Load balancing and performance

[Rich Stern]

For those of you who have experimented with moving weight up to the front of the boat: What kind of performance changes did you get?



I've noticed that with full livewells, my boat's rough water ride gets harsher (700LX). Wondering if shifting one or both batteries forward might make a difference.

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Rich, I have wanted to since the bulk of my weight is at the transom, but I have been unable to find an alternative location. Where are your porposing. I would love to shift the weight forward.

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Sorry, proposing!

 

[Texas Transplant]

Rob - are you asking Rich to marry you - ie: proposing???

 

[Rob LaMoy]

He's not my type. I like them, shorter, petite, and pretty, rules you out Scott, and female! The short and petite, but you definately ain't purty. I like Rich, but not that much! LOL

 

[Rich Stern]

Rob, I'll pass, thanks.



I'd probably start with the trolling battery first, and try it up in the very front of the middle storage locker, under the front deck. I don't usually put anything way up there except an extra life jacket or two, and those don't take much space. I'd shift the starter battery to the port side, for balance.



But, I don't want to do any of this without some real world feedback.

 

[Steven Atwell]

I keep the weight in the back, because I don't want to lose bow lift. The only true reason I see to putting weight forward is if you have hole shot problems, then an allison foil would help. If you can keep the bow high, it should smooth out the ride....I would think, but a lot of you guys have more seat time than me.

 

[Kim Becker]

Rich = I run a 700LX with a 125 Merc. I guess I just got lucky, but the performance of this boat is awesome in every way. For what it is worth here is how I have things set up: 2 trollong motor batteries in bilge area on port side. 1 cranking battery in bilge area on starboard side. Storage box on port side rear deck has bags of plastic,gps,marker buoys,scale and flare gun. Under seat storage on port side had 6 BPS worm bags. 15 rods and reels in port side rod locker. Storage under front deck has 13 3700 Plano boxes in it. Starboard side rod locker has rain suit,PFD,pork jars{12} scent spray cans. This is all I can think of at this time. As you can see, I carry a lot of ****!!! As I said the performance is great. I hope this helps you out.

 

[Bruce Freeman]

For what it is worth, We had the TM batt in the front storage box on the txs17 last year and it rode fine in smooth water but would loosen your fillings in rough water. Now with both batts in the back and the addition of a Jack-plate the rough water ride is a lot better but we lost about 5 to 6 mph it does like to porpise at wot. My therory is I now have to much rear weight and the boat is plowing through the water instead of riding on the top like it was designed?

BF

 

[Staci Matheis]

Rich -



If you want to soften your rough water ride, you need to put the bow further away from the batteries..... About 20 feet! :^)



me!

 

[Rich Stern]

It's been all of what, a month, and already you're dissin' people about having a bigger boat?



What are you gonna be like come springtime?

 

[James D.]

rich,



have the lx700 98' also with a 115 2+2 turbo. i know what you are talking about. it seems to me like the bow of the boat is extremely light and really wants to come up with the livewells full and the gas tank full and my big arse in the drivers seat. when it really gets rough, i have to trim down A LOT to keep from hopping and bouncing the boat. i keep my tackle box in the center compartment up front and wouldn't and cannot sacrafice this space for a battery. I guess you could get a concrete block and put up there and see if it helps to test out the hypothesis. It seems to me that more weight up front would help out under rough conditions. i think scott is a happy camper with that 20' boat of his and all of that horsepower.

 

[JEFF WHITE]

with my 19 i had 2 batteries in the front storage compartment,minus the kicker motor at the time,it tended to plow a bit before getting up,now with the batteries in the rear,all 3 group 27's,along with the kicker,it does get up a little slow,but it doesnt plow like it did before.i do have to change props this winter thoug,running a 13.25x17 cupped,i should have a 13x15 cupped on it,the rpm's just not quite where i like them,just a hair above 5000.



its kind of funny if i let my brother drive,the boat rides nice,no bobbing.he weighs 260,and the kicker is on that side.

 

[Rich Stern]

Right on, James. When the arse end gets heavy, it wants to launch and I have to tuck the motor down pretty far, too. Dump the water out of the livewell, the boat runs flatter, and it smooths out considerably.

 

[James D.]

rich-

i was hoping you'd say the jackplate took care of this. it seems that this and maybe tilting to the left sometimes on the hole shot are little nuances unique to this rig. i guess we could put some hydraulic trim tabs on the back as that should take care of things! one positive is if you are in shallow water (2') you can trim up and still get on plane quickly. seriously though, i'm thinkin about adding a pump out to the livewell as i forget to close the drain valve when i put the boat in and it takes a while to get the water out when on plane. a new trolling motor, livewell pump out, auto bilge pump w/man override switch, rod locker, and then maybe a jackplate are the little improvements i'm planning to make to mine. as far as the trailer goes, i was thinkin of adding some "loading lights" to help when loading at night. i'm also going to have the bow eye safty chain put on as that will be the first thing i will do. i am also going to have some real steel welded in the fender step up boards as it seems mine are cracking/splitting at the little square tabs where it bolts to the frame (my advice is if you weigh over 200 lbs as i do - DO NOT use the step boards on the rear of the trailer). if ya decide to move some weight around, let us know how it works out.



thanks,



james d.

