# gotta get it trimmed out



## fowlmood77 (Mar 14, 2008)

Finally a site for jon boats and other metal boats
What took so long for me to find it? lol
I saw a sticker on a guys boat on another site, now I guess I gotta get one to elp advertise.
Now to my question.



I have a 16' jon that "plows" through the water. I get sprayed from the front so I am thinking of a few "modifications". First off I am going to move the TM battery tot he back. That is all the weight that I can shift. The other thing I am thinking of is to raise the motor with a homemade jack plate like pictured below. I have a long shaft 20 hp and I think it could stand being raised about 3 inches. Anyone on here tried it? Results? Anything else I could do except keep wishing the boat was a mod v hull?


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## boathauler32 (Mar 14, 2008)

be careful not to raise the engine too much or you may start to cavitate the prop, thats where it starts to suck air down from the surface, it'll over-rev the engine and may cause it to overheat.

to get the best performance out of it, find its cavitation point and drop it 1 inch below that. the engine may be pushing the boat from too low of a point in the water

if that doesn work add weight to the back of the boat. the best way for a small scale is to use2.5 or 5 gallon water bottles to get an idea of how much weight you may need in the back. water weighs about 8.6 lbs pr gal.

I used to have a 20 foot wood garvy (flat bottom) with the exact same problem. i went from a 40 hp evinrude to an 88 hp but i only solved the problem when i relocated the 2 batts from the midship to the back and added 120 lbs of lead.

it was a very heavy (and water-logged) old piece of crap (just ask bassaddict)


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## bassboy1 (Mar 15, 2008)

Your motor looks a little high on that jack. Especially on a jon, I would have it a tad lower. Also, is that the trim setting you are using? If so, I would tilt it up one or more holes, and see if that helps.


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## boathauler32 (Mar 15, 2008)

something i also thought of this morn, the engine should be as close to the transom as possible......


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## scottbustech (Mar 15, 2008)

im assumning from your screen name you are a duck hunter i ll tell ya from expieriance if it plows with a full load of dekes thats a little harder too cure. i know a hunting partner of mine bought a jack plate that raised 3 inches and backed the moter about 4 inches off the transom really helped. backing the moter away from the transom puts the prop in less molested water and gets a better bite that way bite also adds bow lift 
Another more extreem fix is too add performance pods they are supposed too fix exactly what you are talking about in a jon boat beavertail and a few others make them that can be shipped then welded on too your boat
nice too see another hunter on here


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## fowlmood77 (Mar 15, 2008)

None of the pics are of my boat. They are just ones I have found on the web. 

Thanks scottbustech that is what I had theorized, but needed reassuring.
I don't have too much of a problem when hunting cause it is stripped down and I dont usually run full throttle at 3am in the dead of winter lol
Unfortunately when it is all "tricked" out with trolling motor, deep cycle batt, and fishing gear like it is right now, the bow rides too low. 

As far as tilting the motor. That would be great if I could, but unfortunately it is all the way up as the transom is not perfectly vertical like the one in the first picture. This is yet another reason I want to build the jack plate so I can get some tilt in the motor.


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## Captain Ahab (Mar 16, 2008)

I second the idea of adjusting your trim - the thrust in pushing the bow down, depending on the severity you might fix it by shifting weight or my using teh jacks plate.

Also, have you tried a whale tail on the motor? Sometime this will give you more lift to get the boat more on plane.

Something like this:








Finally, some boats are just wet no matter what


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## bassboy1 (Mar 16, 2008)

esquired said:


> I second the idea of adjusting your trim - the thrust in pushing the bow down, depending on the severity you might fix it by shifting weight or my using teh jacks plate.
> 
> Also, have you tried a whale tail on the motor? Sometime this will give you more lift to get the boat more on plane.
> 
> ...


Problem with the whale tail is they help with a lack of transom lift. With his bow digging in, I don't think he is currently looking for transom lift.


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## Captain Ahab (Mar 16, 2008)

BassBoy1 - they also help pop the boat up on plane, thereby lifting the bow while underway, right?


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## bassboy1 (Mar 16, 2008)

esquired said:


> BassBoy1 - they also help pop the boat up on plane, thereby lifting the bow while underway, right?


In my opinion, they don't do squat. I feel that if you need transom lift, you should hold out for smart tabs, or even hydraulic trim tabs.

But, I am fairly sure they only help stern heaviness. The ads in the BPS catalog all mention compensating for heavy sterns, or reducing bow rise, which is exactly the opposite of what he wants. Page 478 of the BPS 2008 fishing master catalog.


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## scottbustech (Mar 17, 2008)

wow i missed that your fishing set up is hevier than your duckin set up hmm im opposite 
blind, dekes, dawg, huntin partner, ammo, gear, lights , seems i gain 4 -6 mph in fishing trim


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## fowlmood77 (Mar 20, 2008)

This would work, but I am still leaning towards a jack plate.
https://www.shootnhunt.com/catalog/..._electrical_and_pumps/t_h_marine/6032111.html


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## Fish Chris (Mar 23, 2008)

When you said > In my opinion, they don't do squat < {I think your referring to whale tales, or hydrofoils, etc}

You would probably be better off to say, "In your 'experience', they haven't done squat"...... and this, I would believe. Reason being, I've heard from a few buddies who had the exact same experience that you did.

However, "In my personal experience with hydrofoils, they have made an absolutely HUGE difference, in all different ways ! Just like they claim on the package.... Way faster to get on plane, way more stable when running, increased fuel efficiency, etc.

I know it would be expensive, but a power trim and tilt unit, along with a hydrofoil, would almost certainly eliminate any problems the OP has.

Peace,
Fish

PS, I probably would not spend that much on a used boat, but I'd never buy another new boat "without power trim and tilt". Can't tell you how much I love mine.


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## redbug (Mar 24, 2008)

i agree with fish chris.
my tin boat had a power tilt and i added the hydro fiol i spent 29.99 for it and it added 7mph and helped get my boat up on plane faster it was a great investment and at $30. you can't go wrong

Wayne


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