Getting a pontoon boat to plane
Frogwatch
beautiful woodwork. It is powered with a 90 hp and he claims he had
the prop pitched by an expert. He attains 18 mph so he is planing
some but gets very bad fuel economy, I'd estimate 1 mpg. Underway,
most people sit on the foredeck so she probably is bow heavy. Is
there some way to get her to plane better? He does have one of those
Dol-Fin things on the motor but I think he needs more planing surface
along the pontoons.
HarryK
This might do it:
I don't know what a custom 34' pontoon boat weighs, but I'm guessing two
tons or more. That's a lotta weight and length for a 90 hp outboard to
"plane better." I doubt a lower unit wing is going to make a difference.
Wayne.B
<ohar...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>He does have one of those
>Dol-Fin things on the motor but I think he needs more planing surface
>along the pontoons.
How is the running attitude - level, bow down, stern down? What about
the size of the wake? If he's throwing a big wake and plowing a lot
of water, he may need more power to get it on top. 90 hp is not much
power for a boat that size. Many guys are running 90 hp on much
smaller pontoons.
We have some really big pontoons around here, 50 to 60 ft, used for
running tours. They usually have a pair of 200s or more.
Jack
Maybe one of these would be the ticket?
http://www.pontoonwaterglide.com/index.asp
Factory "performance" pontoons typically have lifting strakes which
help the toon plane. In their most basic form, think of taking angle
iron (a piece of L shaped metal) and welding it to each side of the
toons maybe a quarter of the way up the side, giving them some flat
sutface area on each side, thereby increasing the lift. That would be
tough to add to an existing toon.
Jack
Wouldn't happen to be this guy, would it?
That's just amazing.
Jack
> In article <684491dd-d398-4420-9784-
> d4a78b8a6...@x42g2000yqx.googlegroups.com>, threepont...@live.com
> says...
> Down at the same lake as Tom iirc. Anyway, the strake is only on the
> inside of the outboard toons so it can get lift on takeoff and plane,
> but still corner like a round chine hull with no strake on the outboard
> edges of the toon...
That's my Premier you're thinking about. It's not the fastest in a
straight line, but I believe it's the most maneuverable pontoon. I
can sling a kid off a tube in a heartbeat! :->
Frogwatch
This is in Florida. The boat seems to be almost completely level at
speed. She does have "lifting strakes" but I think she needs more.
She does sit too low in the water I think. I re-calced the MPG and
got 1.7 mpg. I do not know the pontoon shape underwater.
Tim
> On Mon, 1 Nov 2010 08:15:54 -0700 (PDT), Frogwatch
>
I was gonna say. 90 hp on a 34' loaded w/ people on the bow end?
it seems a chore for my 30' with an old 85 hp 2-stroke. But I can't
imagine that rig.
Mine sucks gas, too, so Frog's friend shouldn't feel too bad. Yeah,
he needs twins or a conversion.
Tim
>
> http://tinyurl.com/29cbqav :>)
It should....
Paul@BYC
>
> http://www.pontoonforums.com/download/file.php?id=3386
>
> http://www.pontoonforums.com/download/file.php?id=3390
>
> http://www.pontoonforums.com/download/file.php?id=3018
>
> http://www.pontoonforums.com/download/file.php?id=3019
Don't see too many pontoon boats out on LI Sound. :>)
Jack
> On 11/1/2010 10:52 PM, gfretw...@aol.com wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Mon, 1 Nov 2010 18:38:06 -0700 (PDT), Tim<tschna...@gmail.com>
They tend to be popular on inland lakes and places where the weather
is warmer than LI Sound. :->
HarryK
I remember several warm days out on Long Island Sound when I was a
Connecticut Yankee. Several, at least.
Frogwatch
Those mods to the pontoons look interesting. Now, if he went to a
larger engine and added planing strakes, could he expect better MPG or
just higher speed. (fuel flow meters ought to interface with impeller
knotmeters to get mpg).
HarryK
Impeller knotmeters?
Better a fuel flow meter interface with a GPS.
Wayne.B
<ohar...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>Those mods to the pontoons look interesting. Now, if he went to a
>larger engine and added planing strakes, could he expect better MPG or
>just higher speed. (fuel flow meters ought to interface with impeller
>knotmeters to get mpg).
If you increase speed without increasing horsepower, mileage will
improve.
HarryK
Wayne...I think the guy has "tapped" out on performance with the engine
he now has.
Hairy Crotch
MMC
<gfre...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:dgtuc6h7dieoob9l2...@4ax.com...
