from the hull to get to my transom and put it off all week!

 

[93bronco]

Re: Shakedown complete, Beast is at the home port.

thats a pretty good lookin water line!!!!!!!!!!!!<br />i can see you jumping up & down when you saw how it sat, let alone how it rode.<br />good job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[chunkytrout]

Re: Shakedown complete, Beast is at the home port.

SWEET!!!

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Shakedown complete, Beast is at the home port.

2k, yeah, I love that waterline. At rest only the v portion and the very tips of the outer sponsons are in the water. We took her out again this evening around 7-ish, and this time I opened it all the up, and it was fast enough to make me real nervous. It felt fine, but the steering gets stiff once it is on plane, don't quite know the cause of that, but it is manageable. At slow speeds the steering is fine, but you get up on plane and it stiffens up. It stays the same stiffeness from planing speed to full speed, so who knows. There is never a hint of porpoising or plowing at planing speed, which is a good thing. It really handles those large wake swells that come from the side when you are goeing fast. You don't even have to take them at a right angle, the outer sponsons make it real stable at any speed, I just have to get used to it. Its not a sharp turner, but I can live with that.

 

[jim phillips]

Re: Shakedown complete, Beast is at the home port.

Looks real good Jason I hope I can do as good of a job on mine this fall.

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: Shakedown complete, Beast is at the home port.

looks great Jason, gives a lot of folks hope!<br />now what about that new name?<br />how about:<br />"TRI-UMPH"<br />safe boating,<br />M.Y.

 

[DJ]

Re: Shakedown complete, Beast is at the home port.

Jason,<br /><br />Is the steering stiff in one direction only?<br /><br />If so, adjust the trim tab.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Shakedown complete, Beast is at the home port.

Yeah, its more stiff turning left than right. It will be interesting adjusting the tab now that it is in the water, but I think I can work around that. Maybe I can anchor it of the bow and tie off to the dock so the stern is right there and I can just sit on the dock and adjust it. I ran it some more today, and basically if I let go of the wheel, it want to turn to the right by itself, and it takes enough effort to keep it straight ot turn left that I wouldn't let my better half drive when she asked. What direction should I turn it(as I am looking at it from behind)? I have never had this problem before, but thank God for this forum...

 

[DJ]

Re: Shakedown complete, Beast is at the home port.

Jason,<br /><br />Turn the rear of the fin to the right. That will nuetralize the right pull.<br /><br />You have to experiment with this. About a 1/8" adjustment at at time.<br /><br />Just take some tools with you and find a shallow spot where you can jump out and "become one" with the outboard.

 

[boating brad]

Re: Shakedown complete, Beast is at the home port.

that boat has to be light, it sits well in the water! nice.

 

[jomac]

Re: Shakedown complete, Beast is at the home port.

LOOKS Good Jason Be safe and enjoy

 

[RICKRICK1]

Re: Shakedown complete, Beast is at the home port.

Great job Jason. Looks like you can start a new vocation and will have a ready porfolio when you do.

 

[cotterman]

Re: Shakedown complete, Beast is at the home port.

great job jason

 

[Link]

Re: Shakedown complete, Beast is at the home port.

Jason:<br />Great job! I did get around to showing my wife your pic's... now I need to finish my project boat and if it turns out 1/2 as nice as yours she will be a happy clam Once you get to play with your trim tab you should be able to take your hands off the wheel at WOT (or any speed after your up on step / plane) and it will run straight and true. NOT recommending you do this but when you get it set up right thats the way it should handle.<br /><br />Have fun with her<br />Link

 

[bh357]

Re: Shakedown complete, Beast is at the home port.

Jason,<br /><br />Nice job!!! Are you keeping with the name "Skanky Beast", even though she's not skanky any more? Thanks for sharing your story of the renovation. I'm in the process of fixing up a 1970's Larson, and I've gained some good info from reading about your restoration.<br /><br />-Brad

 

[SeaMasterZ@aol.com]

Re: Shakedown complete, Beast is at the home port.

hey Jason, not for nothin, but you could collect your posts and pictures and write a BOOK on the subject ... who knows, sell it on Amazon!<br /><br />is it not a sharp turner cause of the stiff steering?<br /><br />one minor criticism ... that is one deep vee girl, way NOT a means to make the case for whalers being good riding boats .. I spent quite a few summers on my uncle and cousins whalers, banged in chop, always wet from spray<br /><br />Yours looks like it would cut waves like a dream, that huge engine looks lost in the cutout, and I remember how much hull you had back there BENEATH the cutout ... deep vee all the way back, no wonder shes takin those waves dead on!!!!!<br /><br />

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Shakedown complete, Beast is at the home port.

Thanx for all the compliments guys. We have been having some wierd weather so I am constantly looking out the window to make sure the cover is staying put and the little booms I put in to keep the cover from pooling water have not fallen over. I go down and check the bilge to make sure it isn't taking on water. There is a little bit, not even a cup, but it could have come from anywhere. I am just being paranoid.<br /><br />I did adjust the tab, I need to take it out and test it, I'll do it the morning of the Fourth. That way when we cruise to see the firworks from the boat I have one less thing to worry about. It is cool to se the fireworks out on the water, but when it is over, you have a few hundred boats all heading for the ramp at once. I don't have to tell you that the wakes get multiplied in size and frequency to the point of being scary. That, and it is dark and the jerks in the big boats just blast along like no one is there. I don't have to worry about the ramp this year, but I still have to go in the same direction. This time I'll just wait until everyone else goes, I'll let the water calm, then I'll head out. I got ahead of them last year, but I was lucky. The year before was a nightmare my non-swimming butt will never forget.<br /><br />Castaway, it does have a lot of vee to it, more than any other tri-hull I have seen (old ones at least). I have tried to make it pound and it won't, and there is no getting wet from spray either. As far as I can tell, the out sponsons don't even touch the water when on plane until I turn. As far as sharp turning, of lack of, part of it may be the steering, part the hull design, and part just me not quite willing to throw it really hard into it. Once I have the steering dialed in, I'll experiment more with it.