10 ft is just a shade over 3 metres. For comparison, my boat is 3.1 metres and with a 9.9 hp 4 stroke it will easily plane with 2 small adults, full fuel tank, anchor box and safety kit on a fairly calm but not completely smooth sea.
Yours should plane.
The most difficult part of planing is getting onto the plane in the first place. As the boat is moving at displacement speed (not planing) it pushes a bow wave. In order to get onto the plane it has to climb up over this wave. Once it's up there, you can usually throttle back a bit.
Therefore, you need to do what you can to reduce the bow wave and to help the boat to climb up it.
First: make sure the boat is set up properly. If the hull, floor or keel are too soft, the boat will mould to the shape of the waves rather than skimming across the top. It will push more water, make a bigger wave, and be unable to climb up and skim across the surface.
Secondly, make sure that the engine is set up properly. The engine should have about 3 possible positions of trim.
Depending on which one you choose, the propellor may be pushing water slightly up, slightly down or exactly level. If the propellor is pushing water UP, then it will push the stern of the boat DOWN, meaning that not only are you making a hump in front of the boat, but you are also making a hole behind it. This means you will never climb out of the hole and over the hump onto the plane. You need to get the trim right. Experiment with the 3 positions.
So, you can now tell your wife/partner that you have been advised that you need to get it good and rigid and then experiment with different positions.
The next thing is changing the weight distribution, and I strongly advise you NOT to suggest this to your wife or partner!
The weight that you can redistribute includes the helmsman, the crew or passengers, the safety kit, fuel tank anchor, and any other equipment you have brought along like a picnic, fishing tackle etc.
It is tempting to put the kit in the middle of the boat or near to the stern where there is more space and the floor is flatter. However, it makes a big difference if you move it forwards.
Every Kg you move forwards is a Kg taken OFF the stern and a Kg ADDED to the bow, so there is a double effect there. In view of this this double effect, moving even a litre bottle of water from the stern to the bow makes 2 Kg difference to the trim of the boat. Your fuel tank and contents may weigh 6 -11 Kg - assuming you have a remote tank.
It is best for the helm and crew to sit on opposite sides of the boat, for lateral balance, and for the crew to sit reasonably well forward. The helmsman needs to sit as far forward as possible without making it difficult to steer.
Follow these three rules: firm boat, correct engine trim, and balanced load, and you should have no trouble.
JUST a thought - and don't ask me how I know this, I just do, right? - if you have transom wheels, they don't half make it difficult to plane if you forget to raise them.
