What can I do to help smooth the ride in choppy water?

ZmOz

Captain
Joined
Aug 13, 2003
Messages
3,949
I have a 16' Glastron CV-16 and a 150hp inline 6 Mercury outboard. In choppy water...even just a little choppy the ride is just horrible. Every wave is almost painfull and it's alot of work to drive. Is there anything I can do to make it better? Maybe more weight in the bow?
 

lakeman1999

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 20, 2003
Messages
550
Re: What can I do to help smooth the ride in choppy water?

Trim it out first by power trim & tilt if you have it, if not trim it with your adjustments built into your engine's mount to adjust angle of engine, and fine tune by arranging passengers, and other object s in craft to balance it. If you need further help, do it with the throttle (slow down). Some of the times, by varrying your angle of hitting the chop will smooth the ride, and instead of running a straight line to your objective, zig-zag to it. :D :D :D :D
 

catfish1

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 23, 2003
Messages
683
Re: What can I do to help smooth the ride in choppy water?

smart tabs would help it tremendously. i'm getting a set myself, nautijohn said theywill make my boat plain instantly with little to no bow rise, it will handle chop much better, and i will get 2-4mph faster. he said it will handle like its on rails. check out soulwinners smart tab report: http://www.iboats.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=006460
 

flashback

Rear Admiral
Joined
Jun 28, 2002
Messages
4,056
Re: What can I do to help smooth the ride in choppy water?

slow down, maybe your trying to go too fast......
 

ZmOz

Captain
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Aug 13, 2003
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3,949
Re: What can I do to help smooth the ride in choppy water?

I wasn't going very fast at all...couldn't have been more than 15mph. And yes the trim was adjusted... ;)
 

CharlesW

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 8, 2003
Messages
335
Re: What can I do to help smooth the ride in choppy water?

My experience with my 19' Chris Craft I/O has been contrary to most of the suggestions as to speed. In somewhat choppy water with 2 to 3 foot chop, an increase in speed sometimes seems to "get up on top" and smooth things out. It usually takes 25 to 35 mph to do it. Also trimmed down, but not a lot. If you feel comfortable enough with the stability of your boat, it might be worth a try. I would feel real bad if my suggestion caused you to flip your boat completely.<br /><br />Charles
 

ZmOz

Captain
Joined
Aug 13, 2003
Messages
3,949
Re: What can I do to help smooth the ride in choppy water?

Actually I did try faster too...that just made it worse. :( Does anybody think extra weight in the bow would do anything? It's really really light up there...
 

CharlesW

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Jul 8, 2003
Messages
335
Re: What can I do to help smooth the ride in choppy water?

Who knows what more weight might do, but it should be pretty easy to find out. Put a cooler and/or a passenger or two up there and see if it makes any difference.
 

ZmOz

Captain
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Aug 13, 2003
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3,949
Re: What can I do to help smooth the ride in choppy water?

Well, the reason I am asking is because it won't be very easy. There isn't anymore room in the front of my boat for anything but the two passengers and their legs. Other than that it's just fiberglass for a good 6 feet. There is storage space in the bow, but to get any amount of weight in there would be quite a bit of work. It would be worth it if it helps the ride, but I would like to know if anybody thinks it will have an effect before I do it. I really have no idea what will happen.
 
Joined
Jun 15, 2003
Messages
65
Re: What can I do to help smooth the ride in choppy water?

Perhaps it's just the hull design. Some hulls weren't designed to ride comfortably in chop, mind you I am not that familiar with your exact hull.<br /><br />Best of luck!
 

andrewkafp

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Mar 15, 2003
Messages
1,668
Re: What can I do to help smooth the ride in choppy water?

73gl-cv16.jpg
 

what200

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 12, 2001
Messages
162
Re: What can I do to help smooth the ride in choppy water?

Perhaps it's just the hull design. Some hulls weren't designed to ride comfortably in chop,
Ding! Ding! We have a winner.<br /><br />Zmoz - if you had asked this question over at S&F (or www.havasubarney.com- we have a resident Glastron enthusiast) they woulda told ya any small light semi-vee boat ain't for rough water.<br />If you put weight in the front, it will slow you down- a lot. I dunno about the trim tabs but that would be an odd solution for a glastron. I'm sure you'll figure out that there is a best speed and angle to hit waves at. For my boat (not unlike yours), if there is a big roller I sometimes have to come to a stop.
 

Jdeagro

iboats.com Partner
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
Messages
1,682
Re: What can I do to help smooth the ride in choppy water?

Given the design of your boat you should slow down in a chop, but this may be a problem in trying to keep the boat on plane. Smart Tabs will smooth the ride by keeping the bow from rising and then slapping down. Because it is an active system (constantly adjusting to the water conditions, speed, and boat attitude the act like a suspension system on a car. They are not like other Trim Tabs in this respect. However, one reply said that some boats are not good in rough water and that is true. The Tabs will do a great deal in smoothing things out, but they would likely do even better on a rough water boat. You can not change the boat desing, just help it be the best it can. Your boat is designed for fresh water inland lakes.
 

mabbott

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
May 15, 2002
Messages
37
Re: What can I do to help smooth the ride in choppy water?

And the answer to the original topic.....get a bigger boat.
 
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