I bought in early April a new aluminum boat, 19' Raider with a 140
Suzuki 4-stroke on it, everything is new. I have less than 15 hours on
the boat as of today. The first time I used the boat it wanted to list
to one side while motoring down the river..tried trimming the motor,
little or no difference. So I take it back to the guys I bought it from
and they tell me "no big deal we will adjust the tab on the transom,
come back in a week".

I did that, took it out on the river over the wknd with my two buddies,
all of us weigh at or near 200 pds. If two guys get on one side with
one guy on the other the boat will lean way over....not a little, I'm
talking way over! If two guys move to the other side, it then leans
that way!

So, I call the manufacturer, he tells me "well they do this if you have
two big guys on one side". I'm thinking "give me a break, this is a 19'
boat! He then says "I will put trimtabs on it for 300 bucks!

I run a couple other aluminums made by other manufacturer's as part of
my job and have ridden in boats most of my life, have never seen
something like this.

I feel that this is a brand new boat and I paid 22k for it and it
shouldn't lean to the point of feeling like you are going to get thrown
out. I also feel like a brand new boat shouldn't need trim tabs and
there is something wrong!

I would appreciate the advice of you guys.

Thank you.

RM

Every v-bottom boat up to 25' that I've ever been on lists to the side that
people are standing on. That's what trim tabs are designed to correct.


"RiverMan" wrote in message
ups.com...
I bought in early April a new aluminum boat, 19' Raider with a 140
Suzuki 4-stroke on it, everything is new. I have less than 15 hours on
the boat as of today. The first time I used the boat it wanted to list
to one side while motoring down the river..tried trimming the motor,
little or no difference. So I take it back to the guys I bought it from
and they tell me "no big deal we will adjust the tab on the transom,
come back in a week".

I did that, took it out on the river over the wknd with my two buddies,
all of us weigh at or near 200 pds. If two guys get on one side with
one guy on the other the boat will lean way over....not a little, I'm
talking way over! If two guys move to the other side, it then leans
that way!

So, I call the manufacturer, he tells me "well they do this if you have
two big guys on one side". I'm thinking "give me a break, this is a 19'
boat! He then says "I will put trimtabs on it for 300 bucks!

I run a couple other aluminums made by other manufacturer's as part of
my job and have ridden in boats most of my life, have never seen
something like this.

I feel that this is a brand new boat and I paid 22k for it and it
shouldn't lean to the point of feeling like you are going to get thrown
out. I also feel like a brand new boat shouldn't need trim tabs and
there is something wrong!

I would appreciate the advice of you guys.

Thank you.

RM

On Tue, 7 Jun 2005 01:03:01 -0400, "NOYB" wrote:

Every v-bottom boat up to 25' that I've ever been on lists to the side that
people are standing on. That's what trim tabs are designed to correct.


"RiverMan" wrote in message
oups.com...
I bought in early April a new aluminum boat, 19' Raider with a 140
Suzuki 4-stroke on it, everything is new.

Interesting. The boat is rated for 130 hp according to the web site -
which, by the way, sucks.

I have less than 15 hours on
the boat as of today. The first time I used the boat it wanted to list
to one side while motoring down the river..tried trimming the motor,
little or no difference. So I take it back to the guys I bought it from
and they tell me "no big deal we will adjust the tab on the transom,
come back in a week".

I did that, took it out on the river over the wknd with my two buddies,
all of us weigh at or near 200 pds. If two guys get on one side with
one guy on the other the boat will lean way over....not a little, I'm
talking way over! If two guys move to the other side, it then leans
that way!

Well, you have an 85" beam on a moderate V bottom (10º stern, 30º bow)
and with three guys in it, two of them "big", then I would expect it
to list to one side. Under power, that's what the trim tabs are for.

My Ranger 200 C lists to one side if you get me and one other person
on the same side of the boat - not a lot I admit - and that boat is
designed to stay relatively flat on the surface of the water.

All boats of this type and hull design will do this. Of course, how
severe the list is a personal issue and what is acceptable to you. I
have a hunch that you aren't used to this style boat hull. I also
think that this is a very light boat just based on the aluminum specs
on it.

~~ snippage ~~

I feel that this is a brand new boat and I paid 22k for it and it
shouldn't lean to the point of feeling like you are going to get thrown
out. I also feel like a brand new boat shouldn't need trim tabs and
there is something wrong!

