Newbie - planing advice

Nope, no tides of course.
But conditions like these aren't so unusual.
And it can and does get worse, with 5-6' short waves which force even the ferry service to stop.
 
Our old Targa 29 had twin 150's and the only time she struggled to get up on the plane was with about 10 people on board (half the Mudeford lifeboat crew included). Got all the big buggers to sit up front and she popped up fine.

My guess is you've got the legs trimmed right out. Our Targa 29 was happy in a F4/5 in the Solent, with reasonable sized lumps (4-5 foot or so, at a guess).
 
Ripster said:
Used to have a Monterey 250 with only 1 240hp Yanny in and 27ft long that used to plane about 17/18k but needed trim tabs to get her over the hump. You should be good for 33-35k+ I would have thought with 2 and 29ft. Make sure your legs and trimmed down until she is planning. Mine was on a Bravo II leg and that engine and leg combo is known for taking out prop bushes.... if you think you have a drive issue. but not sure what you have.

Mind you with two 240s sat astern, she probably (as has been said) does need trim tabs down to get her nose down. I would get these working first.
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Now you have me worried as I'm assuming that 'prop bushes' being taken out would mean the props not delivering the power, which was what seemed to me to be happening. I am sure that I had the legs fully down, although my boat doesn't have a gauge showing the angle. Being optimistic how do I exclude this possibility?

By the way does WOT stand for 'Wide Open Throttle'?

Next time I go out I will try the suggestion of checking maximum speed and revs on each engine as hlb suggested.
 
You said "3800 rpm and speed below 15kts".

This suggests that something is slipping, or because of lots of cavitation (bubbles) due to damaged props, wrong trim angle, or something completely different.

If it means a couple of new propellors because the bushes are slipping, then that's not the end of the world - this is boating! Welcome to spending hundreds of pounds every time something goes wrong :)
 
Seahope said:
Now you have me worried as I'm assuming that 'prop bushes' being taken out would mean the props not delivering the power, which was what seemed to me to be happening. I am sure that I had the legs fully down, although my boat doesn't have a gauge showing the angle. Being optimistic how do I exclude this possibility?

I had a prop bush go on mine and I could only get to 12 knots - then the engine would rev right up but no more drive. BUT... thinking on I also had a cable problem where the forward drive was not fully engaged and this allowed the cone-clutch in the Drive to slip and I got the same symptom as with the prop failure - I thought it was yet another prop gone, until we looked at it. The first issue was solved via a new prop (a failed bush is visible up close, you can see small peelings of rubber at the edge of the bush (well I could on mine) the second issue was solved by re-adjusting the the throttle and drive linkage and cables. Could it be that one of your drives only is not pushing - so both engines are revving fine, but only one drive is driving properly.

BTW - these props can re-bushed - I had one done to act as a spare - costs about 30% price a prop. Though the process can split the hub...apparently.
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Boatachrondriac

The thought of another glitch with our boat was stopping me concentrate at work, so I left on time tonight (unheard of in my line of work) and persuaded the familiy to take the boat out for a quick test. A lovely evening it was too and our first experience of coming in at twilight.

I am pleased to report that the boat went on the plane with no troubles tonight and we reached about 29 knots without going flat out. Each engine has a maximum revs of around 3500 and the speed of the boat on each engine was identical at around 8.5 knots. I am fairly sure that I don't have slipping props. The boat is very heavy though at over 10,000 lbs basic hull weight. I would have like to post the wake shot with the setting sun behind us as we headed in, but my iPhone was lost recently in the sea :rolleyes:

My son says that we forumites are a bunch of boatachrondriacs and I should stay away from the forum, but I think I might have an addiction problem :)

Now, back to the work I put off earlier.
 
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MapisM said:
I guess you mean with some choppy sea (a couple of feet or so), which is in fact also the optimal condition to achieve max speed, counterintuitive as it might seem.
Surely not in any sea rough enough to make slow cruising "too bumpy to continue".
Now, whether that can be found in the Solent, that's a different kettle of fish of course. I didn't think of it 'cause I don't know those cruising grounds. Surely, looking at the map the fetch seems shorter than what I have on the lake...
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I said, Not always of course. But yes, it can be far less bumpy going faster rather than slower. Even in 20 ft seas. Forget the Solent, it has very
short seas. Mostly it's not real sea at all. But in proper seas, theres loads of times when faster is better than slow. We crossed the Bristol chanel at 20 knots, in a F7 or 8. Yep we got wet through on the fly and had to hold on with both hands,, but no bumps, dead smooth really, just loads of different angles. Other times speed just sorts the lumps out and smooths them down.

NOT ALWAYS FFS. Thort I'd already said that.
 
Seahope said:
All,

Is there a rule of thumb of what conditions are OK to power up? I'm currently assuming that wind of < 10 mph and sea state of calm is required, but am I being so conservative that I'll never see that in the Solent?

My boat has 2 x 240hp Yanmars and the hull is about 29'.

All advice appreciated.

I ask because a few weekends ago we left Portsmouth Harbour headed to the Isle of Weight straight into a strongish head wind and the ongoing waves and I couldn't 't seem to get her on the plane. Nose went up OK, engines sounded normal, lots of wash but it just didn't seem to want to plane and it was too bumpy to continue. The only difference from the last time time was the wind and the fuel tanks are now half empty.
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Glad to hear your mind is now at ease! I would also suggest that you probably needed to trim the legs in to pull the bow down, otherwise I expect you were a bit afraid to power up when bouncing nose high into waves.
Once on the plane, you can ease the legs out until the ride and speed suits.
There is a worst spot for the boat which is a bit before it climbs onto the plane.. not much speed, lots of wash (as the ar*se is stting in the water). You either need to drop speed back below that, and take it slow, or get over the "hump". At that point of course, the boat will dramatically increase in speed bcz of (excessive) power, so you will probably ease back off the throttles.
I expect it was just the unfamiliarity of the waves, and a bit of apprehension about making the jump to warp speed ;)
 
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