Thread: Getting Boat On Plain

There may be a another casue other than engine or prop. You said you just bought the boat. How long was the boat sitting? Are the trailer bunks or support straight and level? It has been my experience that older boats on jury rigged or improper balanced trailers can develop warpage along the keel. This can affect a boat getting on plane or staying thier. I believe the proper term is called porpoising (sp?). Just something else to check out.

I know this sounds crazy...but agrihawgs dad has built alumacraft boats for over 30 years. They had a model they were testing and it wouldn't plane. No one could figure it out. He had told them over and over again it would not plane out and run. Finally they asked him to fix it. He took a hammer and dented in the back of the boat right in front of the transom ever so slightly. Boat planed pretty as you please. As said before maybe something under the boat.

10 1/8 X 13 PROP[IMG][IMG][/IMG]

Also wanted to add that the motor sounds and runs great very smooth. Like I said with me and my son boat hits 20 - 21 mph just doesn't plain.

wow!! looks like a sharp boat!! You are plenty far enough down. You should actually be pushing the bow down at the angle it is. It should plane...something else is a miss. I do not know small engine pitches like I do large boats...but without a tach its hard to say. A boat needs at least 3000 rpm to get up on plane. If it sounds to be running well you should be getting to that point. I would find a couple other props and try them. Thats aluminum I'd find a stainless if you could...try to go 11 degree and 15 degree and see what happens. I'd say a 13 is a bit on the low side...you may not have enough prop...know that doesn't make sense but its possible on a smaller outboard to not be pushing the boat fast enough to get it all the way on plane...but have enough power to do so. I don't think its your boat or engine...I think its in your prop.

Going to get a couple props and give that a try. Thanks for all the help guys. I have had probably 15 boats in my life and this is the first time I have had this problem. I think I will start out with getting the 11 What do you think? hanks again. John

Its hard to tell from the pictures but it may be a little low but I don't think that much. You might want to consider a 4 bladed prop as it will give you a better hole shot. A good prop shop will work with you and loan you props until you get it right.

Bill thought same thing but hard to tell from angle. I like bout 3.5 to 4'' From prop to pad. I wud. Think it wud still plane. I love a four blade...stainless with sum cup for extra lift.

had the same problem with a 40hp Merc. 4-stroke on a 17 ft. Bass tracker, had to put a stainless steel prop on it. it came stock with a 14 pitch prop, and had to put a 12 pitch stainless steel. It gave me 3 or 4 more mph. and got me on plain alot better.

If you want to try just one prop. Look for a company called Pro Pulse they make an adjustable pitch prop so you can just keep changing the pitch and dial it in.