not planing on the water

[DaRangeFinder]

I have a 1986 14ft lunker with a 2004 25 horse honda 4 stroke on the back. I also added an omc power tilt in trim and my prop is rated at a 12 inch prop. I cannot get this boat to plane and I have heard a lot of different reasons as to why that my be. Anyone out there have some thoughts on this I would really appreciate any tips new ideas can only help me at this point.

It is really having a difficult time in the water and I am not sure how much a prop change will help but I could be wrong?

[jwmiller33]

Somethings not right because a 25hp motor should push that boat around very nicely and you should have no problems whatsoever getting on plane. Wrong prop is the first thing that comes to mind. How long ago did you buy this motor and put it on this boat (were you able to get on plane before with this same setup)? I'm guessing the motor was on a different boat before you put it on your boat. What is the pitch on the prop you have now? I am guessing if you got a prop with a different pitch, it would solve all your problems. Like I said, a 25 hp motor should have no problems getting on plane.

If the prop isn't the problem, then I would look toward weight distribution. How much weight do you have up in the bow of the boat (batteries, gas tank, anchors, etc)? If you have too much weight in the bow, then you are going to experience problems getting on plane.

If thats not the problem, then I would think there is something wrong in the motor itself that is not allowing it to output max power, but like I said, I think the pitch of the prop is the culprit of the problem.

My guess is this motor was on a really different boat (maybe something like a pontoon) before you put it on your rig and the prop/pitch was matched to the old set up and not changed when you put it on your boat. There should be 2 numbers on the prop, something like 13X9 for example, where 13=diameter and 9=pitch (see images below). Any numbers after the 13x9 will be for material identification (alum or stainless steel). If you call any type of prop shop and tell them what kind of boat, motor and type of weight/load you typically have in the boat, they will be able to tell you what kind of prop you should be running.

[bgmny]

I used to have the same boat also with a 25 horse. The way the boat is set up there's alot of weight in the back. I had lots of issues getting on plane too. If I had someone with me they had to sit on the front bench seat until we got on plane, then they could sit in the middle seat. The boat is a foot wider than most 14 footers so it's pushing alot more water to begin with. Add the weight of the battery and a heavier 4-stroke motor in the back and it gets even harder to plane. If I remember right the boat is rated to a 40 H.P. motor. I ended up mounting the battery(if you're only using one) in the front compartment and running all the wiring through the tube under the floor. Seemed to help alot. Really liked the boat, but I wish it had a bigger motor.

[SkunkedAgain]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a wider boat should sit on top of the water better than a skinnier boat. I'm not sure that its width is the issue here.

Just in case, you might want to make sure that you're not running a 25hp long shaft on a short shaft boat. That could make a big difference.

[Jim Almquist]

I noticed a huge difference when I went from a 50hp 2 stroke to a 60hp 4 stroke.I ended up moving my trolling and starting batteries to the bow because of the weight difference.

You might just have to move any batteries and gas tanks to the bow. You also need to make sure the motor is able come down as far as possible. Make sure the pin is in the spot closest to the transom.

[Surface Tension]

Weight distribution will make a huge difference.

Get the weight out of the stern and move it forward.

[SkunkedAgain]

True, but a 25hp shouldn't weigh too much more even if it's a 4-stroke. My last boat did plane better when I got rid of the transom mounted trolling motor and mounted a new one on the bow. So redistributing the weight should make a difference.

My old 14' (aluminum with bench seats and nothing else) used to plane with an old 10hp motor, so in most circumstances a 25hp should do the trick unless the boat is badly overloaded, weight is not distributed well, or the motor setup isn't right (trim pin, lower unit length, carbed right, etc.).

[Northlander]

Juggle the weight around and if that dont work check the prop you could have a slipping hub or just need a new prop. My old 25 horse Yamaha would get my 14' Northwoods on plane quick but once I spun a hub and it would move the boat but I couldnt get enough out of it without it "slipping" to get on plane.