> This is what the boys over on Pontoon forum are doing
>
> http://www.pontoonforums.com/download/file.php?id=3386
>
> http://www.pontoonforums.com/download/file.php?id=3390
>
> http://www.pontoonforums.com/download/file.php?id=3018
>
> http://www.pontoonforums.com/download/file.php?id=3019
I think that in a time, long long ago and far down the river, my pontoons
were all shiny and pretty like that!
Wayne.B
That may be true but unless they try to get more of it out of the
water with lifting strakes or similar, they won't know for sure. I'd
agree that more horsepower is probably easier and cheaper but it
certainly won't improve economy under most circumstances - only if it
is now operating "on the hump".
Frogwatch
> On Tue, 02 Nov 2010 14:54:42 -0400, HarryK <no...@jose.com> wrote:
> >On 11/2/10 2:45 PM, Wayne.B wrote:
> >> On Tue, 2 Nov 2010 07:44:44 -0700 (PDT), Frogwatch
>
> >>> Those mods to the pontoons look interesting. Now, if he went to a
> >>> larger engine and added planing strakes, could he expect better MPG or
> >>> just higher speed. (fuel flow meters ought to interface with impeller
> >>> knotmeters to get mpg).
>
> >> If you increase speed without increasing horsepower, mileage will
> >> improve.
>
> >Wayne...I think the guy has "tapped" out on performance with the engine
> >he now has.
>
> That may be true but unless they try to get more of it out of the
> water with lifting strakes or similar, they won't know for sure. I'd
> agree that more horsepower is probably easier and cheaper but it
> certainly won't improve economy under most circumstances - only if it
> is now operating "on the hump".
I believe his pontoons are not big enough for the weight so he should
weld planing strakes on the pontoons that are enclosed with extra
floatation. OR, he could resign himself to cruising at 7 kts to save
fuel.
John H
Another goodbye.
Damn, this is a great way to cut down on the number of posts to read!
--
Hope you're having a great day!
John H
jamesgangnc
>
> - Show quoted text -
Or he could get a boat that was designed to plane. I don't have much
sympathy for people that get one thng and then spend a lot of time and
money trying to make it work like something else. I don't care what
you do to a pontoon, any ordinary go fast boat will blow it away on
half the gas.
HarryK
> speed demon. I like mine because it is a very shallow draft boat with
> lots of deck space and very low maintenance, Most pontooners have a
> deck full of furniture and end up with a high maintenance boat you can
> barely walk around in. They then want it to perform like a bass boat
> so they end up putting huge engines on them. The one that really makes
> me laugh is they also polish the toons to a mirror like finish. I
> can't get them to say what percentage of the time they spend using the
> boat vs working on their boat in the driveway. In that regard, fuel
> consumption is probably not that big a deal. They only run them 20 or
> 30 hours a year. That is about a month for me and we are not getting
> out as much as we used to.
The few I have seen out on the river here don't seem to "corner" too
quickly...and they seem to need a really wide area while on plane in
order to make a tight turn. Or maybe it's just an optical illusion.
HarryK
> On Thu, 04 Nov 2010 13:06:23 -0400, HarryK<no...@jose.com> wrote:
>
>>>> Or he could get a boat that was designed to plane. I don't have much
>>>> sympathy for people that get one thng and then spend a lot of time and
>>>> money trying to make it work like something else. I don't care what
>>>> you do to a pontoon, any ordinary go fast boat will blow it away on
>>>> half the gas.
>>>
>>> I have a pontoon and I agree with you. This is not supposed to be a
>>> speed demon. I like mine because it is a very shallow draft boat with
>>> lots of deck space and very low maintenance, Most pontooners have a
>>> deck full of furniture and end up with a high maintenance boat you can
>>> barely walk around in. They then want it to perform like a bass boat
>>> so they end up putting huge engines on them. The one that really makes
>>> me laugh is they also polish the toons to a mirror like finish. I
>>> can't get them to say what percentage of the time they spend using the
>>> boat vs working on their boat in the driveway. In that regard, fuel
>>> consumption is probably not that big a deal. They only run them 20 or
>>> 30 hours a year. That is about a month for me and we are not getting
>>> out as much as we used to.
>>
>>
>> The few I have seen out on the river here don't seem to "corner" too
>> quickly...and they seem to need a really wide area while on plane in
>> order to make a tight turn. Or maybe it's just an optical illusion.
>
> I assume if you have strakes and a huge motor you could get pretty
> squirrly in a turn but bass boats can have the same problem.
