Zodiac 285 - whats biggest motor ?
 

Zodiac zoom 285 (9.35 feet), rated at 8 HP max....
Anyone with experience with putting on a bigger one?
I got a 2005 J-8 (Johnson 8) on it, and it does well
with one person (20 Mph), and just recently got it to
plane with two people (2 @ 210 Lbs), but it takes a
lot of work and shifting your weight around to get it
to plane with two people. When it does, damn near
get full speed, and tops out at about 18-19 Mph.
So I was wondering what the implications were of
putting something bigger on it, say a 9.9 ? Is it transom
strength, max weight? Their ain't no sinking a Zodiac, right ?
(are they even sinkable at all?) What's the fastest anyone's
ever got one of these 9 foot(-ish) things going?
Another thing, on this new J-8 with a little over 10 hrs,
what's the longest time I can safely run WOT? Is say
15 minutes or so at WOT too much, or too long or
anything? This new 2005 J-8 just runs so dam smooth,
I just can't keep my wrist out of WOT. Is this bad?
(I try to do cool down periods after coming out of
these extended periods of WOT). I'm pretty new to
boats, but it seems like I'm having too much fun with
this Zodiac, seems too easy - just waiting for the other
shoe to drop. Will the thing disintegrate in like a year ?

what's the longest time I can safely run WOT?


Hello,
I have had inflatables from 8ft to 15 ft and from 8-70 hp motors...I love
them!
You can run all day at wide open throttle and it won't hurt anything. You
can put a 10hp on your boat. It will plane quicker and have just a little bit
more top speed.
Always hook the kill lanyard from the motor to your body . If you get thrown
out the motor will stop and you won't get run over. I Know from a personal
experience!
Also, attach a chain from the motor to a bolt on the transom.
Have fun, but be safe and wear a life jacket always.
Larry Hill

On Mon, 01 Nov 2004 07:58:50 GMT, "Mr Wizzard"
wrote:

Zodiac zoom 285 (9.35 feet), rated at 8 HP max....

============================================

Before you try a bigger motor, which I don't recommend if it exceeds
the max hp rating, why not try a prop with a little less pitch. In
effect it will be like switching to a lower gear which may be just
enough to get you on plane consistently.

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 01 Nov 2004 07:58:50 GMT, "Mr Wizzard"
wrote:

Zodiac zoom 285 (9.35 feet), rated at 8 HP max....

============================================

Before you try a bigger motor, which I don't recommend if it exceeds
the max hp rating, why not try a prop with a little less pitch. In
effect it will be like switching to a lower gear which may be just
enough to get you on plane consistently.

Being new to boats, tell me about this.... On this
new J-8, do they actually make different props
(with different pitch/diameter) for this motor ?
And yes, I agree, I seem to feel that I need a
little "less" pitch, to get it up to speed a little faster.
during the initial "plow" with two people in it, it
seems to bog for a long time, and slooowly work
up to that critical point where it breaks. Seems
that when it gets in that mid-power band, it works
up, and breaks over nice, bit its just getting from
the low end to mid-range that seems to labor.
Thanks for the advice, and let me know if you
think they make different props for a Johnson 8.

On Tue, 02 Nov 2004 17:24:42 GMT, "Mr Wizzard"
wrote:
"Wayne.B" wrote in message
.. .
On Mon, 01 Nov 2004 07:58:50 GMT, "Mr Wizzard"
wrote:

Zodiac zoom 285 (9.35 feet), rated at 8 HP max....

============================================

Before you try a bigger motor, which I don't recommend if it exceeds
the max hp rating, why not try a prop with a little less pitch. In
effect it will be like switching to a lower gear which may be just
enough to get you on plane consistently.

Being new to boats, tell me about this.... On this
new J-8, do they actually make different props
(with different pitch/diameter) for this motor ?
And yes, I agree, I seem to feel that I need a
little "less" pitch, to get it up to speed a little faster.
during the initial "plow" with two people in it, it
seems to bog for a long time, and slooowly work
up to that critical point where it breaks. Seems
that when it gets in that mid-power band, it works
up, and breaks over nice, bit its just getting from
the low end to mid-range that seems to labor.
Thanks for the advice, and let me know if you
think they make different props for a Johnson 8.
==========================================

You can definitely get props with a lower pitch and/or more blades.
Maximum diameter is usually limited by the location of the cavitation
plate but lower pitch ratios are commonly used for heavier boats and
you might also benefit from an increased number of blades.

Your local outboard dealer or repair shop should be able to help you.