I won't be back till next week to see it..... and I'm not dissin' your
set-up.... just the fact that a 9 foot inflatable will plane with a load
like that being pushed by a 5hp.

My favourite set-up was a 15hp Merc with an 8hp cowling and decal on the
kicker... mounted on a 7.5 ft inflatable. Now that will plane!!! Hole shot
was immediate. Looked for all intents and purposes like an 8hp..... man did
that get attention when I lit it up. 30 knots is way too fast on a 7.5'
inflatable.... even standing up with the kill switch rigged.

I could only take one person to shore at a time.... but did multiple trips
in a very short time.

CM

"Bobsprit" wrote in message
...
| Well Bob.... I have seen dinghies 'plane' with a 5hp... with lighter
crew,
| but not before you lean well to the front and only in the calmest water
| after a very long straight run and only barely up on step.... pushing more
| water than planing on it.... and they won't do it with 2 people on
board.
|
| With anyone else on board, it won't plane. Tried it. But in calm water I
made
| 13.9 knots and tapped 14. Running her disp. she'll only do 5 or 6, then
slowly
| lifts up and starts skating. The motor was a freebee, so I'm not
complaining. I
| asked a few people and they said it would never happen, except the 300 is
| fairly long with an inflatable keel.
| I WILL snap a pic of it this week.
|
| RB