4.1 rib 50hp tiller steer - Page 4

madjbs · 28 July 2011, 01:41

I just bought the same boat except in Hypalon. I also use a Tohatsu 2 stroke except I went for the 40hp (which is the max allowed). After my first trip in the boat I can say I am very happy with it, the shallow vee hulll performs well enough for all around use and is not overly slappy for coastal use. The quality of the boat also seems good. I am also very pleased with the engine which is much quieter and smoother than I was expecting, plenty of power too for the size and weight of boat.

ian parkes · 28 July 2011, 16:29

would be interested in how yours performs . I have never come across another one . Still very pleased with the boat and the engine is great now that its well run in . I ended up fitting iridium plugs which has cured the plugs oiling up . That was the problem i was experiencing , with the engien going flat , it was dropping out on one cylinder. Now with the iridium plugs it may cough after slow running but clears again without the need to stop and change plugs .

madjbs · 28 July 2011, 18:26

I have not had any problems with plug fouling during the run in period, I am going to switch the fuel to a 50:1 mix starting from tomorrow, after using 3 tanks of 25:1 already.

Lodestar is the brand name for Bay Industrial based out of Korea (although these days they manufacture in China) Bay Industrial supply Brunswick Marine with most of their boats, Such as their Quicksilver and Valiant lines etc..The Lodestar Brand is used mainly in Asia and Parts of Europe I believe.

ian parkes · 28 July 2011, 20:38

Ok good info thanks
I always felt there was some link to valiant there . I think the hull shape and design is similar to the valiant i used to own .
My Lodestar was a grey import i think , i remember seeing a 4.2 on the website a few years back which seemd to supercede the 4.1 .
Its a very stable boat because the tubes are huge for the size of boat , but those large tubes also seem to rob it of some speed I think .
Build quality is still as good as new and it seems pretty tough , not had any issues at all

madjbs · 29 July 2011, 01:14

I am waiting for my new GPS to come in the post so I can check the speed, it certainly feels fast enough and I don't think I would need it to go much faster anyway. As it's such a light boat I think the standard Tohatsu prop is a little low on pitch, I also have a tiny tach on the way to see if any more of the engine power can actually be harnessed.

ian parkes · 29 July 2011, 15:07

Not sure what prop the 40 has I think its the same as the 50.
The standard prop on my 50 seems to be the right pitch at 13.5 , it revs to 5750 with 2 in the boat and does about 33mph on the gps. full loaded 5 people in the boat and some gear it drops to about 5000 rpm and 27 mph but still gets on the plane in an instant. It cruises best at about 4000 22-25mph depending on load The 40 iam sure is exactly the same engine so i guess you will see about the same as me maybe just a bit less when loaded . Got a friend with a similar little rib with an old 2cyl mariner 40 and that isn't much slower than mine .

A few people who know better than me have looked at it and said they would expect it to be quite a bit faster . maybe a stainless prop would help a bit but its a lot of money to try and find no difference . Have experimented with the trim and found the best compromise for turning and speed . some sort of easy adjust trim would probably make the difference , but never heard of anything for a tiller engine with no electrics or hydraulics . typical small boat really just getting a passenger to move back or forward a little makes a big difference .

I have fitted a 2 elastic bungees from the tiller to the ropes on the top of the tubes to act as a steering damper . It needs that to take the twitchyness out of when going fast and it makes cruising much easier i would advise doing that or fit a steering damper.

madjbs · 21 September 2011, 16:50

I have a tiny tach and gps fitted now. In the boat alone I can do about 35mph at max rpm. With 4 guys and gear I can do around 27mph at 5400rpm.

ian parkes · 21 September 2011, 18:15

sounds about the same as mine then . I reckon the extra 10 hp is probably wasted . Never tried flat out alone , but 32mph at 5750 rpm with 2 in the boat . and same as you with a load and about 53-400 rpm