Should have water tested the boat first - sorry, that's just the way
it is. At this point, you are pretty much stuck with it - there
really isn't anything "wrong" per se.

Later,

Tom

"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 7 Jun 2005 01:03:01 -0400, "NOYB" wrote:

Every v-bottom boat up to 25' that I've ever been on lists to the side
that
people are standing on. That's what trim tabs are designed to correct.


"RiverMan" wrote in message
roups.com...
I bought in early April a new aluminum boat, 19' Raider with a 140
Suzuki 4-stroke on it, everything is new.

Interesting. The boat is rated for 130 hp according to the web site -
which, by the way, sucks.

It's rated for 130 lbs of what? Total cargo including passengers???

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 7 Jun 2005 01:03:01 -0400, "NOYB" wrote:

Every v-bottom boat up to 25' that I've ever been on lists to the side
that
people are standing on. That's what trim tabs are designed to correct.


"RiverMan" wrote in message
groups.com...
I bought in early April a new aluminum boat, 19' Raider with a 140
Suzuki 4-stroke on it, everything is new.

Interesting. The boat is rated for 130 hp according to the web site -
which, by the way, sucks.

It's rated for 130 lbs of what? Total cargo including passengers???

hp=horsepower
lbs=pounds

On Tue, 07 Jun 2005 12:05:37 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:

"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 7 Jun 2005 01:03:01 -0400, "NOYB" wrote:

Every v-bottom boat up to 25' that I've ever been on lists to the side
that
people are standing on. That's what trim tabs are designed to correct.


"RiverMan" wrote in message
groups.com...
I bought in early April a new aluminum boat, 19' Raider with a 140
Suzuki 4-stroke on it, everything is new.

Interesting. The boat is rated for 130 hp according to the web site -
which, by the way, sucks.

It's rated for 130 lbs of what? Total cargo including passengers???

I just wrote and deleted some spectacular one-liners in response and
after some thought, decided to let your comment stand. :)

Later,

Tom

Tom and others,

Yes I should have tested it first. I didn't because the motors they had
on the boats were 90HP. Yes the boat is rated for a 130 but the
manufacturer provided me with stickers that allowed the 140 to go on.
He said the boat can actually take up to a 180 but they rate it at 130
for safety reasons. You may be right about me not being "used to" this
hull design but I can tell you that if you were riding with me down the
river at 30 MPH and holding onto your chair so you wouldn't slide off
you wouldn't like it either...it's that bad! I'm not talking about a
"little lean", it leans "big time".

regards,

RM

"RiverMan" wrote in message
ups.com...
Yes the boat is rated for a 130 but the
manufacturer provided me with stickers that allowed the 140 to go on.

Hmmm. If I were trying to get out from under that boat, I might pursue this
angle. I don't think a dealer can give you a sticker to change the Coast
Guard rating of a boat.

Anybody know for sure?

"NOYB" wrote in message
.net...

"RiverMan" wrote in message
ups.com...
Yes the boat is rated for a 130 but the
manufacturer provided me with stickers that allowed the 140 to go on.

Hmmm. If I were trying to get out from under that boat, I might pursue
this angle. I don't think a dealer can give you a sticker to change the
Coast Guard rating of a boat.

Anybody know for sure?



A vague "I don't wanna name names yet" call to the CG should do the trick.

On 7 Jun 2005 06:49:01 -0700, "RiverMan"
wrote:

Tom and others,

Yes I should have tested it first. I didn't because the motors they had
on the boats were 90HP. Yes the boat is rated for a 130 but the
manufacturer provided me with stickers that allowed the 140 to go on.
He said the boat can actually take up to a 180 but they rate it at 130
for safety reasons. You may be right about me not being "used to" this
hull design but I can tell you that if you were riding with me down the
river at 30 MPH and holding onto your chair so you wouldn't slide off
you wouldn't like it either...it's that bad! I'm not talking about a
"little lean", it leans "big time".

Sticker beside the point, there should be a Coast Guard rating along
with a UL rating and you can't change that period, end of discussion.
There ain't no such thing as a variable power boat horsepower rating.

Do as NYOB and Doug suggest - call the CG and ask what the boat is
officially rated for.

There's your out.

Later,

Tom