boat planes out sometimes...

[zuke]

sometimes my little 59 35hp seaking pushing my 1959 gale seaking v hull boat 15' will plane out no problem, and the boat will do 20mph easy. but then other times, when the water is a little choppier, the boat will only do about 13-14mph and wont plane out. <br /><br />my question is... would one of those little fins that bolts on to the lower unit help me, or is something else my problem???<br /><br />thanks for any help you can give...

 

[JB]

Re: boat planes out sometimes...

I think you may have a problem, Zuke. <br /><br />Tell us more about the boat. Aluminum or glass? How is weight distributed? <br /><br />How long have you had the boat? Has it always been this way or is this new? What is the condition of the prop? Where is the AV plate relative to the bottom?

 

[zuke]

Re: boat planes out sometimes...

this is a fiberglass boat. with a closed v-hull. other than the motor/gas/battery, most of the weight is up front. i have had the boat for about 4 mo's. i was having problems with the motor before, so i never could really plane out any ways. but once i fixed it, thanks to paul mior( or however you spell it) i could plane out easily on calm waters. but once the water gets remotely choppy, the boat wont go past 13mph ( per gps) and definately wont plane out. and i dont know what this "av"plate is...<br /><br />thanks for any help...

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: boat planes out sometimes...

A doelfin type hydrofoil is often a bad idea on those engines. They naturally run the AV (cavitation) plate well below the bottom of the hull. It's possible sometimes to raise it, but normally not high enough for those wings to come out of the water on plane.<br /><br />EDIT: The Anti Ventilation plate is the flat surface just above the propeller. It's purpose is to keep air from the water's surface from getting sucked into the propeller. It's often called a (anti) cavitation plate, but that's a misnomer since cavitation is a different phenomenon.<br />Try loosing weight or redistribute it nearer to the centre, especially if you have some really heavy stuff forward.<br />Also, see if you can see any numbers on the propeller. That would tell us a lot. And Moir is more commonly misspelt Moyer.

 

[zuke]

Re: boat planes out sometimes...

p.s. i know this is out of context of this specific section, but, i have been running 25-1 fuel mix, and have been getting the right amnt of smoke from exhaust, but is this the right mix for me???<br /><br />1959 seaking 35hp

 

[zuke]

Re: boat planes out sometimes...

ok... back to the plaining out question... i was talking to a friend at work, who seems to have a knowledge of boats. and he told me that an option i should consider is trim tabs. is this something i should actually look into? <br /><br />and the prop numbers are soon to come.

 

[zuke]

Re: boat planes out sometimes...

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[cobra 3.0]

Re: boat planes out sometimes...

Trim tabs could help ...somewhat, but I doubt it is the reason for your situation. I'm baffled that a 35 hp would have trouble planing your boat. What is the condition of your engine? How is the compression? What is it's WOT rpm? How heavy is the boat? Do you have the engine trimmed correctly and mounted at the correct height on your boat?<br /><br />25:1 won't effect speed.