Moving weight to the back of the boat...

[waterinthefuel]

Ok guys, I'm a few hours from heading to our camp for a extended weekend of fishing. I have a little 13 foot fiberglass stick steer boat that is faster with two people than one, because with one you drag so much of the boat with you because your weight is pushing down the front. That second person actually helps lift the front of the boat. I have an option and I want to weigh it. I can move a battery (about 30lbs) to the transom and my fuel tank (6gallons, another 30 or so lbs when full). It would require me rewiring my trolling motor to run off the battery when placed in the back of the boat. Would it be worth it? Would 60lbs help me? This boat has a 28 and does fantastic with 2 people, and ok with one.<br /><br />Any ideas?

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Moving weight to the back of the boat...

It can't hurt to move that stuff to the back. Just make sure you run a heavier gauge wire to make up for the increased resistance of the greater length of the wire. Good luck and have a good fishin' trip...

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: Moving weight to the back of the boat...

Ok good, thanks Jason. My trolling motor has 14 gauge wire, and I went to 12 guage for the length to the back.<br /><br />I'm also going to learn how to use my new Garmin 240 FF if it kills me! LOL

 

[richg99]

Re: Moving weight to the back of the boat...

I'd leave everything where it is; fill an old suitcase with bricks or whatever, and put it in the stern of the boat anytime I went out by myself. <br /><br />Additionally, I'd carry a spare battery in the stern at all times. Can't hurt and some day you will be happy to have it there. RichG

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Moving weight to the back of the boat...

Water, at least you are getting to try your finder out. My new finder is sitting in my house patiently waiting for the winter cold to go away. It'll be a few more months before the water is usable.<br /><br />The suitcase of bricks idea is interesting, but for the sake of efficiency a person should optimize his rig for the most often used format. If a person goes out alone most of the time, that is what the boat should be set up for. Adding weight wastes fuel and slows the boat. Water should set his boat up to be as light as possible, so shifting weight that is permanent in the boat is really the only way he should go, unless he just wants to waste gas.

 

[akriverrat]

Re: Moving weight to the back of the boat...

or you could do like i used to in my 16" tiller steer skiff. running alone it tended to porpoise. i would grab a 50-80 lb rock, chunk of driftwood or 15-20 gallons of water in my front mounted cooler. when i got a body or cargo for ballast in the bow i would just unload the rock, log, water.

 

[MajBach]

Re: Moving weight to the back of the boat...

12 guage wire for a trolling motor??!! That's what I use on my home speakers. Don't skimp - thick wires will make a big difference.

 

[steelespike]

Re: Moving weight to the back of the boat...

Have you tried trimming the motor out with<br />only one in the boat?But moving weight to the rear is probably a good idea.You can figure<br />roughly 1 amp per 1 pound of trolling motor thrust.14 is good for 15 amps.12=20amps.10=30<br /> With the distance you are running your probably<br />in the 8 gauge range.

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: Moving weight to the back of the boat...

I only have a 25lb thrust trolling motor. I did like Jason said, and only moved permanent things to the back. I'm not going to add weight to this little boat. Based on the fact that the boat runs considerably better with someone in the rear, I knew this was almost a fail-safe modification.<br /><br />Here is the status report:<br /><br />The boat is faster still with two people after the weight shift than before. I would say, that with one person before the weight shift, about 8 feet of boat was in the water at WOT. With two people it was about 5. Now, with 2 people after the weight switch, I'd say no more than 3 or 4 feet are in the water, and that engine is screaming. I can't trim it, it has no PTT, and I've tried it at the next highest and lowest settings, with cavitation and digging being the result, respectively.<br /><br /> The 12 gauge wire carries the current effortlessly, with no noticable drop in power, and if anything, an increase in run time. I didn't test the boat with just me, but it's got to be faster. It sits lower in the back and higher in the front with 2 people, so I feel as if I'm on a "throne" way up there! <br /><br />I used my Garmin 240 to check the output voltage of my little engine, and it goes to 16volts at cruise throttle. Must be unregulated on a 28.