Tips on driving a 24' Skater

[warren]

Call me we will go out 2 markham 4 quick test run with my props bring yours we can send yours out to b tuned up

[Thunderduck]

[tony97gt]

I'm out here at Everglades holiday park right now. I just ran the boat by myself and I'm not even hitting the limiters now. I did just top off with fuel so I've added some weight. The tab is all the way up and I've tried motors neutral trim and bottomed out and I can't get past porpoising at 77mph. What am I doing wrong here??

[Tom Foley]

I'm out here at Everglades holiday park right now. I just ran the boat by myself and I'm not even hitting the limiters now. I did just top off with fuel so I've added some weight. The tab is all the way up and I've tried motors neutral trim and bottomed out and I can't get past porpoising at 77mph. What am I doing wrong here??

More trim and throttle ? That's what it takes in an STV . Be careful !

[tony97gt]

That's full throttle. I did add more trim and the boat settled down almost all the way but then one motor hit the limiter so I had to back it off a bit. The port motor runs a few hundred rpms higher and a little hotter than starboard. Also, when getting up on plane, the port side comes up about 2 seconds quicker while starboard is still dipping in the water. Is this just because the two engines are different and will never be similar? Or do I need to make some adjustments to the throttle cable on the starboard and bring it up to the same as port?

[tony97gt]

I called Peter yesterday and left a message, he called me today. He said I shouldn't run jackplates because in rough water they can break. He also said to take that f-ing tunnel tab off and throw it away, lol. He said the vinyl-ester tanks are pre 1992 and are okay (I know demeanor is gonna love that one). Peter said the boat should be running 85mph with the current setup, and that I should try some 32's on it. So I guess when I can find a pair of 32's to buy, trade, try out, then I can do some more experimenting (gonna see if Warren has some). He also said to take it out in the ocean and run the $hit out of it because it hates flat water and loves the chop. I did explain that I live 10mins from calm, flat fresh water and an hour from the choppy ocean so that's my reason for staying in the calm. Plus, the way I see it is if I learn in the difficult situation first and I can master that, the chop should be a piece of cake.

[jpf091959]

I have a 25' Motion, pretty much the same thing. At one time I had a pair of 225 Optimax fishing motors with 1.75 sportmasters on it. The best speed I saw was 90, I only boat in fresh water. I had the center line of the propshaft 1 5/8" above the bottom, I would like more but wanted to maintain water pressure. I kept the trim perfectly neutral, not trimmed up, not trimmed down and never touched it. No tunnel tab. I tried turning the motors out and turning them in. I liked "in" best, top speed really didn't change much. For props, ran 32", 14.5" three blade cleavers. The best advice I could give you is plenty of seat time and put the boat in a gentle turn until the porpoising stops. If the porpoising doesn't stop, keep it in the gentle turn to the left or right and snap the wheel back to straight. If it still doesn't stop the porpoising, slow down and start all over again. If you can find some chop head for it, these boats love 1-2 ft chop, everything works better. Sometimes my boat would get this funky hop, up/down/side to side, I couldn't drive through it very often. So you slow down and start again.

If I thought I could get away with it, I would cut the skegs off the gear cases. The way I see it is the props are counter act one another. At high speed the boat could feel a little dodgy, but pretty smooth. Just don't crank the wheel over hard between 30-40 mph, while accelerating, you will be asking for trouble.

I moved up to 300xs' and the boat runs 110 mph in fresh water, with 1.62 sportmaster, offshore mids and 34" x 15" three blade cleavers.

If you want to know more, just drop me a note.

Seat time, seat time, seat time.

[tony97gt]

Thank you for the advice. Unfortunately the fresh water by my house is a very long,straight, not super super wide canal. I tried jerking the wheel this way and that way, but it felt like the boat skipped on the surface a little bit and I wasn't sure how far I could push it. Peter did tell me the exact same thing you did about jerking the wheel or turning the boat, but where I boat turning is not an option. So 80mph across the bay in some 1-2ft chop with neutral trim and this thing isn't gonna skip across a wave, get air, and blow over? I am sure it won't being these boats were built for offshore racing, but I guess I need to hear and/or see it to believe it.

[JPEROG]

Warren already made you the best offer that you could ever ask for. He knows what he is doing, he will go out with you, and he will bring props to run as well. Done deal-post the results and get ready for a smile.

Joe

[tux974]

Call me we will go out 2 markham 4 quick test run with my props bring yours we can send yours out to b tuned up

this is the absolute best help you can be offered, getting an experienced guy with a 24' in the boat with you for a quick run and with props to help! It will save you a lot of trial and error or guess work. He will also show you quickly the do's and don't's to keep things safely

Warren already made you the best offer that you could ever ask for. He knows what he is doing, he will go out with you, and he will bring props to run as well. Done deal-post the results and get ready for a smile.

Joe

1000%, I'm sure you will love the boat once things are figured out
BTW Tony, Peter also gave you solid info to keep in mind!

[tmoore]

How about a picture of the back of the boat? That can tell us a lot.
I think you should be able to go 85 with that thing if it's trimmed neutral and you just push the sticks forward.
Try running neutral trim up to about 60, then trim down a click or two and go until it quits pulling then trim back to neutral.
Just an idea... That seems to help in my boat when the tanks are full and 5 people and smooth water.

[Mr. Action]

Stop wasting time n fuel goto 79st run her in salt into the wind let her lossen up should go 85 for sure


Arter all mine went 96 with carb omc's


Hell mine ran 82 with 4 guys n 29rx omc props

[tony97gt]

How about a picture of the back of the boat? That can tell us a lot.
I think you should be able to go 85 with that thing if it's trimmed neutral and you just push the sticks forward.
Try running neutral trim up to about 60, then trim down a click or two and go until it quits pulling then trim back to neutral.
Just an idea... That seems to help in my boat when the tanks are full and 5 people and smooth water.

Went 77 yesterday with sticks all the way fwd and neutral trim. It wasn't until I trimmed higher that I got to 80. Problem is I get bumping the rev limiter and motor pulls it back down off limiter.

[rchevelle71]

Went 77 yesterday with sticks all the way fwd and neutral trim. It wasn't until I trimmed higher that I got to 80. Problem is I get bumping the rev limiter and motor pulls it back down off limiter.

Your hitting the limiter 'cuz you need more prop, go see Warren, use his props, and let him show you how, or at least witness whats going wrong.

[tony97gt]

Your hitting the limiter 'cuz you need more prop, go see Warren, use his props, and let him show you how, or at least witness whats going wrong.

I'm working on it. Pm'd him last night.