floatation pods ?

[chevyredneck]

I have a an 85 bass tracker with a 90 horse evinrude with a jack plate , no i replaced a 50 horse and now i sit too low and every time i walk to the back i swap the transom . Now who makes a decent flotation pod for this style of boat > and is bolt on or weld on a better choice ? thanks

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: floatation pods ?

it sounds to me that you over powered the boat, if it will not support the motor, and swamp when addition weight is added.

 

[5150abf]

Re: floatation pods ?

Sounds like you have other issues like water logged foam or something.

Just to be clear, when you walk to the back of the boat the top of the transom actually goes under water?

No way should that happen even with the bigger motor, 50 to 90 gains you maybe 80lbs at the most.

How big is this boat. length and beam?

 

[Moody Blue]

Re: floatation pods ?

Holly Crap !!!! You take on water over the transom if you walk to the back of the boat? Something is terribly wrong and very UNSAFE. How much freeboard did you have with the 50hp?

What is the max HP rating for the boat? Guess you could always duct tape a few of those swimming pool noodles to the transom for added flotation Kidding of course.

Adding floatation to just the stern would seem to me to make the boat more unstable and really alter the handling characteristics.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: floatation pods ?

NO, I can see it. Bass boats ride low to start. Then add a few batteries and a couple of live wells and a big gas tank at the stern. Then add a bigger engine with the added weight of the jackplate and the added leverage of the setback off the transom--I can definitely see the splashwell (at least) taking on water.

I have a little 14 foot flat bottom only a little more than 4 1/2 feet wide at the stern. It carries a 125 with a battery and a 15 gallon gas tank. When I walk to the back, the splashwell takes on water. But, it does go 60. Consider that a deep vee only displaces 1/2 the water of a flat bottom hull until the vee is totally submerged and I can see his scenario happening even if the boat is not overpowered.

Why not try a couple of big styrofoam blocks contact cemented to each side of the transom about 2-4 inches above the bottom so they do not contact water except when the boat is at rest. A cubic foot of water displaced is about 64 pounds so 2-3 cubic feet of foam should do nicely if strategically placed. When you are satisfied, then replace with or cover with fiberglass.

 

[JB]

Re: floatation pods ?

Why not go back to the rated HP, ditch the jackplate and move some batteries forward?

Trying to correct one error with another is not really a good, or safe, idea.

 

[chevyredneck]

Re: floatation pods ?

the boat is a 17 ft 9 inch and i cant remember the width but its just you typical alumn bass boat. The max hp on the tag is 80 so i didnt think it would affect that much and it is the splash well is what goes under , there is no foam. I need the jack plate i run real shallow its a bay and a lake boat

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: floatation pods ?

yeah you overloaded the transom, you are over powered, if you need a jack plate i would put a 3 cylinder 70 on it. other wise you are leaving you self open for many legal liability problems.

The United States Coast Guard has an opinion on this frequently asked question, and their answer from their website is reproduced below:
Can I use a bigger motor on my boat than what it's rated for?
It is not a violation of Coast Guard regulations to install or use an engine larger than specified on the capacity label, but there may be state regulations prohibiting it, and restrictions from your own insurance company regarding this.
There are no Coast Guard regulations against exceeding the safe loading capacity, however, there may be State regulations or restrictions from your insurance company which prohibit this. There is a Coast Guard regulation that gives Coast Guard Boarding Officers the power to terminate the use of a boat (send it back to shore) if, in the judgment of the Boarding Officer, the boat is overloaded. There is no fine for this, unless the operator refuses the Boarding Officer's order. We certainly hope that you will abide by the rating, as overloading may lead to capsizing or swamping of the boat.
NOTE: The Coast Guard Capacity Information label is required only on monohull boats less than 20' in length. The label is not required on multi-hull boats, pontoon boats (catamarans), or on any sailboats, canoes, kayaks, or inflatable boats, regardless of length.
As the Coast Guard mentions, local regulations may apply. For example, in the state of Ohio one should be guided by this regulation:
Capacity Plates
(ORC 1547.39 & ORC 1547-40)
No person shall operate or permit operation of a watercraft in excess of any of the stated limits on the capacity plate. When no capacity plate exists, no person shall operate or permit operation of a watercraft if a reasonably prudent person would believe the total load aboard or the total horsepower of any motor or engine presents a risk of physical harm to persons or property.

 

[5150abf]

Re: floatation pods ?

Something just doesn't add up here, an 18' boat should easily support that motor with plenty of freeboard left, beam has to be at least 70''.

I have a 16' with a 60'' beam with a 50 Evinrude on a CMC TT(same as a jack plate) ,1 battery and 6 gallons of gas all in the back , me and my fishing buddy can stand at the back of the boat (320+lbs) and I am nowhere near taking on water.

He's overpowered by 10 horse, which I don't see as a huge deal but weight wise it is the same, again pointing to something else wrong.

The boat has no foam to water log so that just deepens the mystery of why it won't float.

Chevy, I don't think people mean to dog you on this but you do have very unsafe situation, if your transom is that close to the water it wouldn't take much of a wake or a problem to sink you, we are just trying to help.

What else do you have in the back of the boat as far as gas batteries ect?

I really want to solve this mystery.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: floatation pods ?

he has water coming into the spash well, not into the boat itself. he has the weight of a V4, plus a jackplate. in 1985 there were not any 80 hp V4's. Merc had a straight 4 800 or 850. he is just over weight for what is transom is designed for. he still is in a bad situation, of being swamped from the stern.

 

[chevyredneck]

Re: floatation pods ?

ive only got one battery and a 6 gallon tank and thats it but im going to switch back to the 50 horse next week

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: floatation pods ?

Sounds like a wise plan. How fast does the 50 hp push your boat? Probably won't lose much top-end speed dropping down to the 50 and you'll be safe on the water to boot. Sell the 90 and invest that in your boat/rig.

 

[chevyredneck]

Re: floatation pods ?

on gps just me with the motor trimmed in the sweet spot i saw 40-43 .

 

[bob johnson]

Re: floatation pods ?

you may be running away from your real problem....so you put the 50 back on....and some here are happy because you are LEGAL and used your head...are you safe now?? probably not...what if your buddy walks to the back of the boat and he weighs 80 lbs more than you,..now you are back to the same weight pushing the transom under water...BUT with a 50 on it....

it yells . something is wrong!!

you probably have some really really waterlogged flotation foam under your decks!!!

if it is waterlogged, then it doesnt have as much trapped air and thus wont float as well.. and thus if you swamp you boat it just might sink to the bottom!!!

I think flotation pods were designed for raising the rear of a boat because of all the weight that gets put back near the transom and if mounted right wont hurt the other driving aspects of the boat...but will help tremendously with bouyancy in the rear!!!

good luck

bob