I see the occasional "bass boat" out on Chesapeake Bay. Every time it is
choppy, and it is very often choppy, the bass boats become airborne if
their drivers try to make any speed. Scary ride, too; the boats don't
have much freeboard. Nice boats for a flat lake, though. Too fast for my
taste.
L G
>>>> sympathy for people that get one thng and then spend a lot of time and
>>>> money trying to make it work like something else. I don't care what
>>>> you do to a pontoon, any ordinary go fast boat will blow it away on
>>>> half the gas.
>>>>
>>> I have a pontoon and I agree with you. This is not supposed to be a
>>> speed demon. I like mine because it is a very shallow draft boat with
>>> lots of deck space and very low maintenance, Most pontooners have a
>>> deck full of furniture and end up with a high maintenance boat you can
>>> barely walk around in. They then want it to perform like a bass boat
>>> so they end up putting huge engines on them. The one that really makes
>>> me laugh is they also polish the toons to a mirror like finish. I
>>> can't get them to say what percentage of the time they spend using the
>>> boat vs working on their boat in the driveway. In that regard, fuel
>>> consumption is probably not that big a deal. They only run them 20 or
>>> 30 hours a year. That is about a month for me and we are not getting
>>> out as much as we used to.
>>>
>>
>> The few I have seen out on the river here don't seem to "corner" too
>> quickly...and they seem to need a really wide area while on plane in
>> order to make a tight turn. Or maybe it's just an optical illusion.
>>
>
> I assume if you have strakes and a huge motor you could get pretty
> squirrly in a turn but bass boats can have the same problem.
>
pontoon. I just have to slow down for a sharp turn.
Jack
> On Thu, 04 Nov 2010 13:06:23 -0400, HarryK <no...@jose.com> wrote:
> >>> sympathy for people that get one thng and then spend a lot of time and
> >>> money trying to make it work like something else. I don't care what
> >>> you do to a pontoon, any ordinary go fast boat will blow it away on
> >>> half the gas.
>
> >> I have a pontoon and I agree with you. This is not supposed to be a
> >> speed demon. I like mine because it is a very shallow draft boat with
> >> lots of deck space and very low maintenance, Most pontooners have a
> >> deck full of furniture and end up with a high maintenance boat you can
> >> barely walk around in. They then want it to perform like a bass boat
> >> so they end up putting huge engines on them. The one that really makes
> >> me laugh is they also polish the toons to a mirror like finish. I
> >> can't get them to say what percentage of the time they spend using the
> >> boat vs working on their boat in the driveway. In that regard, fuel
> >> consumption is probably not that big a deal. They only run them 20 or
> >> 30 hours a year. That is about a month for me and we are not getting
> >> out as much as we used to.
>
> >The few I have seen out on the river here don't seem to "corner" too
> >quickly...and they seem to need a really wide area while on plane in
> >order to make a tight turn. Or maybe it's just an optical illusion.
>
> I assume if you have strakes and a huge motor you could get pretty
> squirrly in a turn but bass boats can have the same problem.
Again, for the 47th time, here's what a properly designed pontoon can
do. Mine is like the white one with the red stripe with the two
bucket seats up front. :->
http://www.pontoons.com/ptx_performance/ptx_advantage_video/
Jack
> hull.....
Not quite... Have you ever ridden in a Premier? That's like saying
every V-hull boat is just like every other V-hull. Which, of course,
we all know isn't true.
Paul@BYC
I can see the practicality of such a boat, but they sure aren't pretty! :>)
Paul@BYC
>
> http://gfretwell.com/electrical/The%20Butt%20Ugly.jpg
Now that looks like every pontoon boat I've ever seen, though I haven't
seen many.
John H
That is a fine looking boat. I'm astonished at the maneuravibility of the thing.
It wouldn 't do on the Chesapeake, but it would be great on Lake Anna.
Jack
> On Thu, 4 Nov 2010 18:03:08 -0700 (PDT), Jack <threepont...@live.com>
After re-reading my posts, I seemed a little... abrupt. Didn't mean
to. :-)
Cathedral hulls were OK on smooth water, but would beat you to death
with even mild waves or chop. Pontoons, even the tritoons with
strakes and such, have a very smooth ride through the rough stuff.
Until the wave height starts impacting the bow, it's the best ride on
the water.
Of course they have their limitations. And while having a fast
pontoon can be useful at times, it's not that practical in the long
run. No one really wants to sit there in a 40+ mph wind for long.
Greg, it looks like you have the ideal boat for sneaking around those
backwater mangroves. That sounds like fun!
*e#c
It figures you'd own a faggot billy bob special....LMAO !!!!!!!
*e#c
Only good for small Lakes. Rough weather would be fucked on that junk.