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Where is your jack plate set at?
Almost all the way down according to the gauge , 3/4 mark
sitting in the garage, the nose cone appears to be 4″ below pad at the 3/4 down mark on gauge.
It sounds like the engine is too high, or too low one or the other. The manual jack plates need to be set so that the internal and outside rails are about flush at the top. The chine walk as you describe it sounds more radical than most would experience. Our next question is not to offend you, though is this your first top end performing bass boat? If so then you do have a learning curve on how to drive one, and we would visit the Owners FAQ section where there is a descriptive on learning to drive a on the top end. BCB
None taken, absolutely taking all info!!!!!! what about the side kick with the letting off of gas?
Scuba Man, What you may be feeling as you suddenly let off the gas is the hull dropping back into the water, and the keel working with prop thrust to throw the bow left (prop turns to the right ), which will make the stern kick in the opposite direction. As has been said above, chine walk cure is a function of proper engine height (watch your water pressure), and enough seat time to learn how to make the small corrections at the wheel. One tip that has help me is to constantly apply left pressure, like you are putting the boat into a very wide left turn. This tends to counter act the force of the prop to take the bow right. You have to drive any boat over 65 mph. Learn to use your left hand only, and spend some time practicing, and you will get it down. Mike Whitten/Germantown, TN
I hear ya. I got my classic up to 69 when i had to get out of it. Feels like the pad is on a tennis ball and kinda rolling from one side to the other. Buddy of mine gonna show me how to drive Sunday. Good luck, I am a newby. Biggest thing before this was a 25hp. -Lee
thanks for the info, but keep posting any “tricks of the trade”
SGT93- The bottom line on chinewalking is if you want to go fast ,you will have to learn how to control it.I have been told that a properly set up manual jackplate has little to no advantage over a hydraulic (at speed).Chinewalking occurs as you gain speed and lift, less and less of your hull is actually in contact with the water.There are plenty of good threads that will give written instruction on how to do this but, it would probably be best to find someone that is experienced with go-fast,hi-performance boats to give you some seat time instruction as it can be somewhat frustrating to try to figure this out on your own. If you still want to give it a go on your own you may want to take a slight turn left as you start to chinewalk,you should gain both speed and stabilty by doing this. As you become comfortable with this manuver you will learn how to straighten your boat back out and time your 1/16 to 1/8 bumps( or turns )of the wheel to the left to keep the nose of you boat from going right of center. Hopefully this helps
I have owned by hydraulic and non and it makes no difference to me. You have to deal with it at some point if you are going to run that fast.As you already know it is just tilting right as you run on the pad. You pull it back left before it ever happens and you have no chine. Depending on how much torque you have up top will determine what you do with it. Just drive and drive and you will learn how to keep it from ever happening. It becomes second nature. Just give it a TINY nudge left when that boat starts to just barely want to go right and youll cancel it. The key also is having the boat set up so the steering is responsive at that speed. For me I like it where its tight but I dont need more than a good single hand grip to hold it still. It will take you about 2 gallons of oil to get the hang of it. It willl someday be second nature for you I am sure. Also- you dont “drive” through it. That kinda thing will get you hurt. Just keep nudging up against the chine and see if you can counteract it easily. If it gets to oscillating just trim down as opposed to getting off the gas. Get off the gas in the wrong spot and you get to “swap ends”.If I can learn it so will you.C.O.D. Jr. III
Marty Stone took me out this summer and said a 20 ft Cat is Easy to drive fast, heres what he said, Full Throttle of course, trim up until its too much ( he said almost like it feels like blowin over), then trim her down 2 maybe three bumps and Pooooof, your gone, he did that with me, and dude, he wasnt really even moving his hands left or back and forth, it just felt like we were locked on rails TIGHT and Flying, he obviously didnt trim up too far, but the nose was up there, then once he trimmed down you could fell it just “Lock In”, I guess that Does not at all answer your question, but maybe it will help. Ive read and seen probably the same posts on BBC including the Triton video, but Ive gotten better just understanding whats happening and also doing the left turn thing, but I dont drive them enough to be able to get better daily, do you have any Bullet buddys by you Yet from the boards that could meet up with you and literally have you watch them drive it? Also wheres your jack plate at, I know for a FACT alot of chine walk can be taken away with some height and propping, but on the Mercs I think Sherm and others add the scoops for the side intakes, but that does help. Id check your prop to pad measurement, also are you running a Fury, Tempest or Trophy, is it perfect or the original one with nicks, DAH Propellers in Burlington,WI is simply the best in the country, they have had ties with Evinrude and Mercury in the past, and are known the all over the World, both racing and recreational. Why not get the Pro XS stickers for yours made? You should do a slight custom set though with YOUR Red, silver instead of white and maybe some charcoal fading or outline, Iguana or others will make them like Mercs, and for a Tiny price, it would really dress her up. Before you buy a Bullet wait and see what this Secret boat that BCB is coming out with, I hope its the hull I saw at the 2009 BCB Dealer meeting summer of 2008, talk about a work of art, and Fasssssssssst according to Ron Pierece. Sincerely, Brannon HO Man of the Nort Woods….Your Signature …
Thanks all for the responses. There are a few Bullets building up around here. I will be fishing out of a couple this year and I know that you have to “drive” them. Im not set on Bullet, just looking. I love my Cat but wish I could get a few more MPH out of her (I know I am getting more than most). I dont know the pad height etc but I dont think it could be set up any better. As far as decals, I want to put some 9.9 HPs on the motor LMAO. I have had 76 1/2 out of her on a few occasions. That motor will run for a 225 Opti. You have my attention about the possibility of a new fast hull model coming out. Hope it measures up to a Cougar FTD though. I am also waiting for some people to get the new SHO motor and hear some reviews from the common folk. Only time will tell what I will do. A Jag, Cougar/Puma FTD who knows. The Jag and Puma FTD in the bama boat show thread have me thinking. Well see.
sct93, Just tuck the trim in one bump if you get the nose to walk. You should be able to bring it back easily.
For those that do not know, I have a 2007 BCB Cougar FTD with a 225 Merc Opti (that runs stronger than most) on a Slidemaster plate. With a tourney load, 3/4 tanks and myself (200 lbs) I can hit 74 all day and 75 on long runs. I am also running a Trophy 26P and 27P (balanced and blue printed). It seems that on long runs, my rig tends to chine walk and I cannot find a way to avoid it. Would this be easier to avoid/control with a Hyd jack?
You need to run the motor higher. Chine walk will improve by raising the engine.
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