Getting nose of the boat down

[LwnmwnMan2]

I've got an 18' Tracker. When we're going, whether the motor is trimmed up or not, the nose is quite high, so much so that you can't see over the trolling motor on the front of the boat.

Is there anything I can do about this???

[Deitz Dittrich]

put more weight up front?... But if your motor is trimmed all the way up, then it is pulling your bow up as well.. try trimming all the way down, it should pull your bow down a touch.

[Northlander]

Put more weight up front is easiest but Im thinking that your motor trim gauge may be off. At WOT you cant trim it where the nose will settle? What boat and motor do you have? Tracker is famous for selling under powered boat packages and a under powered boat will do this.

[HutchBucks]

I've got a 115 Merc on my 18' Tundra...no probs getting it up on plane ...Now, if I'd only get it back from the shop I'd be in great shape!

[LwnmwnMan2]

It's an 18' Targa WT. 115 Merc Optimax.

As far as dropping the motor down, it does settle it a little, but it's still high. It also drops about 5 mph off of the speed.

Even with running the livewell up front full, (smaller sized) it's high.

I suppose some of it is with 3 adults, 4 year old, gear and 30 gallons of gas in the back end that's going to keep it high too.

I like the boat, just have a hard time not being able to see over the trolling motor without having to "kneel" on the drivers seat.

Any other ideas??

Also, even the trim seems quite short of a distance before it's out of the water. Not the whole motor, just where the prop is no longer catching the water 100%.

[hitthebricks]

Get a taller seat

[eyepatrol]

Trim tab....it fits between the motor bracket and the transom. Thicker on top, thinner on the bottom. What it does is pushes the bottom of the motor further in towards the boat such that the front end of the boat pushes further down.

I didn't have the problem you're having on my previous boat, but it did porpoise (sp?) which was a result of too much weight in the back of the boat. After a fair amount of complaining, the manufacturer installed the trim tab which helped push the front end down further.

You'll drag more water, lose speed and lose fuel effeciency, but it might help you out. I'd ask a dealer about the possibility of having it put on. Might cost a few bucks to do it too.

Good luck!

[Surface Tension]

"I suppose some of it is with 3 adults, 4 year old, gear and 30 gallons of gas in the back end that's going to keep it high too. "

There you have it. Get some weight out of the rear and into the bow. That'll lower your bow and you'll still be able to trim up, in return you'll gain speed.

[randallt]

a hydrofoil may lift the back up also. A buddy of mine had similar problem on a runabout and it solved it for him.

[Northlander]

Another thing is your seat may need to be raised. Some boat seats are very low to the ground so seeing over the bow can be tough. Especially if your vertically challanged.

[BobT]

Okay, now this is like the third thread in a row that has me busting. You guys crack me up!

Bob

[cold one sd]

You might have to get a tall air ride seat like I did, or put an old fat guy like me up front. Need a volunteer??

[SteveWilson]

fill your front livewell with water and leave the back livewell empty

[archer59]

Quote:

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I've got an 18' Tracker. When we're going, whether the motor is trimmed up or not, the nose is quite high, so much so that you can't see over the trolling motor on the front of the boat.

Is there anything I can do about this???

---

Whaletail

[Swimmer]

Human Growth Hormone.

[Stizo]

OK, heres what you do. If all else fails...leave your passengers at the dock, drive to middle of the lake, put on your USCG approved life vest, remove the drain plug from the transom, relax, crack a cold one and wait

Sorry, just could'nt resist!

Stizo

[cold one sd]

Quote:

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OK, heres what you do. If all else fails...leave your passengers at the dock, drive to middle of the lake, put on your USCG approved life vest, remove the drain plug from the transom, relax, crack a cold one and wait

Sorry, just could'nt resist!

Stizo

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Lets not be crackin on the cold one.

[iffwalleyes]

You should not need a whale tail or hydra foil. They are a gimick. It the boat is proped right with tilt and trim you wouldn't need either of these.

[LwnmwnMan2]

This boat is going back to the shop Monday, since the radio doesn't work for dump. Brand new (2005) 3 weeks ago.

I'm going to bring it up at the shop and see if they've got anything.

[archer59]

Quote:

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You should not need a whale tail or hydra foil. They are a gimick. It the boat is proped right with tilt and trim you wouldn't need either of these.

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I beg to differ....

Running a tiller, the Whale Tail gets me to trimming sooner, which in turn means eaiser strearing sooner also. This could be another issue with the tracker. I never used a tail or hydrofoil when I use to run consoles.

Nick

[randallt]

I have seen whale tails/hydrofoils make a difference in two different boats. They get boat on plane much faster and owners of those two say they got a little extra speed on the top end. Both these guys swear by them. Personally I have never used/owned one, but if I were having performance issues I wouldn't hesitate to try one.

[marine_man]

Quote:

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They get boat on plane much faster

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I buy this... with some smaller, bordering on under powered motors a whale tail / hydrafoil / etc will help get on plane quicker.

Quote:

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owners of those two say they got a little extra speed on the top end

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I do not buy this though.. when you're runnning on plane (when you're getting your max speed) the whale tale / hydrafoil / etc is out of the water, having no effect on max speed.

marine_man

[marine_man]

Quote:

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Trim tab....it fits between the motor bracket and the transom. Thicker on top, thinner on the bottom.

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I believe what you're describing is called a transom wedge...

marine_man

[eyepatrol]

Probably is MM. I thought I recall the dealer who told me about it called it a trim tab, but I've been known to be wrong before. It is more like a wedge than anything. I needed it put on because the dealer who sold me the boat (whose name I won't mention) didn't make me aware that the boat (whose brand name I won't mention) wasn't designed to handle the extra weight of an Optimax motor. It never did clear up the porpoising 100%, but it did help to a certain degree. You'd think that when one spends $30K on a boat (in 1998) it would be flawless coming from the dealer, but maybe my expectations were just too high.