Motor angle

[davejfowler]

Took my new Suzumar 2.9 out today, and had loads of fun. Only problem was that before the boat started to plane the front always came right up to a silly angle - was only when I got back to shore that I thought this could be to do with the angle of the motor on the Transom????
Any advice anyone has on this would be greatly appreciated.

[m chappelow]

thats right dave ,most inflatables need the engine straight upright usually on the lowest hole[ well all my boats have for the last 40 years ] if you have any angle on the engine the boat wont get on the plane proper from displacent mode ,all you will be doing is pushing a big wave in front, if the angle is set right the boat should under speed rise up then level of and away you go skimming along the surface of the water ,though you will need to shift your weight about more forwards untill you get it right . hopefully someone on here will describe it more academicaly,regards mart

[doggypaddle]

setting the engine on the lowest hole should help lift the stern and get you out of the hole quicker, as will moving weight forward, like the fuel tank. you may find a tiller extension useful so you can sit forward. the telescopic ones are good because you can close them up when manouvering or 2 or 3 up. some people resort to doel fins to get more stern lift too, i believe these can help get on the plane if youre a tad underpowered too, but i dont have any first hand experience of them.
I put an oversize evinrude on a small sib once,(25 on a 3m) that was hilarious, the boat used to climb nearly vertically over the bow wave if you didnt sit right forward! quite alarming the first time
At the end of the day, unless youre a racing snake the heaviest part of your boat will be you, so the name of the game is shifting your weight around to get the best performance, Ie forward to get on the plane quickly, then adjust back for the best speed/stability.

[thornbackflound]

Originally Posted by doggypaddle

setting the engine on the lowest hole should help lift the stern and get you out of the hole quicker, as will moving weight forward, like the fuel tank. you may find a tiller extension useful so you can sit forward. the telescopic ones are good because you can close them up when manouvering or 2 or 3 up. some people resort to doel fins to get more stern lift too, i believe these can help get on the plane if youre a tad underpowered too, but i dont have any first hand experience of them.
I put an oversize evinrude on a small sib once,(25 on a 3m) that was hilarious, the boat used to climb nearly vertically over the bow wave if you didnt sit right forward! quite alarming the first time
At the end of the day, unless youre a racing snake the heaviest part of your boat will be you, so the name of the game is shifting your weight around to get the best performance, Ie forward to get on the plane quickly, then adjust back for the best speed/stability.

HA ha ,i use a hoover extention pipe for my tiller arm exten,works ok ,a little rusty now tho,lol

[doggypaddle]

you need a 1960s electrolux cylinder vacuum cleaner one.....aluminium

[thornbackflound]

Originally Posted by doggypaddle

you need a 1960s electrolux cylinder vacuum cleaner one.....aluminium

Crickey that be a collectors item ,lol

[Bigmuz7]

Originally Posted by thornbackflound

Crickey that be a collectors item ,lol

Init I went to B&Q for mine .. bit of plastic downpipe I left it quite long so I can 'vary the hull dynamics' .. only problem is when I get it sorted the floor flexes and creates intermittant drag, and from a distance I must look like a flying fish doing 10 knots to 5 and back to 10 again every few seconds but its me and my sib at one with nature

[davejfowler]

Is it just me that feels a little nervous being a long way away from the kill switch with an extension??

[Bigmuz7]

Originally Posted by davejfowler

Is it just me that feels a little nervous being a long way away from the kill switch with an extension??

Sometimes you gotta live on the 'edge'

[raymillard]

Most small inflatables tend to do this before they climb over the bow wave and get onto the plane.
However, you might try moving the motor in one notch to see if it helps. If it's in too far you'll find the boat tends to plough and plane almost nose down. This can be quite dangerous as the boat can be unpredictable and can change ends at the drop of a hat.
If you have the boat on a trailer you might want to raise the front of the trailer until the boat is just beyond horizontal, i.e. with the bow slightly higher than the stern. At that attitude, the motor leg should be vertical: it's a good starting point.
Finally, weight distribution is important on a small sib. It will help if you move forward a bit ( tiller extension?) until you're on the plane, then move back once you're there, it will help.

[chris123]

I guess a lot will depend upon the SIB weight / outboard power and weight / crew location and weight, but I have found that the middle hole on my outboard gives me the best performance.

We (me and my Father in Law) spent an afternoon blasting around a lake trying different settings, and found that

1. Trimmed further in than the middle hole the bow ploughed and the boat struggled to get up on the plane.
2. Trimmed further out the bow headed for the sky and stayed there, despite my 12 stone sitting on the bow dodger!

I suspect you have a much better power to weight ratio than I do, so trimmed in may work better for you.

I can recommend a session playing with different settings as time well spent - ideally you want somewhere sheltered (to rule out effects of waves, tides and wind) and quiet (to rule out effects of being mown down by a Sunseeker whilst you are hanging over the transom trying desperately not to drop the trim stop pin)

Cheers

Chris