"Ian Kay" wrote in message
...
Hi all

I have a 4.5mtr zodiac futura air floor (new style with big blunt ended
tubes) with a 30hp Yam 2 stroke on a tiller. The boat really flies and
feels very stable with two or more in it, however if I try to use it on my
own it gets a bit hairy with the front end climbing to nearly 45 degrees
before dropping back onto the plane and then bouncing all over the place,
it
feels as though it could flip without too much help. Short of putting a
couple of bags of sand in the front I'm at a loss to know what to do. Any
ideas anyone, I've wondered about bolt on hydrofoils, doelfins etc, but
having no experience with such things its hard to know what the effect
would
be. Obviously sitting further forward would help but that would involve
steering gear, throttle control gear and fixed seating which would make a
nonsense of the main reason for this type of boat, ie it has to be easily
and quickly erected and put away agian afterwards.

Any help or suggestions will be appreciated.

Regards Ian

I have the 9-10 foot Zodiac Zoom, and I love the Zodiacs.
What is the name plate rating for max HP for that vessel?
30HP sounds like a a hell of a lot of power for that rig.
Do you know if the "back" end is coming out of the water?
i.e., do you notice it "cavitating"? (engine reving real qucik)
My zodic has a rigid floor, and I've seen that new style one.
Also, are you sure that you have the right pressure in both,
the floor tubes, and the main vessel? Mine gets really
weird when underinflated even by just a small amount.
Another thing about Zodiacs is, you need to get them
onto plane quickly (since they are effectively flat bottom)
On mine, (with a 8HP Johnson), I lean real far forward
onto the front bench seat to get it on plane, then readjust
once on plane. I've played with the hydrofoils bolt on
things, but thats not gonna help your situation. Just make
absolutly sure that your engine does not exceed the max
HP spampted on the transom plate, and make sure you
are properly inflated all the way around. And throw your
weight forward when getting on plane, and get on plane
fast. I had the same issues, and a Zodiac does take some
getting used to - took me a few weeks to get the feel of it.
Once I did, I had that dam thing doing things that you
wouldn't believe. Did you get the boat new? With motor?