14 ft boat setup.

[Papa gone fishing]

Hi all,

I'm probably over thinking again...bad habit of mine...but I'm wondering about the way my boat is set up and if there isn't a better way. Last year I bought a 1963 14 ft. Mirrocraft aluminum "V" bottom boat with a 1961 Johnson FDL Seahorse 18 hp. engine hanging off the transom. Old rig yes...but its all in good shape and fits my purpose. The way it is set up is the battery, one of the two anchors, and the 6 gallon fuel tank is in rear of the boat with the engine not to mention my 200 pound fanny back there running the engine. Basically all the weight in the boat is concentrated in the rear 36 inches and the rest of the boat is empty. Is this a typical small outboard boat setup, or should I figure a way to disperse the weight a little more evenly...such as move the fuel tank and battery. Thank you in advance.

Papa :fish2:

 

[Another retired guy]

Re: 14 ft boat setup.

Hi and welcome. I would say you need to move some weight forward - but how is she riding with all the weight in the stern?? Are you having trouble getting on to plane?

 

[Papa gone fishing]

Re: 14 ft boat setup.

Hi and welcome. I would say you need to move some weight forward - but how is she riding with all the weight in the stern?? Are you having trouble getting on to plane?

That's one of the reasons I'm thinking this has to change. At half throttle to WOT, 1/3 to 1/2 of the boat is out of the water even with the Mrs. riding on the forward seat...but then again she's pretty light. Next time I'm at the lake I'm going to experiment with the vertical angle of the engine to get the bow back down where it belongs. But befor messing with that I want to make sure I have the boat properly setup.

By the way, thank you for the welcome.

Papa :fish2:

 

[FunInDuhSun]

Re: 14 ft boat setup.

Yea, get more weight forward. I keep the second gas tank, both anchors, and both batteries in front of the mid-bench. I also have a bow-mount troller up there.
Try different tilt-pin locations. My 25 'rude likes hole #2 (from the transom).
Just fool with different combinations until you find the sweet spot. It's there somewhere!

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: 14 ft boat setup.

If not going to find a heavy misses start moving other items. The battery would be nice no farther back than mid-ship. Never anchor off the stern so anchors should be as close to the bow as safely stowed. Portable fuel tanks can present problems forward as hoses can kink or be tripped over and sending someone into the drink.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: 14 ft boat setup.

Hi Pop. I have a virtually identical set up (14' semi-v hull tin boat with a '66 20hp Johnson). I also often run solo in the rear of the boat and I think you'll find one of the simplest and best mods you can make is a tiller extender which will allow you to sit, stand, or move forward in the hull to balance out the load as needed. Adding a small deck in the bow can add a bit of weight forward as well. You can see some pics of my set up by clicking on my avatar pics/signature. She's not the prettiest boat on the water, but she works fine and I did all the mods myself for only a few hundred bucks using common materials from Lowes/HD.

http://forums.iboats.com/boat-resto...seat-poling-platform-installation-577411.html
http://forums.iboats.com/boat-resto...l-noodle-projects-ive-done-lately-528473.html

 

[Papa gone fishing]

Re: 14 ft boat setup.

kfa4303,

Thanks for the great ideas. Very helpful!

Papa :fish2:

 

[JimS123]

Re: 14 ft boat setup.

My tinny fishing boat is similar to yours, and the equipment and weights are all about the same. Mine is the deluxe model with floor and walk-thru seats. The battery and tank locations are fixed by the manufactuer in that all the wiring and such lead directly to the stern. The only difference is that I store my anchor under the front seat because that's where its used.

Sure, I could move the tank and battery around and encumber my ample walk around room. Not my idea of an optimum setup.

On these small utility boats the bottom of the transom is just a single layer of aluminum, with no backer. Thus, installing trim tabs is not a clever solution. My $39 Doelfin gets me out of the hole fast and keeps the boat level at all speeds. Whether I'm alone or the wife is up in the front seat makes no difference. I don't need to make any adjustments one way or the other.

All of the gurus around here will tell you that the boat will suffer catastrophic failure with a hydrofoil, but truth be told, your rig (and mine) is the textbook situation for a "fin".

 

[Don Hansen]

Re: 14 ft boat setup.

Been over 30 years since I had it but I had the exact same, except for the years, rig as you have. The boat would easily plane with me at 250+, my wife, 2 gas tanks, 2 anchors, and all our gear. Don't remember the trim on the motor but I do know I had to put the 2 gas tanks up just behind the second seat.

BTW I've had a 16 ft Mirro since 1980 with an Evinrude 35 on it. Have never had a single problem with either.

DLH

 

[Papa gone fishing]

Re: 14 ft boat setup.

Jim and Don,

Thank you for your input. I'm getting a lot of good information and ideas on things to try.

BTW I've had a 16 ft Mirro since 1980 with an Evinrude 35 on it. Have never had a single problem with either. DLH

This boat and engine were joined together 50 years ago and still runs great and no leaks. What more can I ask for. :happy:

Papa :fish2: