Is a hydrofoil a good idea?

[cmuzzy]

I have a 1996 40 hp johnson on a 15' sea nymph aluminum boat. I was thinking about getting a hydrofoil to help with steering a max speed. It is alittle hard to turn going max speed roughly 30 mph, would it help?

 

[ClassyGlassy]

Re: Is a hydrofoil a good idea?

you will get 100 different answers here about this......I would read what the manufacturer says about them and make your own decision!

I like to read reviews from other people who have purchased them first:

http://reviews.basspro.com/2010/91124/reviews.htm

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Is a hydrofoil a good idea?

Once you search the topic you'll see lots of opinions but I'll say it again - a fin is a tool, nothing more. Some tools are better than others. Use a good tool properly and you'll get positive results. Use any tool improperly and you'll get negative results.

A good fin will allow you to adjust your set up to take advantage of less drag. Simply bolting on a fin rarely improves anything but it should allow you to make other adjustments that will help efficiency.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Is a hydrofoil a good idea?

I have a 1996 40 hp johnson on a 15' sea nymph aluminum boat. I was thinking about getting a hydrofoil to help with steering a max speed. It is alittle hard to turn going max speed roughly 30 mph, would it help?

No, it won't help. That's not what they are for. If that is the only problem you are concerned with, all you need to do is adust your trim tab. A little trial and error and it won't cost you a penny.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Is a hydrofoil a good idea?

I am with jim, that is not what they were made for, they are to get the boat to plane at a lower speed, may make steering even harder.

You may want to unhook the steering cable from the engine and see if it is still hard to turn, if not check the engine, It has zerk fittings for grease and may not have been lubed in a while.

Basically go through the entire steering system, eventually you will find the problem.