TOPIC: Do I need to get my bow down?

I've been noticing when I take the Crestliner to the lake,seems like the bow rides high even after I plane off and she don't like choppy water. What about putting an 80# bag of sand in the bow? What do you guys think?

A little off subject but what model Crestliner is that I just picked up a 1963 model 933 01 according to the tag, for my cousin no idea what model it is registration claims 16 ft but looks more like a 17.
your bottom picture doesnt look like its any hire than my Wagemaker empire clipper is when on plain. but I have never used a crestliner.
Still waiting for the vid to load.... slow net here..

You may have to trim up the moter a bit there. go in or out on the trim holes one at a time until you find the proper plan. do you have anything overly heavy in the stern, other than battery and fuel? You may also want to make sure your engine is not to high or low in the water. That will also affect trim.

It's a 62 Del Rio 17. I could just be used to the aristo, but I'm wondering if I put some weight in the front that it might ride a little better.I know it will take one or two mph off,but I can live with it.

skipthescrounger wrote:

You may have to trim up the moter a bit there. go in or out on the trim holes one at a time until you find the proper plan. do you have anything overly heavy in the stern, other than battery and fuel? You may also want to make sure your engine is not to high or low in the water. That will also affect trim.

That's what I had,Skip.

Hy there. My friend has a ranger bass boat that had a hard time planing most of the time one of us had to sit up by the bow. last week he got a set of smart tabs from Iboats and put them on his boat. We went fishing yesterday and WOW!! that boat planed out in a hart beat he told me it was the best 120$ he had ever spent.

flyingbrian wrote:

Hy there. My friend has a ranger bass boat that had a hard time planing most of the time one of us had to sit up by the bow. last week he got a set of smart tabs from Iboats and put them on his boat. We went fishing yesterday and WOW!! that boat planed out in a hart beat he told me it was the best 120$ he had ever spent.

I hadn't thought of trim tabs. Thanks Brian. It might come down to that. I'd rather do that than those wings mounted on the motor's cavitation plate

flyingbrian wrote:

Hy there. My friend has a ranger bass boat that had a hard time planing most of the time one of us had to sit up by the bow. last week he got a set of smart tabs from Iboats and put them on his boat. We went fishing yesterday and WOW!! that boat planed out in a hart beat he told me it was the best 120$ he had ever spent.

X2. Nauticus Smart Tabs are AWESOME!!

I'm sure you know but trim is huge in a small boat. I'd say to pull the motor in one notch (so the lower unit is closer to the transom). Go easy at first because if it's too close it will make the boat want to roll. Don't ask how I know but it's very uneasy feeling. I had to find the right angle for mine and then rearranged the seating to move the weight forward, problem solved.

Failing that, move your cooler of gold bars to the front.

I've heard good and bad about cavitation plates, I have a set I'd send your for cost of shipping that I took off my Evinrude, once I got it trimmed out I had no need for them.

Trim tabs work great on my radio controlled boats, never used the full sized ones.

And the sandbag would work if it comes to that.

After looking at your video of the boat up on plane you are riding just where you want to be. I have a crestliner with the same hull basicly and mine rides like that also. They come up on plane fast and allways seem to ride high. That engine could be trimed up just a bit if needed. putting extra weight in the bow useally just stresses the hull to much with all the pounding.

Heck when my dog goes to the front of the boat it makes a big difference. She weight in at about 40 lbs. Sometimes you just have to play with it. I mounted my battery out front and that did wonders.

Thanks for the offer wavetrain,but I think I'll pass on the cavitation wings.If I move the motor one notch in, it's too much towards the transom.I have a compartment up front under a removable piece of plywood. Might add 40# or so up there just to experiment a little. ;)If that don't pan out I'm going to check on trim tabs. Thanks guys for the ideas.jim

Didn't look like your bow was too high to me Jim, once you got planed out. If you bring it down much you'll be plowing water, but guess it's worth a try. It was just you in the boat, right? If you carry any cargo or passengers it won't ride so high. I wouldn't worry about it too much, unless you're just uncomfortable with it's attitude. Just my two cents.

MarkS wrote:

Didn't look like your bow was too high to me Jim, once you got planed out. If you bring it down much you'll be plowing water, but guess it's worth a try. It was just you in the boat, right? If you carry any cargo or passengers it won't ride so high. I wouldn't worry about it too much, unless you're just uncomfortable with it's attitude. Just my two cents.

I guess I'm just been in the other boat too long,Mark. I'll have to say that the 75 on the crestliner has got a little faster take off and top end than the other 75 I have and it's running a 10x11 prop verses a 10 1/4 x 10 on the aristo. Could be because more of the crestliner's hull rides up out of the water.Probably a little lighter boat also.I also got to thinking about the possible plowing if I add weight. And watching the crappy video, I've noticed how tall the hull gets from the rear of the seats towards the bow and the actual bottom of the boat is planing about right. I believe you and skip are right on this.thanks