planing issue with a boat

[slayer2]

I am wondering what to do to get a 4 rivers fiberglass layout boat to plane. I have a 6 hp, 4 strke mercury on it and the boat is rated for a 2hp and I figured, this would have plenty of power to plane the boat. Guessed wrong. Tried about everything, any ideas????

 

[NYBo]

Re: planing issue with a boat

It doesn't sound like this hull was designed to plane, so you aren't going to be able to get it to do so without a very-unsafe level of power.

You need a new boat if you want to move at planing speeds.

 

[slayer2]

Re: planing issue with a boat

I was wondering that.... do you think a hydro foil JR from stingray would help the cause any? JMO I guess....

 

[slayer2]

Re: planing issue with a boat

It doesn't sound like this hull was designed to plane, so you aren't going to be able to get it to do so without a very-unsafe level of power.

You need a new boat if you want to move at planing speeds.

You mentioned--- I doesn't sound like it was designed to plane... where did you discover that information?

 

[QC]

Re: planing issue with a boat

There are displacement hulls with a rounder bottom that are not intended to plane. I think that's a safe assumption.

 

[26aftcab454]

Re: planing issue with a boat

You mentioned--- I doesn't sound like it was designed to plane... where did you discover that information?

it is called life experiance!

 

[rallyart]

Re: planing issue with a boat

It is a displacement hull and a foil won't help.

 

[JoLin]

Re: planing issue with a boat

You mentioned--- I doesn't sound like it was designed to plane... where did you discover that information?

The boat is rated for 2 hp max. 2 hp won't plane anything. Therefore, the boat wasn't designed to plane. It was designed for rowing, or to putter along at a couple miles per hour. Overpowering it will stress the transom and hull, which weren't designed to handle the additional weight and torque.

My .02

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: planing issue with a boat

I don't believe that anything with a maximum rating of 2 HP was designed to do much other than make forward progress in light conditions with a minimal load.
Just my 2 cents though.

 

[slayer2]

Re: planing issue with a boat

thanks for all the info. I will have to go back to the factory and ask for some explanations as this was the exact opposite of what they told me. They said the boat will be able to plane, The rating of a 2hp motor, or 2 passengers was a coast guard thing only as was told. I am not looking for this style of a boat to go fast, just go up on plane and run along. If I hunt some open waters, I just don't want to spend all day putting to my hunting spot. I bought it for the low profile design and placed a larger than rated motor on its transom for a little more speed. Kind of misled once again by a factory sales person that did not know a thing about what they are selling. Very discusted in this to say the least. If I had known this, I would have bought a $200 canoe.

 

[scoutabout]

Re: planing issue with a boat

...The rating of a 2hp motor, or 2 passengers was a coast guard thing only as was told. ...

No argument that you may have had a lousy sales guy, but that "coast guard thing only" you refer to is a fairly carefully assessed limit taking into consideration your boat's design, size, construction, and intended purpose. The limit is designed to keep you from making your boat unstable, damaging its structure, and as a result causing an accident that could harm or kill you and those in it or near it. Sounds dramatic I know considering the power levels we are discussing but really, that 6 is well beyond what some very experienced folks consider safe.

Sounds like you need a square stern canoe or even a small tinnie. We've got a an 16 ft Grumman canoe with a Yamaha 5hp (max rating for it) and it most certainly will plane, although really the most comfortable speed is max displacement. That's still not a bad clip due to the boat's length. Combo is worth more than $200 though...

 

[barbosam]

Re: planing issue with a boat

If you read the website carefully, it will tell you that their solution for going faster is to use a bigger boat to tow it to the hunting grounds. It doesn't look like its much more than a kayak which is a displacement hull.

And I agree with the horsepower limit, it should be respected. On a bigger boat rated for max 100hp I would not be so concerned with putting 110, thats only 10%over but putting 6hp on a 2hp boat is 300% over the limit.

It looks like a great hunting boat but maybe not the right boat boat for what you were looking to do. I never trust anything a salseman tells me!

 

[DuckHunterJon]

Re: planing issue with a boat

As everyone else has said, not the right hull design to plane. I found the same thing with my duck boat (flat bottom, v front, home made 12'). I started with a 4 hp, went to a 6, then a 7.5. No difference in ability to plane (won't) or top speed (yup, brought along my gps and 4.5 mph is it. Based on that, I droped back down to the 4 hp and enjoy the scenery of the marsh as it slowly glides by (still beats the heck out of paddling!)

Enjoy and concentrate on filling the boat with birds!

 

[slayer2]

Re: planing issue with a boat

fully understand, but I friggin hate going 4 mph in a boat that looks and feels/handles like it should do 15. This boat is 20 times more stable than a flat bottom 12 ft jon that will do it. Friggin sucks. The bottom hull is flat, has ribs under it for stability and everything. It does not look like a hull that is considered a displacement hull by any means, but am still awaiting a verdict from the engineering dept at 4 rivers.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: planing issue with a boat

If you push a flat boat too hard, it becomes a submarine.
An ocean going kayak is designed to poke through a wave, shed the water and "recover" before the cockpit swamps--but that is by paddle. Too fast, no time to recover, voyage to the bottom of the sea!

Lay out boats are traditionally designed to be there, not get there. Tow it. You can get a used 14' with a 9.5 for $800.
BTW I duck hunt in small boats, too

 

[NYBo]

Re: planing issue with a boat

I just checked out the Four Rivers website. Getting one of those things up to planing speeds seems suicidal to me.

 

[slayer2]

Re: planing issue with a boat

I will post what I find out from their engineering department. I just don't see where a hydrofoil and some front end weight distribution won't get it to plane and run 10-15 mph. I suppose it is because if you go at high rate of speed and that front end gets into some waves per say, you could drive it like a torpedo in the lake/river/whatever. Isn't that where comon sense comes into play?

unlike this guy check this video out-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UEETjztLqI

 

[Sharp Shooter]

Re: planing issue with a boat

This table wasn't designed to plane either but that didn't stop this guy....

 

[NYBo]

Re: planing issue with a boat

That table has about the same freeboard as those layout boats.

 

[Ned L]

Re: planing issue with a boat

If this is what you have then it will not get up on top of the water & plane.

The bottom has way too much rocker in it (It does not have a flat run aft), and with the sides coming in toward the transom (pretty much double ended) there is no reserve buoyancy aft to keep it from squatting terribly.
Sorry, it won't do what you want (or at least at all safely).