 

[Steven Atwell]

Well James, how about the boat shopping? How goes it?

 

[Staci Matheis]

At least you don't have to use a booster cushion!



Ever see the movie "American Graffiti"? I feel kinda like the nerdy guy who borrows the hot car from the kid going off to college..... Here I am in this big sparkly boat - and I got this bright yellow floatation cushion stuck behind my back just so I can reach the wheel!

 

[John Foster]

Rich. Bass and Walleye mag did an article about this very subject in their June 2000 issue. They added from nothing to up to 500 pounds to the bow and then to the stern.



In short, Weight added to the stern hurts hole shot while weight added toe the bow kills speed.



let me know if you want a copy of the article.



John

 

[Rich Stern]

John, that's good info. Thanks. I'll probably just put the wole boat on a bit of a diet, and fiture out a way to carry less water in the livewell. Maybe a second, lowered drainhole with some type of plug.

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Scott, in the off season, take the seats out and put a carpeted "booster" underneath. Use some 2"X4"'s and then remount the seats. You can also put slide rails on like in a car so you can move the driver seat forward or back depending on who's driving. I will likely to that to the TF while putting in new seats this winter. I looked at a house last night, that I think I will buy. It has a SWEEEEEEET attached, heated garage that will make a perfect shop to work on the boat all winter! Projects galore!

 

[Staci Matheis]

If you do that, Rob, please post some pictures..... On my last boat, I conquered the problem with a steering wheel that had about a 5" dish to it. I hadn't seen anything like it up here, but my father found it down in Florida for me. I had stared at the seat for hours wondering how to do that and still keep everything looking good but just hadn't come up with a solution.



Thanks!

 

[TrepMan]

Scott - You got a hot foot yet on the rocket?

 

[Staci Matheis]

Not yet, that'll come this winter as well..... I've been too busy just trying to replace that dang shifter cable!



Hint to those who may attempt such a project:



When trying to line the shifter box up with the mounting bracket with your arms stretched back into the space between the hull and the cap..... All the while having your arms cut to ribbons by the fiberglass..... Get yourself a 6" bolt the size of the one that holds the shifter lever in place (5/8"?) to screw into the mechanism and guide it..... It only took me about 8 hours of cussin' and swearin' and stompin' to figure this out on my own!

 

[Steven Atwell]

Oh yeah, got to get a Hot Foot, you'll love it. Add some foot trim while you're at it. You can't beat this combination.

 

[TrepMan]

Steve - Foot Trim? I've heard of turn signal type Trim, but on the foot?

 

[Staci Matheis]

SA -



It's funny, the first time I got a chance to use a Hot Foot was about a year and a half ago, at the first web site rally, when Rich and I got the opportunity to test out Stacey King's old 929 equipped with a Hot Foot and turn signal trim..... We both loved the Hot Foot - but neither of us cared for the trim anyplace but on the shift lever..... Go figure! For some reason, it just didn't "feel right" to either of us.....



me!

 

[James D.]

Steven,



still shopping around. i've found a couple that i'm real interested in but have not set up a test drive as of yet. i may be changin jobs and i'm not sure what the economic outlook on personal monies are so i'm probably going to wait a bit longer. found a 98' w/225 209 for 15K which i'm still thinkin about.

 

[Steven Atwell]

Yeah man!! My Gambler has Hot foot and foot trim, it's like driving a car. Scott is dead-on, it's weird getting used to it, but once you do, there's no going back. You come out of the hole and and get up on plane and drive with both hands on the wheel. It also allows you to mess with electronics or whatever while underway.



I'm pretty sure Bob's (as in Bob's Machine Shop) sells the post build installation unit, and very inexpensively. Mine came that way from the factory, has 2 foot buttons on the back bottom wall of the console just to the left of the HotFoot. The 'post' units are little boxes that go down there. I recommend the foot trim, but not necessarily the box type because I've never used one.



I love it. But then again I loved my tiller steered Jon boat. It would be a fun and cheap project at the very least.

 

[Staci Matheis]

Maybe we could get our resident Genius to design a computer-controlled trim servo which would always keep the motor set at exactly the optimum position..... There could be settings for us to choose from like "Top Speed" or "Soft Ride" or "Spear Waves" or "Photo Op".....



Whadayasay, Rich!

 

[Steven Atwell]

If you guys could come up with a balancing circuit, I could design the FPGA to do the controls.

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Well I'm waiting. ;^)...........sa

 

[Staci Matheis]

What's uh eff-pee-gee-aye?

 

[Rich Stern]

Scott, I'm a dilettante. You wouldn't want to trust your life to anything designed by me.

 

[Staci Matheis]

Had to pull out my Funk & Wagnell's for that one!

(Actually, it's a Merriam-Webster; I've just like the F&W name!)



dil-et-tante n: a person having a superficial interest in an art or a branch of knowledge



Rich, there is NOTHING superficial about you! Ever!

 

[Staci Matheis]

And, Rich..... I would trust you with my life any day of the week. Period.