Vegas V bottom stuck to the water

**cameronj** · 08-21-2021, 10:07 PM

HI everyone,

I have a Vegas V bottom which i just got back from having the core, floor and transom redone with a splashwell delete which i do not believe may of been the greatest job as i do not think there is a core that was put in place of the old core when it was ground out. I will take and post some pics shortly through the bilge pump area. Either way it has the transom done with two 1" knees that tie into the rear portion of the floor only but nothing else. That portion of the floor the first foot and a half is wood than the rest is nidacore. Looking underneath it appears both stingers were cut out and there is a single nidacore stringer running down the center of the pad. This i am assuming is not proper but should be extremely light compared to the rotten old core and floor.

The engine is a rebuilt 2003 250xs that now has about 8 hours on it and appears to run extremely well, the throttle response and acceleration blows the old 2.4 200 out of the water. I am running a 27p trophy about 1" below the pad as that is as high as my jackplate goes.

The problem i am having is that with full positive trim it doesn't want to lift the bow even at 4500 which is a little over 60mph GPS i can see the water sprayout where the driver seat is approximately. If i get into it it feels like it plows through the water to about 70 mph where the whole boat lifts up but the bow still is pointed extremely low not like my neighbours vegas XT that looks like a performance boat i perceive should. I'm on the limiter at 74mph GPS or at least it seems like the limiter as it pulls like a rocket to 56-5700 than it climbs to 5850ish but no more.

I had the same issue with the old motor I just put a couple rubber pads where the trim rams went as i figured the boat was heavy(this was before being redone.) and it would than lift the bow and go from (without the rubber pads 62mph...with the rubber pads 71mph) I do not want to do anything like that again with the new setup i expected with the 6" plate and 3L there would be enough leverage to lift it like my neighbours or my old vmate2. My neighbour says more setback or wedges but should it really need that? I watched Pyros videos where he likes his "flat attitude" and mine in comparison seems like a submarine to his.

Any ideas on what may be going on? It does not matter if i lower the jackplate all the way it runs the exact same does not change the boat attitude or top speed. The boat seems to just plow up to 74mph no matter what. My heavy larson 186 SEI with a 175 EE merc has a better attitude and does 62mph almost any day and a best of 64 with a 23p tempest.... I feel i should be SO MUCH faster than I am now and way more than 10mph faster than a heavy bowrider with a 175

On the 27p trophy i have all the vent holes plugged as i do not need any prop slippage to get on plane as it is on plane ridiculously quick and with under 1/2 throttle.

Any help is appreciated thanks!

**LakeFever** · 08-21-2021, 10:16 PM

I’d be trying some different props for starters. My vandal was similar with some no name “performance” prop on there. I bought a few new props and two choppers woke it right up. A 22 and a 24. The funny thing is the 22 runs pretty flat, it does lift the boat some but I can’t over trim it or anything like that. The 24 on the other hand lifts that thing up on the drain plug and holds it there! I compared the two props and the 24 definitely has more trailing edge cup. I gained over 10mph playing with props on that thing.

recently another member here who just completed his resto ran a trophy and did not like it. Didn’t lift the boat enough. Sounds like what’s happening with you. Try some new props you can’t really go wrong with a good chopper on a stream although there are much better props available they just get awful spendy

if you have a lwp you may want to raise the motor up a bolt hole or two if you can

**David** · 08-22-2021, 05:29 AM

Where are you? Maybe you can borrow a prop or two with good bow lift. One other thing to check is if the pad has a hook. Put a straight edge on the back of the pad. It should be flat. A hook would drive the bow down

**Baker343** · 08-22-2021, 08:24 PM

I would think 1" below is a good starting point but if you wanted to go higher are you also limited on how high you can remount your engine on your jack plate

**transomstand** · 08-23-2021, 09:32 AM

More setback, more engine height, better prop.

