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Posting a reply to: Re: Lower unit add-ons. Good, bad, otherwise?

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[QUOTE]VMS - 3/6/2008  10:11 PM

For the most part, though, if you have a well powered boat, any hydrofoil should not be needed given you have the correct prop for your boat.   The reason being is your anti-ventilation plate above the prop should be at water height or slightly above it while on plane, therefore the foil is doing nothing at all.  In many cases with motors that can be moved up or down on the transom by bolts, jackplates, etc.  it is not uncommon for the antiventilation plate to be an inch or two ABOVE the lowest point on the transom.  Dealers set up motors so it is level with the transom bottom because it is usually a position which allows for good overall handling and adequate speed, but it is by no means the best location...it's a compromise..

I tend to think of the hydrofoil as a band-aid so to speak since it helps mask a set-up issue....most of the time (as has been mentioned) due to an under-powered motor for the boat or the load, but it can also tie to an over-pitched motor, a motor that cannot push the bow over due the motor itself not being able to tuck under and push the stern up to get on plane
.  Many times, these issues can be handled by a prop change rather than a foil, but it also may entail the use of transom wedges if the stern of the hull does not allow a power-trimmed motor to "tuck under" as much.

In terms of the "climbing" characteristic mentioned above, that is most likely due to the lifting characteristics of the foil.  If the foil is designed with the same principles behind an airplane wing, it will essentially lift the boat, which can create some interesting handling characteristics which must be gotten used to.

all in all, experimenting with your rig can be a time consuming effort, but if you enjoy seeing what certain tweaks do, it can be a fun project to take on.  the effort is definitely worth it in the end.

Steve[/QUOTE]

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VMS

Posted 3/6/2008 10:11 PM (#305943 - in reply to #305131)
Subject: Re: Lower unit add-ons. Good, bad, otherwise?

Posts: 3511

Location: Elk River, Minnesota

Essentially, the nail has been hit on the head. Many motor-heads (myself included at least for boating purposes) tweak and tweak their rig more to get the most efficiency out of everything from speed, to holeshot to handling and it always will involve compromise.

For the most part, though, if you have a well powered boat, any hydrofoil should not be needed given you have the correct prop for your boat. The reason being is your anti-ventilation plate above the prop should be at water height or slightly above it while on plane, therefore the foil is doing nothing at all. In many cases with motors that can be moved up or down on the transom by bolts, jackplates, etc. it is not uncommon for the antiventilation plate to be an inch or two ABOVE the lowest point on the transom. Dealers set up motors so it is level with the transom bottom because it is usually a position which allows for good overall handling and adequate speed, but it is by no means the best location...it's a compromise..

I tend to think of the hydrofoil as a band-aid so to speak since it helps mask a set-up issue....most of the time (as has been mentioned) due to an under-powered motor for the boat or the load, but it can also tie to an over-pitched motor, a motor that cannot push the bow over due the motor itself not being able to tuck under and push the stern up to get on plane
. Many times, these issues can be handled by a prop change rather than a foil, but it also may entail the use of transom wedges if the stern of the hull does not allow a power-trimmed motor to "tuck under" as much.

In terms of the "climbing" characteristic mentioned above, that is most likely due to the lifting characteristics of the foil. If the foil is designed with the same principles behind an airplane wing, it will essentially lift the boat, which can create some interesting handling characteristics which must be gotten used to.

all in all, experimenting with your rig can be a time consuming effort, but if you enjoy seeing what certain tweaks do, it can be a fun project to take on. the effort is definitely worth it in the end.

Steve