Seems to me that adding 215# of sand in a small boat will degrade
performance also. Interesting to know if a fin or the extra weight causes
more decrease in performance--my guess is that you'd be better off with the
fin.
"Larry" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 03 Aug 2003 04:26:05 GMT, "dad2468" wrote:

Do Hydrofoils work and Is there one better than another? I have a
Glastron SX 195 with a 5 liter 220hp motor and I would like to be able to
be
on plane at a slower speed. I usually have to be going about 15 or 20mph
to
get on plane.
Any Ideas???
Randy


Before you go whole hog with the dragfin, have you tried a little
weight and balance adjustments?

Go to a hardware store and buy some empty sandbags. They're real
cheap. Fill them at the beach and put them in a plastic kitchen trash
plastic bag to keep the leakage to zero. Pack a few into the bow,
way up into the point, and hold them there with some kind of strut
like a 2x4 or boat paddle. 100# of sand way up in front, even just
sitting on deck, is like adding a 250# passenger to the bow when the
boat is plowing just before planing....without 150# more weight. The
mass also helps keep the bow from bouncing up and down with the
pressure from thrust and wave action....makes it ride smoother.

I have a little Sea Rayder F16XR2 16' jetboat with the 175hp Merc
Sport Jet power. There's 125# of sandbags in front of a wooden dam up
in the bow forward of the bow seat locker to make the boat plane
faster and act "bigger". Keeps the pounding down, too, in waves.

On the port side, up inside between the cockpit bulkhead and hull
higher than the waterline is a row of sandbags weighing about 90# as
far up as I can stuff them, again held in place by a wooden dam to
keep them from shifting. This counterbalances some of my weight
driving from the starboard driver's seat while alone. When a second
passenger is added (think bikini clad female on the way to the beach),
she sits in the CENTER seat next to me, not way "over there" on the
left because when she came aboard the boat was already "balanced" for
the driver. She's just keeping it balanced on centerline.....(c;

No underwater or stern fins are necessary draggin on the speed and
performance.



Larry W4CSC

"No, NO, Mr Spock! I said beam me down a WRENCH,
not a WENCH! KIRK OUT!"