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Why would you need a Hole Shot Plate on a Sabre? They are usually very quick on the bottom. BCB
Most of the time you can adjust the hole shot with adjustments to the prop. Ive never heard of a hole shot problem with a Sabre.
I did some testing a few years ago with a jack plate that had a hole shot type plate you could adjust the angle. The primary testing done was for decreasing hole shot time and shallow water hole shots. In order to get any benefits from any type of hole shot plate, the plate has to be at an angle greater than 45 degrees. Even then, hole shot time only picked up by 1/2 second if I remember. Hole shot plates are a waste of money and the only advantage they have is they do a decent job of preventing splash. At 60 degrees, the plate would help the boat plane at a slower speed. Bear in mind too, the hole shot plate that I was testing had a much larger angled surface than the one youre looking at.
I really didnt think a hole shot plate would make that much of a difference, was just curious if anyone had experience with one. Our Sabre will snap your neck on take off as it is now. Still “tweaking” for optimum all around performance with the setup. Havent been able to make a long enough run to get the feel of the rig, as we have only had it out on Conroe a couple of times and with the cross chop for all the pleasure boat wakes, that makes it really difficult to drive at top speed for very long. We love our Cat! Doug n Sherry
Is this the same thing as a hydrofoil? LOVE MY CAT Ed”Political Correctness is a doctrine fostered by a delusional illogical minority, and rapidly promoted by an unscrupulous main- stream media which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.”
Ed I beleive it is a plate that covers the bottom of the jack plate to basically make it solid and it is said to provide help getting the boat up on plane.Treat everyday like it might be the last
1994 Pantera II DC Where is a good starting point for my jackplate placement…….as a reference point, lets say how far below pad does the center of the prop need to be?
theres no one particular set up for all. play with the plate and see what happens to your performance. then youll know for sure where you need it or want it.
yeah i know phil problem i am having though is if i go down from where i am i get more lift but i lose performance. i could go higher probably but i feel like i am getting close to being too high. water pressure is still good and the yamaha has the factory low water pickup.i think i am 1 3/4 above flush now. hav thought about trying the 27t yamaha prop to se if it changes theway the boat lifts.
If that is the case then youve reached max potential with that particular prop.
There are two separate issues. (1) setback is used to adjust the center of gravity on the boat. The farther back you move the motor, the easier it becomes for the motor to hold the bow up without having excessive trim, which wastes power. It does get the prop into somewhat cleaner water after some of the turbulence and aeration has dissipated behind the pad, but that is minor to moving the CG rearward. Once you pass the sweet spot, you actually start to have to use negative trim to keep the bow from rising too high, which again increases drag. So there is a right set-back. (2) stress. The farther back you hang the motor, the longer the “lever” you are applying to the transom. Remember, the motor is holding the bow out of the water. The farther back you hang the motor, the longer that lever is that is applying force. And the force is applied _directly_ to the transom. You can move the motor far enough back that it will simply rip the transom off, if you go far enough. I believe BCB uses 6″ for normal plates, and 8″ on the hydraulic plates. Id suspect they know their boats well and know where the optimal balance point (CG) should be located and which plate will produce that CG, without over-stressing the transom. I will add that as you move the motor back, you begin to get into an ugly porpoising motion at slower speeds (40mph and below) unless you trim way down, and as you slow down, the trim is less effective. When you see a boat that is porpoising violently as it comes down off plane, you can think “theres a boat with the C/G too far back”. There are good reasons for moving it back that for if racing is your thing, but for running a normal boat, no.2008 Pantera Classic2014 Mercury Pro XS 200
If I had it to do over again, I would have ordered the hydraulic plate on my Puma. You can find the correct height for top end with the push of a button…and the shallow water access makes it worth every penny. My next boat will definitely have the hydraulic plate. FYI my 09 Puma came with a 8″ setback on the manual plate.
BCB will not warranty their hulls with anything over an 8″ setback plate, and based on running one for years, that is all you need. Like Clint said, because of the water that I fish(very shallow at times), and the ease of adjustment on the run, for varying hull loads, I always get a hydraulic Detwiler plate. I just prefer the convenience and ability to idle in really shallow water. That said, BCB prefers a manual plate, because there is less to go wrong, and nothing electrical/mechanical to fail. Over the past 12 years, I have had one plate fail, and it cost me 2 weeks to R&R. But, Ill still take the chance. Just understand that with a hydraulic plate, you are adding an aftermarket option that is not part of the BCB quality control process. Make your decision with all the facts in front of you. Best regards, Mike Whitten
What type of gauge is the best to use? Does the Deweiler have a standard gauge, or is there a Smartcraft gauge that I can add? I am a little concerned about messing up the performance by moving it around and trying to work it out based on feel when I havent done it before. Thanks, John
My partners Detwiler came with a standard (non digital) gauge, like the standard trim gauge. When you get your boat, I would suggest lowering the plate to about 4 inches below pad and leave it there during the break in period. Once you have some hours on the motor, raising it a 1/4 to 1/2 inch should put you in the “zone” for optimum top end. Simply trim the motor level (on the trailer) and measure the prop shaft height relative to the pad. You can start with the motor high on the Detwiler and lower it (motor trimmed level) until you get to about 4 inches below pad. With standard wheels on the trailer, 4 inches below pad should be really close to having the skeg of the motor touch the ground (at level trim), so be careful. Like Mike said, there is always a risk of mechanical failure of a hydraulic plate… but if you fish shallow stuff, youll be amazed at how shallow you can idle thru…as well as missing alot of those stumps that can ding an expensive prop…just a great add-on I think. I believe the Detwiler comes with a 6″ setback just so ya know.
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