**cameronj** · 08-23-2021, 11:46 AM

Originally Posted by David

Where are you? Maybe you can borrow a prop or two with good bow lift. One other thing to check is if the pad has a hook. Put a straight edge on the back of the pad. It should be flat. A hook would drive the bow down

Thanks for all the replies, I am east of Toronto in Courtice. I wish you were closer i would love to try a few props, i do have a test setup for next Saturday with a 29p labbed bravo FS. Also am starting think it is the prop as it was repaired by Kawartha propeller and is not polished any longer but a satin finish and i just wonder if there are maybe some issues with it as i did buy it used. I'm thinking its the prop now as well as i did end up putting the 1"rubbers in and running it that way to see if i needed a wedge and it rode okay lifting the bow to about half throttle than the bow dropped and went to 74mph again. I than lowered the motor on the jackplate a couple inches to see and it held the bow up to where if i wanted i feel i could of flipped it but it was shoving the back end into the water to do so. So i think plate up on max which is still below the pad and testing some props like suggested are the next steps.

**XstreamVking** · 08-23-2021, 12:15 PM

A trophy will give some stern lift. A chopper or a tempest will give some needed bow lift. Your hull should lift the nose some, but it was designed to run fairly flat. Check the last 3'- 4' of the bottom for shape. Any gap between the hull and the straight edge (a level or even a string will work) would show a hook. Measure that gap and report back....

**David** · 08-23-2021, 03:28 PM

I am near Orillia for the summer. Where do you boat?

**cameronj** · 08-23-2021, 08:31 PM

Originally Posted by David

I am near Orillia for the summer. Where do you boat?

Hi David,

I boat on Pigeon, Buckhorn and chemong their all attached. I usually try to jump in with groups of other performance boats for cruises. Are you on Simcoe?

Thanks,

**58Evinrude** · 08-23-2021, 08:39 PM

Get in touch with the Facebook page for Fast Boats Canada. We run your three lakes, and Rice, Scugog, pretty much anywhere in the Kawarthas.

**cameronj** · 08-25-2021, 06:24 PM

Originally Posted by XstreamVking

A trophy will give some stern lift. A chopper or a tempest will give some needed bow lift. Your hull should lift the nose some, but it was designed to run fairly flat. Check the last 3'- 4' of the bottom for shape. Any gap between the hull and the straight edge (a level or even a string will work) would show a hook. Measure that gap and report back....

Looking at the pad i used a level and it is as straight you could get i could not see a mm of difference. The boat was painted and approx. 3-4 feet up there are some very slight sanding marks i can see. I believe if there was a hook it was already removed. I am going to try the 29p labbed bravo this weekend and hope that the bigger blades will help lift it than if not will have to go from there. I do not see how it cannot i can lift the front of the boat quite easily it is not like there is any weight up there.

**XstreamVking** · 08-25-2021, 06:42 PM

Good news. A bow lifter may help a lot.

**Whaaaaat** · 08-26-2021, 06:32 AM

You mentioned that you don't think the core was replaced properly. When the boat is on the trailer push up against the bottom of the hull. See if it flexes. Even the smallest bit of flex at or near the pad will make a hook at speed that will appear straight at rest.

**cameronj** · 08-26-2021, 01:02 PM

Hi,

The pad did not flex the one stringer of nidacore runs straight down the middle of the pad. I pushed with my hand and used a jack!

I will be trying a solas scorpion 28p this weekend with extra vent holes drill for mercury's PVS system. Big blades and lots of rake so if this does not lift the bow than there are bigger problems somewhere... I will try to figure out how to post a video of how it is running right now.

**cameronj** · 08-30-2021, 05:30 PM

UPDATE**

I put the 28P scorpion on and boy does it have lift. With the Fiancee and I it would only rev to 5300 though! I looked out the back with her driving and the water was hitting barely an inch under the wing on the gen 2 torque master. When cruising normally it is right at the bottom of that wing.

I took it out by myself and could not go over 5200ish even though there was a smidge of pedal left. as the boat was AIRED out and dancing like crazy! I am thinking the wing is about 4-6" above the centerline of the propshaft and no matter what i do the motor is to low and will not spin up or run decent until i lift it up more? Even being that low i thought it would of pushed a 28P prop with a passenger higher in the RPM range before running out of steam?