boat riding high

[nightvision]

Hi all,
I have a Searay 180 sport with an outdrive. My 7 years old son started kneeboarding and my wife likes to sit in the stern seat to take pictures/video. I try to drive the boat slow for him. The problem is the bow rides very high. Would changing out my 19 pitch aluminum prop help? I have the outdrive all the way out/down. Would bringing in the outdrive help? What about adding weight (like rock or sandbags) under the bow seats. I'm considering adding 150-200 pounds. My objective is to allow the wife to be in the stern and keep the bow down. Please advise.

Thanks.

 

[_chris_]

Re: boat riding high

What about trim tabs? I am not a professional and don't have them myself but I here good things about them.

 

[JoLin]

Re: boat riding high

First, bring the outdrive "in" instead of out. Having it out is contibuting to your problem.

Under the condition you describe you still have a lot weighing you down in the back, but I'm not a big fan of adding ballast to a boat to correct a "sometimes" issue.

How does the boat plane out under normal situations? If the boat's attitude is good with a normal load of stuff and passengers I'd consider trim tabs, but I'd lean toward the adjustable kind (like Bennett) so they aren't active when you don't need them. Just raise them up and they're "out of the picture"

If the boat tends to squat or run bow high under most conditions, you might consider Smart Tabs as they're always "active", and will help under all conditions. They really do work, and they're cheaper than the adjustables.

A high stern lift prop can help, too, but I wouldn't swap that out unless you have another reason to need a different pitch (like the motor is over- or under-revving at WOT).

My .02

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: boat riding high

If you're "driving slow" you're not on a plane but dragging azz. There are some speeds that just don't work.
Put your wife in the center facing back. 3' won't affect the camera but it will affect the boat. Or
get a better zoom. or
get a bigger boat. or actually a smaller lighter one might work better.
Don't go weighing down your boat or changing props just for photos of a 7 year old. That's the tail wagging the dog.

 

[Jdeagro]

Re: boat riding high

Nightvision;

Let's think about what is happening. As the boat moves through the water presure builds under the hull and the water begins to push the boat up out of the water. Obviously the lightest part of the boat will get pushed up first thus the bow goes up. The stern has all of the weight so it takes more speed and water presure to get it up. This is usually about 20 to 22 MPH. Probably a bit too fast for the 7 year old.

Prop do not push anything up, they propel. A lower pitch prop will help you accelerate to planing speeds (22 MPH) faster but it will not lift the stern. What you want is the lift the bow and stern at the same time so that you can see where you are going, and not at 22 MPH.

Trim Tabs create more lift at the stern and provide a more level ride. They will also allow you to plane at slower speeds. About 15 to 16 MPH.

There is no better solution.