boat sits too low in the rear, will this work? (PICS)

3car

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 2, 2006
Messages
132
I have a 14' dixie fiberglass boat with a 40 horse suzuki 2 stroke. the boat is rated at a maximum of 50hp. The steering console is mounted very close to the back, which puts a lot of weight in the rear, which is fairly narrow. I moved the battery and the fuel tank up front, but i need more.
This leaves me with 2 options. The first option was to move the console forward, but it is glassed into the side of the boat in a way that would make it a pain to move and I'm not sure how much it would help anyway.
My other idea was to build and install some plywood and fiberglass extensions to the hull on both sides of the motor, but i have no idea how much this would help. any input will be apreciated.

heres what i had in mind.
boatyclaire.jpg
 

3car

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 2, 2006
Messages
132
Re: boat sits too low in the rear, will this work? (PICS)

the boat stays on top of the water while its moving, it just sits too low when im stopped. trim tabs wont help that.
 

Chris1956

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 25, 2004
Messages
27,036
Re: boat sits too low in the rear, will this work? (PICS)

3Car, You have an interesting idea. How much displacment will those hull extesions provde? How much displacement do you need? How does it sit with no one in it? That might give you some clue. If you do go with the extensions, fill them with foam, in case they leak and recess them an inch above the bottom of the boat, so they do not drag.

Have you ever seen a hull built like that? I have seen something like that on an I/O
 

tashasdaddy

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Nov 11, 2005
Messages
51,019
Re: boat sits too low in the rear, will this work? (PICS)

there are a lot of flats boats & tunnel boats built that way. it's not unheard of. i just don't know if it's going to give you what you want. if do it go full height, filled with foam.
 

MikDee

Banned
Joined
Jun 6, 2007
Messages
4,745
Re: boat sits too low in the rear, will this work? (PICS)

Extending the bottom of the boat that (far out) from the motor shaft will act like stationary trim tabs, otherwise known as "squattin boards" it will help the boat get on plane faster, & easier, but because they're not adjustable, they will make it harder to put, & keep, the bow up at times when it is necessary! I had an 8' hydroplane with these built in (about 6-8" long, notched out for the motor shaft) yrs ago when I was a kid, and the drawback is, at times it would plow thru a wave rather then ride over it, that's what I found. Yes, if you box them in like you plan, it will build in extra flotation, & bouyancy. How about just making the front of the steering console, become the back of your seat, (a seatback) and build, or find another steering console to mount in front of that seat (the old steering console).
 

Robj

Lieutenant
Joined
Mar 22, 2007
Messages
1,441
Re: boat sits too low in the rear, will this work? (PICS)

Those extensions sound like too much work for very little benefit. I have a Livingston with a 40 hp and it sits low in the back, but it is OK. If anything I would look at moving the console forward. Why do you think that it is sitting too low, is it affecting the performance? If not then I would just leave it. Your boxes will only affect it's performance when it is not plaining.

Have a great day,

Rob.
 

Islandlure

Seaman
Joined
May 14, 2006
Messages
63
Re: boat sits too low in the rear, will this work? (PICS)

If you wait until this week end I will let you know. I have just built these myself for my 16' jon. I am painting this week and will have the boat out this coming weekend for a test. I have attached a couple of pics of the one I had built. The picture don't show them with the lids on but they are on now and I filled with water and pressurized... No leaks! I am going to pour foam and seal back up.
 

Attachments

  • Pod & Setback.jpg
    Pod & Setback.jpg
    29.5 KB · Views: 0
  • Pod Closeup.jpg
    Pod Closeup.jpg
    23.6 KB · Views: 0

reelfishin

Captain
Joined
Mar 19, 2007
Messages
3,043
Re: boat sits too low in the rear, will this work? (PICS)

Where is your fuel tank located? Can you rearrange some other weight to help balance out the boat? I had a similar situation with an aluminum bass boat a few years ago, I upgraded to the max engine size, I went from a tiller 25HP to a 50HP with tilt and trim and added a console, the tanks and battery used to sit behind the rear seat just ahead of the motor. With that arrangement and the 50HP motor I only had about 2" of freeboard in the stern, less if two people were at the rear. I moved both batteries and the tanks forward, I converted a forward compartment to the new battery box, and moved both tanks to the middle of the boat, this leveled the boat and let it sit nearly dead level at rest.
How does your boat sit as it is if you add weight up front? Does it level out?
 

RotaryRacer

Lieutenant
Joined
Jul 18, 2004
Messages
1,361
Re: boat sits too low in the rear, will this work? (PICS)

Since the Dixie in question is a fiberglass boat, is it worth considering that there is addtional weight already in the boat that shouldn't be there.

Does this boat have floataion foam under the sole? Is it possible that the foam is saturated with water and that all of this added weight is causing it to sit lower in the water than desired?

This is just a thought.
 

3car

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 2, 2006
Messages
132
Re: boat sits too low in the rear, will this work? (PICS)

Since the Dixie in question is a fiberglass boat, is it worth considering that there is addtional weight already in the boat that shouldn't be there.

Does this boat have floataion foam under the sole? Is it possible that the foam is saturated with water and that all of this added weight is causing it to sit lower in the water than desired?

This is just a thought.
that was my first thought, but i cant find any water intrusion.
 

3car

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 2, 2006
Messages
132
Re: boat sits too low in the rear, will this work? (PICS)

If you wait until this week end I will let you know. I have just built these myself for my 16' jon. I am painting this week and will have the boat out this coming weekend for a test. I have attached a couple of pics of the one I had built. The picture don't show them with the lids on but they are on now and I filled with water and pressurized... No leaks! I am going to pour foam and seal back up.
Thats great. I would definately like to know how that works for you!
 

3car

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 2, 2006
Messages
132
Re: boat sits too low in the rear, will this work? (PICS)

Those extensions sound like too much work for very little benefit.

I dont know. Its not too much work at all, and it seems to me I would be adding a significant amount of boyancy where it would have the most impact, at the engine. My main concern is not knowing if the modification will have any negative impacts performance wise. The boat performs well aside from sitting to low while stationary.
 

RotaryRacer

Lieutenant
Joined
Jul 18, 2004
Messages
1,361
Re: boat sits too low in the rear, will this work? (PICS)

that was my first thought, but i cant find any water intrusion.

Is there flotation foam that you know of? Is there any way to drill a hole in the sole to investigate if there is foam and see if it is saturated with water?

From all of the reading I have done it seems that it isn't a matter of if your foam is saturated but more a quesiton of how badly.
 

Coors

Captain
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
3,367
Re: boat sits too low in the rear, will this work? (PICS)

Why put water-sucking foam in them? Why not a weather-tight access cover on top, and a drain plug in the back? No wet-foam problems, ever.
 

studlymandingo

Commander
Joined
Mar 22, 2006
Messages
2,716
Re: boat sits too low in the rear, will this work? (PICS)

Google "sea drive", there are a number of boats out there that have the reverse of what you are proposing, the motor is mounted back from the transom on a bouyant bracket. It not only provides the additional flotation, there are other benefits to having the motor set back away from the transom.​
 
Top